Cable TV
Mukta Arts invests Rs 500 mn in Whistling Woods; courses start in July
MUMBAI: Subhash Ghai-promoted Mukta Arts Ltd has invested Rs 500 million to set up Asia’s biggest film, television, animation and media arts institute in Mumbai.
Whistling Woods International Ltd (WWIL), which is offering two-year courses, has tied up with technology majors including nVidia, Apple, Sony, AMD, Belden, Nortel, Seneca, DigiDesign, Recreate Solutions, ToonBoom and Sennheiser.
“At Whistling Woods, we are looking forward to arming the students with in-depth technology information, operating techniques and technical aptitude to enter the global entertainment industry,” states Ghai.
The aim is to create a talent pool for the rapidly-growing Indian film and animation industry. “We hope the creation of new talent will even help our company ramp up movie production. We have invested Rs 500 million in the project,” says Mukta Arts CEO Ravi Gupta who is also the executive director of WWIL.
WWIL provides specialisations in Direction, Screenwriting, Editing, Acting, Business of film and television, Cinematography, Art and techniques of animation and sound recording and design. The course fees range from Rs 7,00,000 to Rs 1 million. WWIL’s first batch will hit the classrooms in July 2006.
“Through our well-respected faculty of working professionals from the industry, who will be educating the students on an international level, we believe that our Indian students can learn the art of story telling and the optimum use of technology for the same. With a good balance between creativity and technology, producing the best work, India will emerge as a major player in the international film, television, animation and media arts industry,” adds Ghai.
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.
