Cable TV
Hathway profits up on lower revenue in second quarter
BENGALURU: The Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani controlled MSO and broadband internet services provider Hathway Cable and Datacom Limited (Hathway) reported consolidated profit after tax (PAT) at Rs 52.33 crore for the quarter ended 30 September 2020 (Q2 2021, quarter or period under review) against loss of Rs 2.42 crore for the corresponding year-ago quarter Q2 2020 (y-o-y). PAT for the period under review was 20.8 percent lower quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) than the Rs 66.06 crore the company had posted for the immediate trailing quarter Q1 2021. However, consolidated operating EBDITA for the period under review at Rs 120.39 crore (27.9 percent of operating revenue) grew 14.7 percent y-o-y from Rs 105.71 crore (23.8 percent of operating revenue) and was also 1.9 percent higher q-o-q than the Rs 118.18 crore (28.2 percent of operating revenue) in Q1 2021.
Hathway’s consolidated operating revenue fell 2.5 percent y-o-y in Q2 2021 to Rs 431.24 crore from Rs 442.11 crore in Q2 2020, but was 2.8 percent higher q-o-q than Rs 419.56 crore. Consolidated total income (total revenue) during the quarter fell 9.8 percent y-o-y to Rs 460.66 crore from Rs 510.77 crore, and was 5.6 percent lower q-o-q than Rs 488.22 crore.
Broadband and CATV segment numbers for Q2 2021
Hathway has two major segments – broadband internet services (BB) and cable television or CATV.
BB segment saw operating revenue increase 10 percent y-o-y in Q2 2021 to Rs 153.34 crore from Rs 139.36 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter and grew 4.7 percent q-o-q from Rs 146.51 crore in Q1 2021. The segment’s operating result (operating profit) in Q1 2021 was Rs 6.68 crore as compared to an operating loss of Rs 25.10 crore in Q1 2020, but was 14.8 percent lower than the operating profit of Rs 7.84 crore in Q1 2021.
CATV segment revenue declined 8.2 percent y-o-y in Q2 2021 to Rs 277.90 crore from Rs 302.75 crore in Q2 2020, but was 1.8 percent more q-o-q than the Rs 273.05 crore for Q1 2021 The segment reported more than two-fold increase in operating result (operating profit) – which grew 116 percent y-o-y in Q2 2021 to Rs 21.32 crore from Rs 9.87 crore in Q2 2020 and was 25 percent higher q-o-q than Rs 17.06 crore in the immediate trailing quarter/
Let us look at the other numbers reported Hathway for Q2 2021
All numbers in this report are consolidated unless stated otherwise.
Total expenditure in Q2 2021 declined 19.9 percent y-o-y to Rs 407.90 crore from Rs 509.50 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year and was 4.7 percent lower q-o-q than Rs 427.92 crore in Q1 2021.
Pay channel cost during the quarter under review declined 4.4 percent y-o-y to Rs 132.46 crore from Rs 138.55 crore, but was almost flat (up 0.2 percent) q-o-q as compared to Rs 132.18 crore for Q1 2021. Employee cost in Q2 2021 declined 3.6 percent y-o-y to 24.44 crore from Rs 25.36 crore, but was 0.6 percent higher q-o-q than Rs 24.30 crore in Q2 2020. Operational expenses in Q2 2021 grew 19.8 percent y-o-y to Rs 81.65 crore from Rs 68.18 crore and were 5.1 percent more q-o-q than Rs 77.67 crore in Q1 2021.
Finance cost was less than one-twelfth (declined 91.8 percent) y-o-y to Rs 4.27 crore from Rs 51.87 crore in the corresponding quarter of last year and was a little more than one-eighth (declined 87 percent) than the Rs 32.96 crore in Q1 2021. Other expenses in Q2 2021 declined 31.5 percent y-o-y to Rs 72.30 crore from Rs 105.01, but were 7.5 percent higher q-o-q than the Rs 67.23 crore in Q1 2021.
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.
