Cable TV
GTPL reports higher numbers for Q3 2018
BENGALURU: Indian multi system operator (MSO) and broadband internet services (broadband) provider GTPL Hathway Limited (GTPL) has reported a year-on-year (yoy) growth in standalone as well subsidiary companies revenues, operating profits and net profits for the quarter ended 31 December 2017 (Q3 2018, quarter, quarter under review). GTPL’s broadband internet business – GTPL Broadband is a 100 per cent subsidiary of GTPL. The company owns a 51 percent stake in GTPL Kolkata Cable & Broadband Pariseva Limited (KCBPL).
GTPL standalone
On a standalone basis, GTPL reported 22.7 per cent yoy growth in total revenue for Q3 2018 to Rs 195.50 crore from Rs 159.28 crore. EBITDA including other income in the current quarter was 46.5 per cent higher yoy at Rs 63.44 crore (32.4 per cent margin) as compared to Rs 43.31 crore (27.2 per cent margin). Net profit after tax more than quintupled (5.7 times) yoy in Q3 2018 to Rs 23.74 crore (12.1 per cent margin) from Rs 4.16 crore (2.6 per cent margin).
The company reported 28.8 percent yoy growth in subscription revenue for Q3 2018 at Rs 106.3 crore from Rs 82.5 crore. Placement revenue increased 12.2 per cent yoy in the quarter to Rs 58.7 crore from Rs 52.3 crore. Activation revenue increased 20.8 per cent yoy in Q3 2018 to Rs 18 crore from Rs 14.9 crore.
GTPL says that it has seeded 1.80 lakh (1 crore = 10 crore = 100 lakh) set top boxes and increased CATV digital active subscribers by 1.40 lakh in the current quarter. It says that CATV digital paying subscribers increased by 1.10 lakh to 84.6 lakh in Q3 2018 as compared to 82.8 lakh subscribers in the immediate trailing quarter Q2 2018.
The phase-wise breakup of GTPL’s digital paying subscribers is 5.6 lakh, 16.6 lakh, 20.4 lakh and 24.9 lakh for DAS phases I, II, III and IV respectively. Average revenue per user (ARPU) in Q3 2018 with respect to Q2 2018 has increased by Rs 2 to Rs 51 and by Rs 3 to Rs 61 in phases IV and III respectively; has remained stable at Rs 101 and Rs 96 for DAS phases I and II respectively.
GTPL Broadband
The company says that GTPL Broadband’s total income in Q3 2018 increased 7 per cent yoy to Rs 34.2 crore from Rs 32 crore. EBITDA grew 31 per cent yoy to Rs 10.1 crore from Rs 7.7 crore. PAT increased 9 per cent yoy to Rs 3.9 crore in the current quarter from Rs 3.6 crore.
The company claims that GTPL Broadband has added 12,000 broadband internet subscribers in Q3 2018 as compared to 10,000 in Q2 2018. Its broadband internet subscriber base at the end of Q3 2018 was 2.72 lakh. Broadband internet ARPU in the quarter remained steady at Rs 487 as compared to Q2 2018 and increased from Rs 472 in Q2 2017.
GTPL Kolkata Cable & Broadband Pariseva Limited (KCBPL)
KCBPL’s total income grew 61 per cent yoy to Rs 44.7 crore from Rs 27.8 crore. Subscription CATV revenue increased 69 per cent yoy to Rs 30.3 crore in Q3 2018 from Rs 17.9 crore. Placement revenue in the current quarter grew 12 percent yoy to Rs 7.7 crore from Rs 6.9 crore. Activation revenue in Q3 2018 almost tripled (2.93 times) yoy to Rs 4.7 crore from Rs 1.6 crore.
KCBPL’s EBITDA grew 7.17 times yoy in Q3 2018 to Rs 16 crore from Rs 2.2 crore. The company reported PAT of Rs 2.2 crore in Q3 2018.
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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.
