Cable TV
No delay in DAS Phase III deadline, stop gap agreements allowed till TRAI draws up formal format
NEW DELHI: The Bombay High Court has directed that local cable operators (LCOs) should be allowed to execute draft model standard interconnection agreement as a stop gap arrangement in view of the approaching deadline of Phase III of Digital Addressable System (DAS).
In an order by Justice V. M. Kanade and Justice Revati Mohite Dere, which came shortly after another judgment by the Court declining to stay the DAS Phase III deadline, it was said that the Registration Authorities will give full cooperation for registration of the agreements. The Court clarified that the parties should execute an agreement but registration of the same may not be done immediately.
The Court directed the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to finalise the draft in accordance with the request made by the LCOs and multi system operators (MSOs) by the next date, 4 January “so that in future a standard format of the agreement can be executed between MSOs and LCOs throughout the country.”
In the petition filed by the Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation (MCOF) against the TRAI and some MSOs, the judges said the agreements to be executed between the parties will be subject to further negotiation, which is going on between the parties and subject to further orders and directions given by the Court in respect of some of the clauses mentioned in the said agreement.
The Court kept open all other contentions of the petitioner MCOF and the respondents.
Reiterating that it was not necessary to postpone the deadline of 31 December, the Court said the MSOs will “forthwith supply the Set Top Boxes (STBs) to the local cable operators upon the payment of the costs of the STBs and licence fees as per the agreement.”
It said MSOs and LCOs will ensure that all the customers will get the STBs in time and “if necessary, they will work overtime – day and night – for supplying these Set Top Boxes before 31 December 2015.”
The application filed by India Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) to intervene was allowed. MCOF was asked to add IBF as Party Respondents and also supply the copy of the petition and other necessary documents.
While Mumbai and some other cities of the state have been covered in the first two phases, several cities have been listed for the third phase.
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.
