Cable TV
Hinduja Ventures’ NXT Digital receives operating licence for HITS
MUMBAI: Grant Investrade Limited (GIL), a subsidiary of Hinduja Ventures, has crossed the final hurdle to start operations of NXT Digital – its headend in the sky (HITS) service. The company has received Wireless Operating License (WOL) from the Wireless Planning & Coordination Wing of the Ministry of Information & Communications Technology.
The WOL is the final regulatory step before making HITS operational, in accordance with the terms and conditions stipulated in the Letter of Intent (LOI) issued by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to GIL last year.
“We are delighted to confirm receipt of the WOL for us to commence operationalisation of the HITS service in India. The launch of NXT Digital is in line with the Government’s objective of making India ‘digital’ and we’re proud to be a part of this national initiative,” said GIL chairman AK Das.
“NXT Digital has received an overwhelming response from the distribution fraternity in Phase III & IV markets in India. Our broadcast centre and our backend systems are fully operational; our broadcaster relationships have been formalised, we’ve already rolled out our COPE mini-headend systems and STBs and we’re ready to go ‘live’ shortly,” added GIL managing director Tony D’Silva.
It may be recalled that the government recently ruled out the extension of the DAS phase III deadline of 31 December, 2015. In view of this, NXT Digital is being viewed as the enabler for the cable fraternity go digital as per government mandated standards and within the deadline.
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.
