Cable TV
Ortel loss mounts: NCLT orders insolvency process
BENGALURU: Ortel Communications Ltd (Ortel) reported a higher loss for the quarter ended 30 September 2018 (Q2 2019, period or quarter under review) as compared to the immediate trailing quarter Q1 2019 and the corresponding year ago quarter Q2 2018. On 27 November 2018, the National Company Law Tribunal, New Delhi (NCLT) passed an order for commencement of corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) based on an application filed by Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) which is an operational creditor of Ortel. The results for Q2 2019 pertain to the period before the CIRP.
Ortel’s net loss after taxes for Q2 2019 more than tripled y-o-y to Rs 17.62 crore as compared to Rs 5.75 crore in Q2 2018. The company had reported loss after tax of Rs 13.48 crore for the immediate trailing quarter. Operating loss (negative EBITDA) for the period under review was Rs 3.39 crore as compared to an operating profit of Rs 12.25 crore in Q2 2018 and an operating profit of Rs 0.21 crore in Q1 2019.
Oretl’s revenue from operations in Q2 2019 declined 34 per cent y-o-y to Rs 31.56 crore as compared to Rs 47.83 crore in Q2 2018, but was fractionally higher by 0.7 per cent q-o-q as compared to Rs 31.35 crore in Q1 2019. Total Income in Q2 2019 declined 33.4 per cent y-o-y to Rs 32.29 crore as compared to Rs 48.51 crore in Q2 2018, but was 1.8 per cent higher q-o-q than Rs 31.71 crore.
Segment numbers
Four segments contribute to Ortel’s revenue. They are cable TV, be, infrastructure leasing and others. Revenues from cable TV, broadband and infrastructure leasing segments declined in Q2 2019 as compared to Q2 2018.
Ortel’s Cable TV segment’s revenue declined 32 per cent in the quarter under review to Rs 25.67 crore from Rs 37.73 crore. The segment reported an operating profit of Rs 6.03 crore in Q2 2019 as compared to an operating profit of Rs 12.16 crore in Q2 2018.
Broadband segment’s revenue declined 44.7 per cent in Q2 2019 to Rs 3.31 crore from Rs 5.99 crore in Q2 2018. The segment’s operating profit declined to less than a fourth (declined 76.3 per cent) in Q2 2019 to Rs 0.32 crore as compared to Rs 1.34 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.
Ortel’s infrastructure and leasing segment had operating revenue of Rs 1.77 crore in Q2 2019 which was 47.4 percent lower than the Rs 3.36 crore in Q2 2018. The segment’s operating profit declined 41.8 per cent in Q2 2019 to Rs 1.48 crore from Rs 2.54 crore in Q2 2018.
The numbers for Ortel’s ‘Others’ segment are small and have not been considered in this report.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by Ortel
Ortel’s total expenditure in Q2 2019 declined 18.1 per cent to Rs 49.91 crore from Rs 50.53 crore in Q2 2018. Programming costs reduced 18.1 per cent in Q2 2019 to Rs 9.11 crore from Rs 11.12 crore in Q2 2018. Bandwidth costs in the quarter under review reduced 24.8 per cent to Rs 3.27 crore from Rs 4.35 crore. Finance costs in Q2 2019 reduced 6.7 per cent to Rs 6.8 crore from Rs 7.29 crore in Q2 2018. Employee benefits expense in Q2 2019 declined 9.7 per cent to Rs 4.63 crore from Rs 5.13 crore in Q2 2018. Other expenses in the quarter under review increased 19.7 per cent to Rs 17.94 crore as compared to Rs 14.98 crore in Q2 2018.
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.
