Cable TV
Hathway partners with Haptik to elevate customer experience & scales support
Mumbai: Hathway has partnered with Jio Haptik Technologies to leverage its conversational AI technology to improve customer retention.
The cable TV and broadband service provider has successfully launched ‘Diva’ – an intelligent virtual assistant, to give customer support to Hathway’s 11 million subscribers.
The advent of Covid-19 accelerated the move to work from home subsequently causing a shift in customer expectations. More customers started raising queries, complaints and requests on Hathway’s digital platforms including its app, self-care and website. ‘Diva’ helped drive faster customers responses and substantially elevated customer service, said the statement.
‘Diva’ has successfully handled 2.7 million conversations so far and has improved first response time (FRT) and issue identification by 98.3 per cent. It has also improved first-time resolution for technical and billing issues collectively by 95 per cent, it added.
“Haptik is a key partner for Hathway because they are driving real innovation in conversational AI,” said Hathway Cable and Datacom chief customer service officer Anil Jhamb. “Their AI platform is transforming the way we think about fostering meaningful digital interactions and customer engagement. With Haptik we were able to bring speed and efficiency to our customers, improve customer communication and deliver the state-of-the-art digital experiences that achieve impactful results.”
“The past year saw brands across all industries leaning more heavily on AI, automation, and self-service to manage high volumes of customer support queries coming in,” said Haptik VP and GM, India and MEA Pratyush Kukreja. “Messaging also has evolved as the preferred way for customers to interact with brands because it is quick, convenient and feels more personalized. Working with Hathway gives us the opportunity to power millions of users with AI-driven connected experiences. Seeing Hathway’s success further fuels our goal to drive the world’s transition to AI-powered conversations.”
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.
