Cable TV
Rahul Johri promoted as senior VP ad sales at Discovery Networks India
MUMBAI: Discovery Networks India has promoted Rahul Johri to senior VP advertising sales.
In his role, Johri will partake in the company’s overall growth strategy and new ventures in the region. He will continue to lead the company’s national sales team.
In addition, he will also spearhead the public relations department. Johri will continue to report to Discovery Networks India managing networks Deepak Shourie, with whom he has worked for many years at Outlook, Hindustan Times, Zee and now at Discovery, informs an official statement.
Johri joined Discovery Networks India as director-advertising sales in 2001. Promoted to vice president – advertising sales in 2003, he led a strong and motivated sales team and brought the country’s leading brands to advertise on the company’s three channels in India – Discovery Channel, Discovery Travel & Living and Animal Planet.
Shourie says, “Rahul has significantly contributed to the success of the India growth strategy. He has led a highly motivated team that has firmly established the three channels in the minds of the advertising community.”
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.
