Cable TV
CAN welcomes basic tier pricing post-CAS, cautions government to stay on alert on implementation
MUMBAI:It’s once again the turn of the Consumer Action Network (CAN) to air its views on conditional access. President Ahmed M. Abdi has welcomed the government’s decision to fix the price of free-to-air television channels at Rs 40 per household per month.
Says Abdi in a press release: “This is a price affordable by poorest of the poor section of our society and the government should not come under pressure of cable operators who want to increase this price to Rs 250 for the free to air bouquet. Cable operators are free to make profits from the generation of revenue from Pay Channels, which would be subscribed to by the affordable section of the society, and it is duty of the Govt. to come to rescue of the general public comprising of poor section of the society having limited avenues for entertainment.”
Abdi has also cautioned the government to keep a close watch on cable ops, as they would try and arm twist cable TV viewers into subscribing to pay TV services by depriving them of basic free to air services if they don’t take up pay TV services. “If any such cases come to light, the government should act tough by labelling it a cognizable and non-bailable offence authorising the local police to initiate action as per law,” he says. “It is essential that a regulatory body be constituted and be empowered to look into the problems that consumers face and also take timely decisions.”
Cable TV
Hathway Cable appoints Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as CEO
Leadership change comes as cable TV faces shrinking subscriber base and modest earnings pressure
MUMBAI: Hathway Cable and Datacom has tapped industry veteran Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as chief executive officer, marking a leadership pivot at a time when India’s cable television business is under mounting strain.
Kapoor will take over from Tavinderjit Singh Panesar, who is set to retire in August after a long innings with the company. Panesar, chief executive since 2023, has held multiple leadership roles at Hathway, including his latest stint beginning in 2022.
Kapoor brings more than three decades of experience in media and entertainment. He most recently led distribution at The Walt Disney Company’s Star India business, now part of JioStar. His career spans television distribution and affiliate partnerships, with stints at Sony Pictures Networks India, Discovery Communications and Zee Entertainment.
Panesar, with over three decades in the industry, has worked across strategic planning, distribution and business development in media, broadcasting and manufacturing. His past associations include ESPN Star Sports, Star India, Apollo Tyres and JK Industries.
The transition lands as the cable sector grapples with structural disruption. Traditional operators are losing ground to streaming platforms, while telecom and broadband players tighten the squeeze with bundled offerings.
An EY report estimates India’s pay-TV base could shrink by a further 30 to 40 million households by 2030, taking the total down to 71 to 81 million. The slide follows a loss of nearly 40 million homes between 2018 and 2024, a contraction that has already wiped out more than 37,000 jobs in the local cable operator ecosystem.
Hathway’s numbers reflect the strain. The company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 93 crore for FY25, down from Rs 99 crore a year earlier. Revenue inched up to Rs 2,040 crore from Rs 1,981 crore. As of December 2025, it had about 4.7 million cable TV subscribers and roughly 1.02 million broadband users.
Kapoor steps in with a familiar brief but a shrinking playbook. In a market where viewers are cutting cords faster than companies can reinvent them, the new chief executive inherits a business fighting to stay plugged in.
