Cable TV
CNBC TV18’s ‘Industry Vector series spells the relevance of technology in media business
MUMBAI: Technology is making all the difference to the way the people the world over access news. CNBC-TV18 will showcase the Industry Vector series 2006 today at 10:30 PM The channel hosted the Industry Vector series, where ‘The Relevance of Technology in the Media Business’ had been the focal point.
The repeat of the show will air on 26 March at 2:30 PM Reliance Entertainment Pvt Ltd chairman Amit Khanna, CERG Founder and economist Omkar Goswami along with CNBC’s Senthil Chengalvarayan debated on the issue, while exploring the current media scenario in India.
As technology is making all the difference, the source is no longer just one single window. The average Indian not only has the world at his fingertips, he also has it within a few seconds.
The convergence of two key trends – the growing demand for rich media and the exploding availability of affordable bandwidth, have combined to propel the media industry to growth levels unheard of even a few years ago. The new digital transmission system, is just one example of how technology is radically altering the way the media industry thinks and operates, informs an official release.
Have Indian media organizations truly been able to capitalize on these new technologies, to give them the competitive edge? Have they been able to utilize technology to explore new options and orient them to the changing nature of competition? In fact, how exactly does one keep pace with the rapidly changing technology, and still at the same time maintain the organisation’s profitability? What impact will the changing nature of the media market have on the major and minor players?
The Industry Vector series is an eight episode series on CNBC-TV18, which started from the second week of March 2006 running right up to April 2006. The eight hot sectors this series will focus on are: Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Media, Pharma, Logistics, Banking & Financial Services Industry, Education and ITES.
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.
