Cable TV
MIB’s digital deadline dilemma: to relax or not
NEW DELHI: India’s ongoing cable digitalisation, plagued by court cases resulting in roll-out delays, may have just got entangled with the short to medium-term inconveniences caused by demonetisation of high-value currency notes signalling likely further delays.
The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB), grappling with the issue of delays, was served with another likely roadblock when the the Telangana state government requested postponement of the digital deadline of 31 December, 2016, at a stakeholders’ meeting on 29 November 2016.
As per the government mandate, the sunset date for all analog television services in the country is 31 December, 2016, which would have signalled completion of Phase IV of the digital addressable system (DAS) rollout.
While grudgingly admitting that the government is seized of the inconveniences caused due to demonetisation, a government official told indiantelevision.com that in view of the prevailing situation in the country and a major portion of Phase IV areas (about 60 per cent) still to be seeded with digital STBs, the government is unable to take a decision whether to hold on to year-end deadline or relax it.
“The court cases filed by cable operators (relating to DAS Phase III and IV) have been a cause of a major delay and the situation arising out of demonetisation has further added to government’s dilemma,” a senior government official explained.
At the monthly DAS Task Force meeting of stakeholders at MIB, chaired by the ministry’s additional secretary, not only the representative of the state of Telangana voiced his concern on the digital deadline of 31 December, 2016 requesting postponement, but some MSOs and Indian STB manufacturers too expressed their apprehensions.
The Telangana state government’s proposal was opposed by a majority of those present in the meeting. Their concern: any official postponement of the sunset date of 2016 would send wrong signals, and may further derail the digital rollout. MIB is understood to be studying all the feedback before announcing its official position on the deadline.
Though, according to MIB, officially Phase IV of DAS is progressing as per schedule, a section of the cable industry estimates that approximately 10 million homes, part of DAS Phase III, are still to be seeded with STBs.
The court cases relating to DAS in Delhi High Court have had several adjournments on grounds of technicalities.
Information and broadcasting minister of state Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore admitted in the Parliament that DAS may get delayed. “As per Cable TV Rule, the cut-off date for complete digitisation is 31 December 2016. As such, all cable subscribers in the country should take STBs (set-top boxes) before this date to continue avail cable TV services. However, due to court cases the implementation may get delayed,” the Minister said in Lok Sabha or Lower House of Parliament earlier this week.
ALSO READ:
DAS cases put off to Nov 23 as processes incomplete
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.
