Cable TV
CAS report expected to go before cabinet early next week
A small victory is in sight for cable operators who have been lobbying hard for the implementation of the conditional access system (CAS) – a move to counter, what cable operators term, “frequent arm-twisting by big broadcasters.” The Rakesh Mohan committee’s recommendations on CAS will go to the Cabinet early next week.
The government is likely to okay the implementation of the CAS as part of a policy guideline before the ongoing session of Parliament comes to an end. Implementation of the CAS would also allow cable operators to offer other services too to cable operators with the advancement of technology.
“The aim is to get a Cabinet nod on CAS before the necessary amendments in the Cable TV Regulation Act is moved in Parliament,” a senior official of the information and broadcasting ministry told indiantelevision.com.
According to the government official, a cabinet note on CAS is being prepared by the I&B ministry and “the effort will be to put it up before the Cabinet for its consideration at the earliest, which may be as early as next week.” The official added: “After that an amendment in the CATV Act before this Parliament session comes to an end would just be a formality.”
Why is the move on CAS being termed by the cable industry as an initiative in its favour? Explains Vicky Chowdhry, one of the big independent cable operators in Delhi, who from time to time takes on the might of broadcasters like ESPN-Star through legal moves: “CAS is good for the cable industry as then the broadcasters would not resort to frequent subscription hikes and we can also charge from the paying public for the pay channels which they want to see. Or, we can give subscribers a basic service which would not be very high from the current monthly subscription an average Indian household pays.”
The Rakesh Mohan committee, set up by the I&B ministry, after consultation with stake holders in the broadcasting industry, in its report had said that amongst other things all pay channels should come as part of the CAS and the government would reserve the right to determine the price of the basic-tier service – a move described by the government mandarins as a safety clause for an average cable viewing public.
The committee had also said that that all encrypted channels would be defined as “subscription based channels” and routed through a set top box. Unencrypted free to air channels, on the other hand, would not need to be routed through the box.
For the subscriber, that would mean the ability to choose the exact bouquet of channels he wants to get.
Earlier, a technical sub-committee of the task force had recommended that basic standards for all cable operators should be laid down while giving them the freedom to choose their building blocks on top of the base tier of services.
The group has representation from government, cable operators, multi-system operators (MSOs), broadcasters and
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.
