Cable TV
Scale meets technology at Reliance Jio’s massive employee launch
MUMBAI: Reliance Jio’s launch for its employees is set to create history in corporate India, as for the first time an employee launch will see as many as 35,000 people attending the event at the venue.
The event will be beamed live on the Jio network across 1000+ locations – one of them being in Dallas, US – where another 80,000 – 90,000 Reliance Industries Ltd’s (RIL) employees and their immediate kin will be watching.
The locations will be connected to the event venue at Reliance Corporate Park (RCP) via Jio’s high-speed network, which will enable two-way video interaction between employees outside Mumbai and RIL chairman Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani.
“The conglomerate will provide high-speed Jionet Wi-Fi free to 35,000 spectators at the venue in RCP,” the company said. The venue, with its huge futuristic stage to match the digital spirit of Jio and spaced out stands for spectators’ viewing comfort, has been built from scratch in seven days flat, with thousands of men, and heavy duty machines like earthmovers and cranes, working in shifts round the clock. Gigantic LED screenshave been set at strategic locations at the event venue.
Digital invitations have been sent out to every RIL employee. The link on the digital invite leads employees to an exclusive portal managed by BookMyShow (BMS). Once employees registers themselves and their immediate family on the portal, the portal allocates tickets for the employees and their families.
“Seat allocation happens automatically (no choice of option), and QMS codes are generated to facilitate electronic allocation. Seats are colour-coded and numbered. Car parking too is allotted by the same portal, with separate spaces for chauffeur-driven and self-driven cars” an executive taking care of the production informed Indiantelevision.com.
The mega launch of Reliance Jio will no doubt be watched with bated breath by all and sundry.
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.
