Cable TV
Don’t disconnect cable service for next 1 month due to non-payment: West Bengal govt tells operators
MUMBAI: West Bengal government has directed not to disconnect cable TV connections for the next one month if subscribers fail to pay monthly bill. This is in view of the fact that there are chances of households being unable to meet monthly expenses on account of the current impasse due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“In view of the lockdown, Cable TV connections should not be disconnected by the service providers for the next one month on account of non-payment of subscription fee,” the chief secretary stated in a letter dated 31 March. According to sources, other states may replicate the move.
Indians have been spending more time in front of their television, as per data released by TV viewership measurement agency BARC India and global measurement and data analytics company Nielsen, ever since the government imposed a nationwide 21-day lockdown. The total TV consumption has increased by 8 per cent across India in the week ended 20 March (Covid-19 Week 1), while the total time spent per user on smartphones went up by 6.2 per cent to 25 hours a week.
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.
