Cable TV
IMC to hold international communications convergence from 16 March
MUMBAI: Though India is one of the fastest growing telephony markets in the world, the concern is to increase penetration in the rural areas which has a teledensity of just around 1.8 per cent.
Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC) is holding its fourth annual international communications convergence which will address this issue. The two-day event, “Connecting India – The Global Challenge,” will be held in Mumbai starting 16 March.
Addressing a press conference, IMC telecom committee co-chairman KV Seshasayee said the urban-rural divide needs to be addressed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), telecom operators and finance companies with easy funding. “There is a consumer demand in rural areas and technology has evolved to increase reach in rural areas. We can drive penetration with wireless and Wi-max technology. The focus of the event will be to debate on how rural communications can go up,” he pointed out.
The event, aimed at providing a platform for government policymakers, leaders of industry and other stakeholders, expects to attract participation of over 300 Indian and foreign telecom experts. IMC has extended concessional registration facilities to students who can attend the two-day conference at a fee of Rs 300 while others will have to pay Rs 3,000.
Among the top speakers are Maharashtra’s minister for Finance and Planning Jayantrao Patil, chairman of Dishnet Wireless Dr. Vijay Bhatkar, Telecom policy analyst strategy and policy unit, ITU, Geneva Lara Srivastava, Asia Pacific Telecommunity, Bangkok executive director Amarendra Narayan, SR Telecom Inc. regional sales director Andreas Kiefer, Bangkok, ZTE Corporation China director Technical (Marketing) Jiang Xue Feng, Technical, Ericsson India Pvt. Ltd. GM Bo Ribbing and SingTel India country director Arun Dagar.
The Indian experts participating in the seminar include Motorola India Pvt. Ltd regional manager Avinash Bector, Government of India USF administrator Shantanu Consul, Supreme Court advocate Pavan Duggal and Telecom consultant S Ramani Iyer.
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.
