Cable TV
Kolkata to miss the 31 Dec TRAI deadline for gross billing?
KOLKATA: The Kolkata multi-system operators (MSOs) are likely to miss the 31 December deadline given by the Telecom Regulatory of India (TRAI) to start gross billing.
The cable TV sources in Kolkata feel that the MSOs will not be able to meet the deadline. “They are likely to start the gross billing for the month of December from 7 January,” say the sources.
It should be noted that the 31 December deadline was granted, as the MSOs missed the earlier 15 December deadline to start gross billing in phase I areas. Says Kolkata based cable TV analyst Mrinal Chatterjee, “Kolkata missed the deadline since neither the MSO nor the last mile owner (LMO) are prepared for the process.”
Kolkata has around 30 lakh cable television homes. “The MSOs updated the minister on the total process of digitisation and billing. As of now we have ad-hoc billing, but soon billing as per package will start. Though customers are happy, the operators do not want the billing to be in place,” opines Siticable Kolkata director Suresh Sethia.
Siticable has around 10-11 lakh STBs in Kolkata DAS I area.
Explaining the nitty-gritty’s of bill payment, a MSO says, “If a customer has chosen a package of Rs 180, he will have to pay Rs 180, plus Rs 10 (amusement tax) and12.36 per cent service tax.”
A LMO affiliated to Hathway Cable & Datacom informs that the MSO has sent the bills to him in a compact disk (CD) and expects him to take a print out and give it to customers.
The way things are progressing, it seems like another deadline is on its way to be missed.
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.
