Cable TV
DEN seeks Goldman Sachs investment nod from shareholders
MUMBAI: Leading Indian multisystem cable TV operator (MSO) DEN Networks –promoted by Sameer Manchanda- which got its board’s nod to issue another 1.58 crore shares at a price of Rs 90 per share to existing investor Goldman Sachs is now seeking shareholder approval for the same through an extraordinary general meeting to be held on 14 October 2016.
DEN says it will be issuing the preferential shares to Goldman Sachs affiliate firms Broad Street Investments (Singapore) Pte Ltd and MBD Bridge Street 2016 Investments Pte Ltd. The former will subscribe to 1.30 crore shares taking its holding to 4.18 crore shares. Constituting 21.6 per cent of Den Networks equity. The latter will mop up 28.24 lakh shares and a first time investor in DEN its holding will be at 1.46 per cent.
Once completed the preferential share issue will see the promoters’ shareholding falling from 28.52 per cent to 26.19 per cent; corporate bodies from 11.53 per cent to 10.59 per cent; institutional investors from 22.20 to 20.39 per cent; private corporate bodies from 7.30 per cent to 6.71 per cent and finally the holding of foreign bodies will jump from 22.93 per cent to 29.21.
DEN Networks has said it will use the $21 million funds to pare down its debt from Rs 852 crore in June 2016 and also expand its broadband business through its subsidiary. The company’s debt stood at Rs 895 crore in March 2016 and at Rs 930 crore in March 2015. Between 31 March 2016 and June 2016, DEN Networks raised Rs 89 crore in debt and repaid Rs 132 crore.
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.
