Cable TV
Rajan Gupta replaces T S Panesar as new AIDCF President
NEW DELHI: Hathway Cable & Datacom Limited MD and chairman & non-ED of GTPL Hathway Limited Rajan Gupta has been appointed president of the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF), the apex body of digital cable television companies..
This change has been made as Hathway Digital Pvt. Ltd CEO video business TS Panesar, the former AIDCF president, resigned from his post at Hathway some time back.
While giving his exit statement, Panesar said, “I am resigning from the board and president’s role at AIDCF as I have put in my papers at Hathway. During my short stint at AIDCF, the federation has added new members, all of whom are regional leaders in their respective markets. Their presence will certainly help the federation in raising regional issues. I also hope that TRAI’s new regulations will become a reality soon.”
Gupta, in a statement, said, “I am delighted to accept the president’s role at AIDCF. Digitalization journey for cable TV is almost over and focus will now shift to monetizing STBs seeded in the last few years. The Next phase of growth in the cable TV industry will come through convergence and innovative value-added services. I look forward to collaborating with all national and regional MSOs for maximizing industry revenue and profitability.”
AIDCF secretary-general Saharsh Damani said, “With digitization almost over, I am certain that under Mr Gupta’s leadership AIDCF members will chalk-out a robust path in giving dual and triple play services to the end consumers.”
Gupta, an engineering graduate and an MBA from IIM Bangalore, has 20 years of diverse experience across various aspects of management, sales, marketing, P&L management, revenue growth management, go-to-market strategy, business turn around and manufacturing operations across different regions of India.
Prior to joining Hathway, he has held various leadership positions with Tata Teleservices, Hindustan Coca Cola and Asian Paints.
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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.
