Cable TV
DAS: No. of MSOs rises to 877, one permanent licensee made provisional
NEW DELHI: Even as the total number of multi-system operators has risen to 877 including 647 getting provisional licences as the country approaches the deadline for the final phase of the digital addressable system, the number of permanent licensees (up to ten years) has fallen by one to 230.
Star Broadband Services (India) Pvt Ltd, which earlier had a permanent licence for distributing signals in Delhi, has now been given a provisional licence on its application for pan India distribution. Thus, the number of MSOs has risen by 37 since the last list of 29 April had put the number at 840.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry had cancelled the licences of 26 MSOs and closed their cases by 12 January. Ministry sources told indiantelevision.com that the latest reduction in the permanent list could not be deemed as a cancellation since the MSO had come on the provisional list.
According to the latest list, the area of operation of two MSOs has been revised after 29 April. Unlike the last list, two MSOs – Whitefield Communication and Star Broadband Services – have been given pan-India licences. The new registrations include the states of, or specific districts in, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhatisgarh, Punjab, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
In an indication of the emphasis on reaching signals in border areas, three MSOs in Jammu and Kashmir and one in Tripura have also received provisional licences since the last list.
With the Home ministry directive about doing away with security clearances for MSOs not being communicated in writing to the MIB, the pace remains slow.
The permanent licence issued to Kal Cable of Chennai had been cancelled on 20 August 2014, but this cancellation was set aside by Madras High Court on 5 September the same year. However, Kal Cable’s name continues to be in the cancelled list – presumably because the cases are still pending.
Sources said that denial of security clearance was not the only reason for provisional licences and said many MSOs holding provisional licences had not completed certain formalities relating to shareholders and so on.
Hathway CCN Entertainment (India) Pvt. Ltd which is a joint venture with Hathway and Siti Cable is among the new recipients, for Chhatisgarh. Hathway CCN recently set up a digital headend to offer a wide array of digital services and channels. The MSO is offering 48 HD channels for its digital cable TV subscribers in the state. Siti’s newly acquired company Bargachh Digital Communication, in which it has 51 percent stake, has also received registration for six districts of Andhra Pradesh.
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.
