Cable TV
DEN Networks hikes foreign investment limit to 74 per cent
MUMBAI: Close on the heels of multi system operator (MSO) Hathway Cable and Datacom’s decision to increase the foreign investment limit in its company, DEN Networks has now followed suit.
It may be recalled that in January this year Hathway decided to increase the foreign investment limit from 49 per cent to 74 per cent.
DEN Networks, which is currently building its broadband base and also working towards digitisation in phase III and IV, is looking at attracting overseas capital into the company.
DEN Networks has got the approval from the board of directors to increase the foreign investment limit in the company by Foreign Institutional Investors (FII) and Foreign Portfolio Investors etc. from the current 49 per cent to 74 per cent. This, subject to approval of the shareholders, Foreign Investment Promotion Board of India, Ministry of Finance (FIPB) among others.
In an announcement to the BSE, DEN Networks said, “The board of directors of the company has approved through circulation, increase in foreign investment limit in the company by Foreign Institutional Investors, Foreign Portfolio Investors etc., under the Portfolio Investment Scheme in accordance with Schedules 2 and 2A of Foreign Exchange Management Act (Transfer or Issue of Security by a person Resident Outside India) Regulations, 2000 (FEMA 20) from existing 49 per cent to 74 per cent of the issued and fully paid-up share capital of the company, subject to the approval of the Shareholders, Foreign Investment Promotion Board of India, Ministry of Finance (FIPB) and all other applicable acts, laws, rules, regulations, circulars, directions, notifications, press notes guidelines and statutory approvals, if any.”
The approval of shareholders for aforesaid resolution will be taken through Postal Ballot in accordance with section 110 of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rule 22 of the Companies (Management and Administration) Rules, 2014, the release further added.
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.
