Cable TV
Final Task Force meet for DAS Phase III; Govt & TRAI deny any chaos
NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: The last sunset of 2015 on 31 December will not only end this calendar year but will also mark the sundown on the era of analog signals in Phase III areas of Digital Addressable System (DAS) in India.
Millions of television households are set to be digitised taking the country one step closer to the ‘Digital India’ vision. The government is adamant that analogue signals will be cut off from 1 January, 2016 for areas covered under the DAS Phase III. In the light of the deadline being merely two days away now, a final Task Force meeting has been convened for tomorrow (30 December, 2015) to take stock of the situation.
A senior executive in cable fraternity feels that the cut-off of signals can lead to a massive law and order situation on ground and the government should be held responsible for any mishap that takes place. He says, “It’s just a day left and still they don’t know what will happen after that. The analog signals will be cut off; it’s a fair call but what if consumers go and vandalise the cable operator? He will have to undergo serious financial damage. Moreover, that can even trigger a riot. We are dealing with vulnerable areas and the government needs to understand that.”
Another senior level executive at a national multi system operator (MSO) opines, “Imagine a scenario when 5000 people are watching New Year special programming on various channels and in the midst of it, the signals are cut off! Does digitisation mean harassing the consumer? What have the authorities done to ensure a smooth transition? When a huge road is made, government gives exemption right. We pay toll and then later the amount is taken care of. Why could they not do something similar with cable if they really wanted the digitisation process to be smooth? I fail to understand why we had to do it in phases. We could have done it state-wise too. Overall, I think there is no option but to wait and watch.”
A source from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, who did not wish to be named told Indiantelevision.com that both the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and some High Courts had already said that interconnect agreements (ICA) have to be in place.
The source further added that enough time had been given to the stakeholders and TRAI had held several meetings with different segments of the stakeholders to iron out differences wherever they existed.
Reacting to the judgement of the Bombay High Court that stop-gap agreements should be permitted till TRAI issues a format of the kind of ICAs that should be signed, sources said that both the Ministry and TRAI were already working on a formal format for the ICA. The Ministry source said that it would accept the directive of the Bombay High Court since it worked in favour of digitisation.
Speaking to this website, a TRAI spokesperson said that the regulator had already floated a Consultation Paper for a model ICA for which the last date for comments is 31 December, 2015 and for counter-comments is 7 January, 2016. In view of the urgency, he expected TRAI to come out with its model ICA within a week of receiving all comments.
When asked about the shortage of set top boxes (STBs) in many areas, the Ministry source said that the actual position would become clear after the Task Force meeting.
However, reports so far indicate that there was no shortage of STBs though there had been some areas, which could not receive them in time.
The TRAI official added that MSOs had assured the regulator that there was no shortage of STBs. While there were reports stating that some local cable operators had not received STBs, the spokesperson said that STBs were now available in the open market and any viewer could obtain these readily.
Denying reports of any chaos in the event of the switch-off of the analogue signals, the Ministry source said that viewers all over the country had been made aware of the deadline through intensive ad campaigns run on television and social media and therefore problems would be minimal with regard to the deadline.
The TRAI source added that with other options like HITS and DTH including Freedish available, the regulator did not foresee any chaos. In fact, several mobile apps were already offering TV channels live.
The source conceded that many viewers had taken the open route of subscribing to a private dish operator but said this was obvious in any competitive economy.
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.
