Cable TV
JAINHITS chooses ARRIS to meet demands of video digitisation
NEW DELHI: JAINHITS, India’s first and only HITS-based Direct to Network (DTN) service, has selected set top boxes from ARRIS’s HMC portfolio to deliver digital video services across the nation.
According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), India is set to witness digitisation of approximately 100 million homes by the end of this year.
Currently, JAINHITS offers more than 252 standard definition (SD) channels, following the launch of the nationwide ARRIS digital headend earlier this year, and plans to soon provide full high-definition (HD) services, which will be made available via the new ARRIS set-top boxes.
“As we look to grow our services to meet the digital transition in India and introduce HD services later this year, we are pleased to extend our working relationship with ARRIS to add its set-top boxes to our offering,” said JAINHITS chairman JK Jain. “Our platform coupled with ARRIS set-top boxes will allow cable operators to provide 250 digital TV channels using just 12 frequencies as compared to the 106 they are using today. This will help them free valuable spectrum, and use this available spectrum to provide broadband services to increase ARPU and fulfill Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of a digitally developed India.”
“ARRIS is driving the global transition to an all-digital content delivery platform – giving customers like JAINHITS a competitive advantage in delivering tomorrow’s services on today’s networks”, said ARRIS Asia Pacific senior vice president Tim Gropp. “JAINHITS benefits from our proven digital video portfolio and worldwide footprint, which enables us to deliver localised solutions and support.”
JAINHITS is deploying HMC1010 SD set-top and the HMC2010 HD set-top from September 2014. Both are cost-effective digital terminal adapters (DTA) for operators looking to convert from an analog to a digital service. The compact and energy efficient design of all the HMC series set-top boxes, including the HMC1010 and HMC2010, minimizes energy consumption, reducing their impact on the environment.
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.
