Cable TV
Siti Cable CEO VD Wadhwa appointed as president of the new All India Digital Cable Federation
MUMBAI: In a significant move to organise the digital cable industry for the overall benefit of all stakeholders and to facilitate and further create momentum for digitisation for phase III and IV, major Indian multi system operators (MSOs) have come together under the aegis of the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF).
The newly formed federation held its first meeting on 15 October 2014 in New Delhi, which was attended by all the leading MSOs i.e. Hathway, Den Network, Siti Cable, In Cable, Digi Cable, Fastway, GTPL, ICNCL and Manthan. With the formation of new Digital Cable Federation, the earlier forum of MSO Alliance has been dissolved.
The members have unanimously elected SITI Cable executive director and CEO VD Wadhwa as the president of the federation (AIDCF) for an initial term of two years.
The federation will work towards the overall growth of this sector and create environment for not only complete digitisation of cable TV under regulatory guidelines but also will deliver the benefits of digital services including broadband and other value added services to the people of India thus fulfilling the dream of ‘True Digital India.’
AIDCF will be the official voice for the Indian digital cable TV industry and will interact with ministries, policy makers, regulators, financial institutions and technical bodies. It will also provide a platform for discussion and exchange of ideas between these bodies and the service providers, who share a common interest in the development of digital cable TV in the country.
It will collaborate with other industry associations such as IBF, CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM association etc., with the objective of presenting an industry consensus view to the government on crucial issues relating to the growth and development of the industry.
The federation has invited all MSOs who have minimum one lakh digital cable TV subscriber base and who are following TRAI QOS norms to become members, so that entire industry speaks in one voice and works for common objective.
The members of federation will also work out the business model for phase III & IV digitisation and create the healthy business environment for all stakeholders.
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.
