Cable TV
Home Ministry devises simplified format to get details for security clearance of MSOs
NEW DELHI: With various multi-system operators (MSOs) failing to get licences because of failure to get security clearance from the Home Ministry, that Ministry has devised a new format for streamlining the procedure.
This includes furnishing details in respect of applicant MSO companies and directors/key executives of their companies for providing the requisite security clearance.
Since the final grant of permission to MSO applicants by the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry for operation in digital addressable system (DAS) notified areas is based on the security clearance from the Home Ministry, all MSO applicants, including those who are yet to get the necessary permission, have been asked to furnish the requisite details according to the revised format prescribed by the Home Ministry.
The Ministry also said that as per the Home Ministry guidelines the approval/permission/license granted will also be liable to be cancelled in the event of withdrawal of security clearance.
To clarify all doubts in this connection, the applicant MSOs have been requested to participate/ attend the open house meetings being organised by the I&B Ministry every Tuesday morning.
The Home Ministry has devised a form to give details of the MSO whether it is Indian or foreign, its directors etc, and any shareholders having a stake of more than 10 per cent.
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.
