Cable TV
DEN readies Android-based STB for Feb launch
MUMBAI: Multi-system operator (MSO) DEN is all set to revamp its old hybrid set top box (STB) into a smart STB. The new STB will support 4k HD as well as internet access.
A trial for the same is already in process is what DEN Networks CEO SN Sharma informed analysts. He added that the revamped STBs have been planted across the country and the response so far from the subscribers has been good. The trial will go on till February and the prices will be announced during the middle of the month itself.
The MSO is also in talks with two Indian broadcasting giants, Star and Zee. It also renewed deals with Sony and IndiaCast in 2017 for a span of two years.
DEN, which has 13 million cable audience and 8.4 million active subscribers, is also planning to grow its broadband business. The company will be sharing its plan by the end of financial year 2017-18. DEN currently has a net subscriber base of 2.15 lakh with 60 per cent active subscribers.
Currently in only 10 select cities across 4 states of the country, MSO has plans to stretch in more 10 cities.
DEN Networks CFO Rajesh Kaushal predicted that the future expenditure will be more in broadband and less in cable, as most of the boxes are already lifted and the subsidy is very less on it.
DEN previously spent Rs.11 crore for seeding in the existing 10 cities and for expanding to more 10 cities the cost will be around Rs.10 crores.
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.
