Cable TV
DEN JV partners on warpath over differential treatment, form separate association
NEW DELHI: Even as Indian multi system operator (MSO) DEN Networks is looking at doing away with joint venture partnerships in Phase III and IV of digitization by taking the direct distribution route, its existing joint venture partners across the country are up in arms.
In a meeting of DEN’s JV partners held in Delhi, they alleged that DEN indulges in different financial and other arrangements with partners all over the country.
According to information available with Indiantelevision.com, the grievance of Den’s JV partners is that while for some JVs the agreement was on a 50:50 basis, for others it was 51:49 or 60:40.
The JV partners, who also formed the DEN India JV Partners Association in their meeting here, said that there was no transparency in the deals with different JV partners.
Speaking to this website, Association spokesperson and Mumbai-based DEN Satellite Network JV partner Ravi Singh said that the comfort level with DEN was missing and the Association wanted DEN to deal with all partners on an equal footing.
DEN has a presence across the country in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Kerala, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand through multiple JV deals.
At the meeting held in Delhi, around twenty JV shareholders from all over the country were present.
Repeated attempts to get reactions from the DEN Network management were futile.
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.
