Cable TV
Demonetisation: Naidu claims there’s no slump in TV/film industry
NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu has denied reports of any slump in the entertainment industry because of demonetisation. Naidu said he had seen reports in the media but had not received any representations from any section of the television or film industry to the effect that it had suffered because of the demonetisation.
Addressing an end-of-year press meet, he said that there was no delay in the clearances of registration of multi-system operators and that was being done in accordance with the laid-down procedures, he said answering a question on security clearances being obtained “whenever needed’ for television channels or MSOs.
At the press meet which was largely about demonetisation and the stand of the opposition to it, Naidu said that the country was digitising at a pace that was unexpected. Young people who constituted the majority of the population were taking to mobile modes of payment and encouraging cashless banking. He denied any ‘policy paralysis’ and said digitisation was taking place in every sphere of public life.
Over ten million people had switched over to digital modes of payment in just 20 days after demonetisation. Even media analysts who had predicted negatively will have to admit the transformation and the fact that the present government was a scandal-free government.
Speaking later to indiantelevision.com, Naidu said it was for the MSOs to ensure that subscribers were not forced to buy cheap set-top boxes that did not meet the standards of the Bureau of Indian Standards.
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.
