Cable TV
MSOs get permission to operate in other areas apart from permitted areas
NEW DELHI: In a major change of policy aimed at expediting digital addressability of cable television in the country, the Government late this evening said all registered multi system operators “are free to operate in any parts of tire country, irrespective of registration for specified DAS notified area(s) granted earlier”.
Until now, MSOs are licensed by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to operate only in areas specified by them in their applications, unless they have applied for pan-India registration.
A notice on the Ministry website said if any registered MSO has operationalized the service in any DAS notified area(s) in any part of the country, it would be treated as having been implemented the service on his part irrespective of the number of the Set Top Boxes (STBs) installed by him.
However, the registered MSO has to submit the details of Headend, SMS, subscribers list and a self-certificate that he is carrying all the mandatory TV channels.
This has to be done within six months from date of issuance of MSO registration to the Ministry, failing which the MSO registration is liable to cancelled/suspended.
All other terms and conditions of the registration shall remain unchanged
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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.
