Cable TV
NXT Digital organises roadshows for LMOs across 19 cities
MUMBAI: Hinduja’s headend in the sky (HITS) platform NXT Digital is looking at a smooth rollout when it launches by this month end. In keeping with the launch timeline, the platform is talking to the last mile owners (LMOs) across the country directly to help them understand the functioning of the system as well as the advantages of moving from the current multi system operator (MSO) to the HITS platform.
Over the last 11 days, NXT Digital has covered 19 cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata among others through its roadshows. The final destination will be Visakhapatnam, where the HITS player will meet city LMOs on 10 August.
Through the initiative, NXT Digital has met close to 6000 LMOs so far. Additionally, as part of the training, the HITS player will run a live demo van covering 10 states.
As reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, NXT Digital has signed up as many as one million analogue TV households in phase III markets in a span of three weeks.
Grant Investrade Limited managing director Tony D’silva said, “The fraternity is extremely excited about NXT Digital. In just over three weeks since NXT Digital was announced, it has already been signed up to reach one million analogue TV households in phase III markets through LMOs and MSOs who have opted for our services.”
“NXT Digital will empower and enable the distribution fraternity including LMOs and MSOs to offer a world of exciting digital services to their end-subscribers in all the analogue households across markets. Crucially, NXT Digital will not only help the LMOs and MSOs go digital as per government mandated standards and within the set deadlines, but, throughout the process, help them be independent and retain the ownership of their network,” added D’silva.
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.
