Cable TV
CVNO Alert: Kolkata LMOs sign MoU with Meghbela
KOLKATA: The Cable Virtual Network Operator (CVNO) in Kolkata is moving fast in order to meet its 15 December launch deadline. In the latest, more than 200 Kolkata based last mile owners (LMOs) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with city-based multi-system operator (MSO) Meghbela Cable & Broadband Services.
The MoU, which will see Meghbela provide the infrastructure to the LMOs will be valid for 36 months.
“Yes, the MoU is signed and now based on this, we can initiate our work. Around 205 LMOs have come together so far,” confirmed Cable Operators Sangram Committee general secretary Apurba Bhattacharya to indiantelevision.com.
“Our brand name will be Meghbela, since the MSO is a DAS license holder. The watermarked logo of the MSO will also be displayed on the TV screen,” he further added.
The nature of agreement is based on the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) regulations as well as on the demand and requirements of both the parties.
The CVNO model, according to the LMOs will operate in all areas of Kolkata. “The MSO will levy a minimum price against every set top box (STB),” informed a LMO, who is part of the business model.
Talking on the cable TV tariff, Bhattacharya said, “While the package rates will be the same but the LMOs will have the freedom to allow discounts from their pocket to subscribers.”
Meghbela Cable has already installed around 1.26 lakh STBs in Kolkata DAS I areas. While in places which fall under DAS III and IV like Haldia, Bankura, Arambagh and Hooghly, the MSO offers 9-10 lakh cable TV connections, majority of which is analogue.
The CVNO model is set to empower LMOs to give their subscribers the choice of channels according to affordability.
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.
