Cable TV
MSOs feel the heat in Kolkata
KOLKATA: It seems to be a really difficult time for the multi system operators (MSOs) in Kolkata. We have learnt that Kolkata Cable & Broadband Pariseva Ltd has been asked to pay a hefty amount to the government authorities as it has been avoiding the tax payment for quite some time.
In another case, former CEO and managing director of Digicable Comm and now the head of the Kolkata operations of Hathway, Amit Nag, who was recently denied anticipatory bail by the Supreme Court, is allegedly untraceable. Sources indicate that the investigation may reach some other senior officials in the national MSO if he does not show up.
Last week indiantelevision.com reported that two officials from Kolkata Cable & Broadband Pariseva Ltd – managing director Bijoy Kumar Agarwal and director Prasun Kumar Das – were arrested as the firm had not paid service tax to the tune of Rs 5.52 crore to the government exchequer.
According to sources, the company has not paid the tax even after regularly collecting it from consumers and thus it has now been asked to pay around Rs 11-13 crore including the fine in the next 20-25 days.
In the case of Nag, we have learnt that the national multi service operator Digicable had lodged an FIR against Nag alleging misuse of position and sharing of confidential data and digital materials like set top boxes and fibre optic wires.
Siticable Kolkata director Suresh Sethia disclosed that Nag had allegedly deleted some sensitive data even when he was with Indian Cable Network Co (a Siticable affiliate in Kolkata) and now he has done the same with Digicable.
Apparently, Nag had applied for a bail plea which was also rejected by division bench of Calcutta High Court.
Sethia says: “We had filed a case against him on 1 January 2010 for deleting sensitive data like line diagrams and sharing of confidential data with competitors. Digicable has also complained of the same offence. In our case, the charge sheet was already filed in April 2013. In case of Digi, his bail request is cancelled and now he is absconding.”
All this seems to be turning against the MSOs as the business community has even got a warning from the finance minister P Chidambaram that the government may arrest and prosecute the ‘chronic’ service tax evaders.
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.
