Cable TV
Mumbai’s last big independent cable operator shot dead
MUMBAI: An independent cable operator in Navi Mumbai was shot dead today afternoon, possibly bringing to surface the dirty face of cable wars.
Sanjay Gupta was at his office in Nerul when unidentified assailants shot him point blank at around 12:30 pm today. According to news reports, police suspects business rivalry but has not ruled out the possibility of the involvement of the underworld.
Gupta was receiving threats from the underworld over the last two months, according to news reports. He was attacked twice. His office was pelted with stones in one occasion.
Indiantelevision.com spoke to a number of cable operators in Mumbai who did not want to come out in the open, but severely decried the development. “We are meeting to decide what course of action to take. There is possibility of a cable blackout for a day. This is a dangerous thing to happen,” says an operator.
Cable wars were frequent in Mumbai, but for the last few years operators had arrived at a truce. This was particularly applicable to multi system operators (MSOs) who had expressed unity to better business operations and protect their commercial interests.
Gupta was the last big independent cable operator in Mumbai and withstood constant underworld threats to carve out a large network in CBD Belapur region, extending over Nerul and Vasi in Navi Mumbai. His cable network was called Supreme Cable Vision.
A rival cable network was expanding operations in Navi Mumbai and Chembur. But it is not clear yet whether Gupta’s death was a consequence of business rivalry.
As a protest, the cable operator community might go for a blackout. The brother of the deceased Bhupesh Gupta has been quoted by Sahara News as saying that the black out will go on for two days. He said Sanjay Gupta received threats over control of cable distribution in the area.
Reacting to the incident, a cable operator says: “There seems to be no permanent solution. Gupta had lodged a complaint but this could not stop his death.”
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.
