Cable TV
Delhi based cable operators form new body to represent case of smaller LCOs
NEW DELHI: Soon after the south based independent multi system operators (MSOs) decided to come together as one to ensure that they were well represented and could reap the benefits of digitisation, the Delhi based cable operators have decided to follow their path.
A total of 16 registered associations of Delhi cable operators have jointly formed the Cable Operators Welfare Federation. While A S Kohli from west Delhi has been elected chairman, Bhai Surjeet Singh will be the president of the newly formed association.
Singh told indiantelevision.com that the body had been formed to give a better representation to smaller LCOs so that the government does not ignore their pleas for justice while implementation of digital addressable system.
It is also learnt that a memorandum will be sent shortly to Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley seeking a common tariff for the rates charged by the multi-system operators in Delhi. Furthermore, the memorandum is expected to point out that while the MSOs receive carriage fee, the LCOs should get a share of this, and the LCOs should also be paid a share by broadcasters of pay channels who are earning huge revenue through advertisements.
The vice-presidents of the association are Raj Kumar Thappa, Dharmesh, Ashok Pandit, Kuldeep Rawal and Satish Bhatia. Vineet Kumar is the general secretary while the joint secretaries are Sudhir Kumar, Narinder Bhagdi, Prem, and Rajesh Pandit. Ramesh Duggal has been appointed as the treasurer.
The legal advisors are A K Uppadhay, Romesh Zadoo and Jayant Chadda and the media advisors are Parveen Arora, Ram Kishen Tomar and Sanjeev Bhatti.
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.
