Cable TV
Shyam P S appointed as Buena Vista International (India) film production & acquisitions head
MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company (India) and Buena Vista International have appointed Shyam P. S. as head of Film Production & Acquisitions, BVI (India). The announcement was made by The Walt Disney Company (India) MD Rajat Jain and BVI Asia VP Jeff Forman.
Based in Mumbai, Shyam will spearhead the company’s feature films production and acquisitions in India as part of the studio entertainment business. He would be responsible for the company’s initiatives to create and acquire original Indian films which combine Disney’s classic storytelling abilities with the Indian sensibilities.
Shyam would report jointly to Jain, Forman and BVI Asia VP sales Jo Yan, informs an official release.
India is a priority market in Disney’s global expansion strategy and the company is reiterating its continued commitment to the potential of the market, especially Bollywood, through the launch of Studio operations, the release adds.
“We are investing in the future of global entertainment in India through a continued thrust on building the depth and breadth of our presence in the country. Shyam’s outstanding knowledge of the Indian movie business will be an asset in the launch and future of our Studio operations. With this launch, I am happy to inform that three of our four lines of businesses have their presence in India now which creates a meaningful presence for Disney here. We are proud to expand our presence in the Indian movie business as Indian movie content prepares to take center stage on the global map” says Jain.
“India has a great wealth of stories and a wonderful history of film making”, adds Forman. “We are very excited by the prospects of making Indian language films for the Indian audience with Indian sensitivities and a touch of the Disney magic. We look forward to making great films and are very pleased to have a production executive of Shyam’s experience and talent to lead us forward.”
Shyam’s most recent assignment was with Flicks – The Motion Picture Company as executive producer of the just-released Rang De Basanti. Prior to that, he has worked with the Percept Picture Company, and a variety of music videos, docudramas and commercials.
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.
