Cable TV
Multiple challenges weaken Ortel numbers in second quarter
BENGALURU: Hit by multiple challenges, Indian regional multi-system operator (MSO) Ortel Communications Ltd (Ortel) reported lower numbers and posted net loss–the second one this fiscal–for the quarter ended 30 September 2017 (Q2 FY 2017-18). The company expects the business to stabilise one year down the line.
Ortel president and CEO Bibhu Prasad Rath explained the performance in an earnings release, “Our performance during the quarter further weakened due to multiple challenges faced by us, including severe competition in our core market, collections shortfalls, repayment of debt as well as integration issues among others.
“Financial year 2017-18 has been a difficult year for us on all fronts and we are actively working towards restoring the business performance. We have taken many firm steps to turnaround our performance over the last few months and we expect operations to improve going forward. However, we will take one year to fully stabilise our business. In the near term, our main effort is to improve cash collections, which will help us through this difficult phase of the company. We remain committed to our B-to-C ‘last-mile’ business model and believe it will help us through this tough operating environment.”
Declining average revenue per user (ARPUs), higher programming costs due to increase in cable TV subscribers, and higher bandwidth costs despite a lower internet subscriber base have impacted the company’s numbers.
Despite dropping prices for the consumer due to competition with other big internet players, the company has been losing broadband subscribers. Ortel witnessed 17.6 percent year-on-year (y-o-y) decline in the broadband subscriber base between Q2 FY 2017-18 and Q2 FY 2016-17
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.
