Cable TV
NDS ties up with Korean Co.s to develop CableCARD security
MUMBAI: News Corporation company NDS has formed an alliance with Korean companies for the development and certification of an OpenCable compliant CableCARD (formerly known as Point of Deployment) for supply to cable TV markets in Korea and the USA.
Korea has officially adopted the OpenCable OCAP standard for the roll out of digital cable TV and the Korean Ministry of Information and Communication is preparing to deploy digital cable television to between five and eight million households in Korea over the next five years.
“This year Korean cable TV operators will start commercial deployment of OpenCable systems,” said NDS Asia Pacific V-P and general manager Sue Taylor in an official statement.
The alliance comprises NDS that will contribute its ‘VideoGuard’ conditional access technology embedded within the CableCARD removable security module, InteracTek that will contribute software engineering and design expertise, and Nasco that will manufacture the device in Korea and also contribute sales and marketing expertise in Korea and the USA.
The alliance has already commenced development of the CableCARD module and targets delivery within twelve months.
The NDS Korea integration and testing lab will utilise their expertise to work closely with the Korean partners for the integration of NDS conditional access, interoperability testing and certification of the CableCARD module by the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) of Korea.
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.
