DTH
Dish TV to introduce card-less set top boxes
MUMBAI: Dish TV India is looking at moving away from set top boxes requiring smart cards for subscribers to its satellite pay TV service. This is likely to take place over the next three or four months.
Last weekend, India’s largest DTH provider announced that it had selected Rambus’ Cryptomedia security platform for use in its pay TV satellite system. The platform, which includes a hardware root-of-trust embedded in the set-top box chipset, ensures secure distribution of premium content for cable and satellite operators while eliminating the need for a smart card and enhancing usability of the set-top box.
“As we look to grow our customer base from the current 13 million subscribers, the demand for cost-effective and robust content protection solutions becomes increasingly important for consumers seeking premium content,” said Dish TV India managing director Jawahar Goel. “By leveraging the embedded CryptoMedia core, we no longer need a smart card to provide secure access to premium content, significantly reducing the cost and improving the security of the set-top box.”
The CryptoMedia Content Protection Core, developed by Rambus Cryptography Research, is one of several new security elements to be integrated in Dish TV India’s latest set-top boxes. Together with the CryptoMedia operator services, the solution provides a flexible security foundation that allows Dish TV India to easily update and reconfigure software and hardware security throughout the lifecycle of the set-top box. Dish TV India will launch the new platform in broad commercial operation later this year.
“By using the CryptoMedia Content Protection Core, Dish TV India recognizes the value of enabling another level of protection in the set-top box chipset alongside security elements provided by CAS vendors,” said Martin Scott, senior vice president and general manager of the Security Division at Rambus. “Our CryptoMedia Security Platform provides Dish TV India with extra protection for the delivery of content, utilizing our expertise in both embedded security and ecosystem enablement.”
Formerly part of the CryptoFirewall family, the CryptoMedia Content Protection Core is designed to provide strong security and superior system design flexibility for premium content distribution. The solution minimizes the risk of security failure and helps simplify product development. The core is available in a broad range of set-top box and smart TV chipsets and is compatible with the leading CAS and DRM systems to prevent unauthorized access to content and services, including features like pay-per-view and service-tier upgrades.
DTH
GTPL Hathway posts FY26 revenue growth, Q4 slips into loss
Annual profit at Rs 5.88 crore; Q4 loss at Rs 5.90 crore
MUMBAI: A strong year met a shaky finish as GTPL Hathway closed FY26 on a high note only to stumble at the final hurdle. The company’s latest financials reveal a tale of two timelines: steady annual growth alongside a fourth-quarter dip that nudged it into the red. GTPL Hathway Limited reported total income of Rs 2,472.46 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, marking a clear rise from Rs 2,223.00 crore in FY25. Revenue from operations stood at Rs 2,450.78 crore, up from Rs 2,193.38 crore a year ago, signalling consistent traction in its core cable TV and broadband business.
Yet, beneath the annual growth narrative, the March quarter told a different story. The company posted a net loss of Rs 5.90 crore in Q4 FY26, a sharp reversal from a profit of Rs 0.91 crore in the preceding quarter and Rs 8.15 crore in the same period last year. Total income for the quarter came in at Rs 618.46 crore, largely flat sequentially but higher than Rs 569.33 crore reported a year earlier.
The pressure was visible across the cost structure. Total expenses for the quarter rose to Rs 620.64 crore, marginally exceeding income and tipping the company into a loss before tax of Rs 7.87 crore. This compares with a profit before tax of Rs 1.22 crore in the December quarter and Rs 11.32 crore in Q4 FY25.
For the full year, however, profitability held firm. GTPL reported a net profit of Rs 5.88 crore in FY26, significantly lower than Rs 47.80 crore in FY25, but still in positive territory despite higher finance costs and operating expenses. Operating expenses alone climbed to Rs 1,884.53 crore for the year, up from Rs 1,603.53 crore, reflecting the increasing cost of running and scaling network infrastructure.
Finance costs also rose notably to Rs 33.57 crore in FY26 from Rs 22.19 crore in FY25, while depreciation and amortisation expenses stood at Rs 189.19 crore, underlining continued investments in assets and technology. Employee benefit expenses, however, declined to Rs 63.42 crore from Rs 77.08 crore, offering some relief on the cost front.
An exceptional item of Rs 5.69 crore during the year also weighed on profitability, compared with Rs 3.79 crore in the previous year. Meanwhile, tax adjustments, including deferred tax movements and prior-year adjustments, played a role in shaping the final earnings outcome.
Despite the quarterly wobble, the broader picture suggests a company still expanding its top line while grappling with margin pressures. With paid-up equity share capital unchanged at Rs 112.46 crore, the focus now shifts to whether GTPL can convert its revenue momentum into more stable, sustainable profitability in the coming quarters.
In short, FY26 may have delivered growth on paper but the closing chapter serves as a reminder that in business, as in broadband, consistency is everything.
