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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MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
