Cable TV
Hathway acquires 51% in 2 local cable networks, expands to Chandigarh and Mohali
MUMBAI: After Siticable, it is the turn of Hathway Cable & Datacom to take the acquisition route. The Rajan Raheja promoted multi system operator (MSO) has acquired 51 per cent stake in two local cable TV networks in Chandigarh and Mohali.
By entering into a joint venture with FCN and CCN, Hathway will have to contend against Siticable which is the largest MSO in Chandigarh. FCN operates in both Chandigarh and Mohali and is jointly promoted by Maninder Singh Lovely and Manmohan Singh Bajwa. CCN services Chandigarh and is promoted by Bajwa. which caters to around 30 per cent of the Chandigarh subscriber base.
“We are planning to launch digital cable TV and broadband services soon. These two cities are good markets for both the products. We get almost 80 per cent of Mohali’s and around 30 per cent of Chandigarh’s subscriber base,” says Hathway Cable & Datacom CEO K Jayaraman.
The joint venture will soon see the roll out of Hathways services in Panchkula also. “After being the leading service providers in Ludhiana and Jalandhar, Hathways joint venture with FCN and CCN will further strengthen the existing networks with the state of art technology,” the company said in a release.
Hathway’s cable TV is already available in 11 cities across the nation including Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Pune, Nashik, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ludhiana, Vijaywada, Jalandhar and Mysore. The MSO is currently offering digital cable services in New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and will commence shortly in Hyderabad.
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.
