Cable TV
Kolkata cable ops to meet FM
KOLKATA: With cable operators liable to pay 12.36 per cent of the subscription amount collected per month from customers as service tax to the government, 12 cable ops met the finance minister P Chidambaram in the city today to talk on Voluntary Compliance Encouragement Scheme (VCES).
Two months ago, indiantelevision.com was the first to report issuing of summons to over 350 city-based cable ops for evasion of service tax for the past five years. We had also reported how service tax officials conducted two raids to probe into alleged financial irregularities of two MSOs.
This, despite the government having introduced the VCES on 10 May. VCES is a one-time amnesty scheme for paying service tax dues for the said five-year period from 1 October 2007 to 31 December, 2012, without any interest or penalty.
Cable Operators Digitalisation Committee of the Association of Cable Operators convener Swapan Chowdhury, confirmed the news saying: “We will discuss the voluntary service tax with the minister.”
A key issue the cable ops plan to discuss is the government’s U-turn on the proposed service tax waiver for operators with turnover of less than Rs 10 lakh per annum. With authorities now saying that as cable ops are selling brands like Manthan and Siticable, they are liable to pay service tax, irrespective of the turnover shown in books, Chowdhury stressed: “We requested the government not to include operators below Rs 10 lakh turnover for service tax payment.”
As the secretary of Cable and Broadband Operators’ Welfare Association, Chowdhury also informed the finance minister that after implementation of DAS in the city, consumers have had to wait for bills and upon not receiving them, remained unwilling to pay service tax to the LCOs.
About the amnesty scheme, which Chidambaram has been urging service tax defaulters to take advantage of, tax consultant Namit Dave said: “By giving up interest, the government wants people to clear their dues.”
Meanwhile, an industry analyst opined that MSOs which have evaded service tax to the tune of Rs 15 crore to Rs 20 crore in the past four years, now have a chance to pay their dues without penalty and prosecution.
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.
