Cable TV
GTPL KCBPL partner with UKIO, spread smiles
KOLKATA: GTPL KCBPL has partnered with UKIO to spread smiles during these difficult times and expand their product offering. UKIO is a personalised messaging platform that allows users to share video call messages with their loved ones via their favourite celebrity icons. Customers can get customised video messages made from their favourite Tollywood celebrities for as low as Rs 299.
Bleak times call for more emotional support and a feeling of being cared for and celebrated by our loved ones no matter what. As people across the country are forced to adhere to contact-less mannerisms, here’s a way out to still reach out to the closest people in our lives and make them feel special. This can only be made possible with the mindful use of technology at our disposal.
“This initiative is very important and close to the hearts of GTPL KCBPL’s family as it will cheer people up and make them forget their woes. These videos are ideal gifts to loved ones in these tough times. They have already seen a great demand for Eid wishes and Covid related courtesy messages”, GTPL KCBPL transformation manager Ankit Agarwal said.
“This platform also allows users to get on a video call with their favourite megastars which can easily be turned into a special greeting and a memory locked in for years to come. These services will be available through our 8000 plus cable operators across the states of West Bengal and Odisha and people can create a video message to send congratulatory or occasional greetings to their friends and family. They can reach out to their local cable operator to get one of these videos.
Users can choose between celebrities across categories like sports, cinema, models, actors, comedy, health and fitness, TV actors, and so on. They have endless options to choose from Tollywood as well as Bollywood. Some of the biggest names in the business who have already created memorable moments include popular stars Rachna Banerjee, Ena Saha, sports megastar and Badminton Player Saina Nehwal, TV Actor, Host, and Bollywood actor Siddharth Banerjee, and Bollywood Actor and Music Composer Salim Merchant to name a few of the galaxy of stars on UKIO’s platform.
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.
