Cable TV
Siti Networks says price revision benefits will accrue in second half
MUMBAI: DAS paralysis in phase III markets is having an impact on Siti Networks (Siti Cable) performance. This was revealed by CEO V. D. Wadhwa to CNBC TV18 today.
Speaking to the business news channel, he said that Siti Networks target was to roll out an additional five million boxes in the ongoing year. But this would not be likely met as “Phase-III digitisation is currently on hold and because the matter is subjudice in Delhi High Court, so it has been delayed. So, it all depends on that, but we are hoping that if the matter gets decided by the court in the next one or two months, we should still be able to deliver our original target, otherwise there will be some shortfall.”
Vadhwa informed CNBC TV18 that the company has set its sights on 250,000 broadband subscribers (currently 130,000) by March 2017 and around 200,000 plus subscribers for its 57 HD channel bouquet. The company had hoped to hit 300,000 HD subscribers but has had to scale back its numbers as the HD market “is not moving the way we expected the it to grow. We are carrying the inventory; we are carrying the content but we have pulled back on our HD subscriber numbers.”
He pointed out the benefits of the price revision that company has resorted to will be felt in the second half of the year. “Earlier we were operating with four packages. Now we have reduced the packages and now total three package is there. Basic package and then the royal and magnum package. So, the price increase at the consumer level is in the range of weighted average, roughly Rs 40 increase in the prices and we are targeting that at least half of this should flow back to us. At least Rs 15-20 is what we are targeting that should flow back to the company. So it has just happened in the month of July. In some market it has been revised in the month of July. Balance, it is getting revised in the month of August itself.”
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.
