Cable TV
IndiaCast, Hathway strike deal after TDSAT order
MUMBAI: Setting aside their differences, IndiaCast Media Distribution Pvt Ltd (IndiaCast) and Hathway Digital finally came to an agreement on Wednesday and signed a deal. As a result, IndiaCast, the content monetisation arm of TV18 and Viacom18, has switched on the signals of its channels to the multi-system operator (MSO).
The deal came to fruition after the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), on Wednesday, ordered the companies to restore signals.
The parties have agreed to sign a one-year fixed fee deal until 31 March 2019.
Earlier, IndiaCast channels had been pulled off from Hathway. Despite several meetings, Hathway could not fulfill the growth aspiration of IndiaCast in terms of the carriage and subscription fees. The subscription and carriage agreements between Hathway and IndiaCast had expired on 31 March 2018.
On 1 April 2018, IndiaCast issued a 21-day public notice to Hathway to meet regulatory requirements. Earlier, reports stated that the notice was issued due to non-payment of dues, non-submission of monthly subscriber reports, under-declaration of subscribers, failure to allow an audit of systems and unauthorised retransmission of channels.
Across the cable industry, multi-system operators (MSOs) are now doing fixed-fee deals. While all the players are waiting for the new tariff order, due to the delay in the roll out, cable operators are relying on fixed-fee deals only. To move forward with these fixed-fee deals, the parties negotiate on the last fee structure and agree on certain percentage growth.
The disagreement between IndiaCast and Hathway came about with the renewal of these deals. As IndiaCast acquired Turner channels recently, the distribution company demanded more subscription money than ZEE.
Though IndiaCast was due to switch off its channels on 21 April, it eventually pulled off from Hathway on 25 April. Other than the disagreement on the hike in fees, IndiaCast had also asked Hathway for a two-year commitment and was not satisfied with the format of the subscription report.
Also Read :
IndiaCast, Hathway fail to concur on carriage, subscription fees
TDSAT prohibits Scod18 from relaying IndiaCast channels
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.
