Cable TV
Filmart kicks off, new addition is Hong Kong Music Fair
MUMBAI: The 10 edition of Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (Filmart) kicked off today (20 March). This edition also introduces the launch of The Hong Kong Music Fair, in collaboration with IFPI Hong Kong. Filmart is on till 23 March.
The Hong Kong Music Fair will offer a dedicated pavilion for music industry professionals and players to explore business opportunities on new media applications, copyright trading, technology transfer and cross-media partnerships.
Over 60 companies specialising in records production and distribution as well as artist management have taken part in this year’s premier Hong Kong Music Fair launch.
Filmart offers a wide variety of products and services, spanning from film, animation, digital entertainment, audio-visual equipment, post production and music productions, at the four-day event.
Over 400 exhibitors from 28 countries and regions presenting their most creative programmes have converged on Hong Kong Filmart, considered Asia’s world entertainment market. The exibihtion is recognised as the cross-media platform for industry players to network, exchange and trade in this part of Asia.
Over 4,000 buyers have registered on-line to visit the show, informs an official statement. Exhibitor attendance this year includes the first time exhibitors from Turkey, the Bahamas and Iran.
The Filmart exhibition will also inculde animation and digital entertainment pavilion to showcase their animation,online games and edutainment software as well as their digital post production facilities and services.
The Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) will be held concurrently with Filmart for the third year.
HAF, co-organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Hong Kong & New Territories Motion Picture Industry Association Ltd (MPIA), is aimed at serving as a match making platform for the film industry, helping commercially viable and promising film projects in Hong Kong and Asia locate financial and business support through joint ventures or co-productions.
Over 160 film screenings and international premieres will be arranged for trade visitors.
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.
