Cable TV
IAMAI appoints Anupam Mittal as chairman, Subho Ray as president
MUMBAI: The Governing Council of the Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has announced a change of guard at the association with effect from 1 April, 2006.
People Group chairman and managing director Anupam Mittal has been appointed as the chairman and CII ex-director IT and telecom Dr. Subho Ray as the president of IAMAI.
While Mittal takes over from Neville Taraporewalla, Dr. Ray takes over the mandate from Preeti Desai.
The association also announced the appointments of ebay India CEO Avnish Bajaj as vice chairman and Times Internet CFO Ravi Ramu as its treasurer.
Commenting on the new role as the chairman of IAMAI, Mittal said, “Under the able guidance of Neville and Preeti, IAMAI has played a significant role in organising and bringing together the internet and the mobile industry towards a common vision and agenda. IAMAI now enters its third year as an association and it is important to recognise how much has been achieved in the last two years. The association has gone from an idea to the most credible authority on the Internet and Mobile VAS industries in this country. The foundations have been laid to collectively build one of the leading digital and networked economies of the world.”
Mittal outlined the three areas that IAMAI will work towards in the coming months:
Play the role of a thought leader (research, events, networking) to further spur Internet usage and ecommerce growth in India
Generate awareness amongst consumers and government of the economic as well as social benefits of broad based Internet usage
Proactively address challenges and hurdles that can hamper the growth of what is perhaps one of the most transformational opportunities of our time
“I am honored to be nominated for this position and am looking forward to working with and learning from pioneers such as Dr. Subho Ray, Ravi Ramu and Avnish Bajaj,” he added.
Dr. Ray added, “Ecommerce and MCommerce and mobile content are some of the most exciting sectors today in India. Proliferation of Internet and Internet access through mobile communications has the potential to bring a wide range of financial transactions to an entirely new customer base. IAMAI will play a crucial role in channelising the digital economy’s effort and communicate its true potential for social and economic development. We will continue our concerted efforts of bringing 100 million Indians online by 2007 and empower society and businesses to benefit from the time and cost savings offered by the Internet.”
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.
