Cable TV
Star gets crucial cable presence in the east with stake in RPG Netcom
Getting the ground in order goes more than a long way in pushing through new subscription packages as well as in ramping up connectivity numbers. Star India has just added another significant piece to its armory on that score with its acquisition of a 26 per cent equity stake in RPG Netcom Ltd, the Goenka Group’s multisystem operator that controls over 75 per cent of Kolkata’s cable-connected households.
An official announcement regarding the alliance is expected in the next few days.
An indication that something was cooking between Star India and RPG Netcom was evidenced at the beginning of the year itself when the Rupert Murdoch network announced its new monthly subscription package of Rs 40.50. There was nary a whimper from the MSO, a far cry from 2001 beginning which saw Star off the air for 62 days when it announced a Rs 30 subscription rate.
Business daily The Financial Express reported today that Star has already signed an agreement with RPG Netcom whereby it will pay around Rs 520 million for the 26 per cent share in the MSO.
With the addition of RPG Netcom, Star now has three major MSOs under its control. This includes Hathway Cable & Datacom, in which Star officially has a 26 per cent stake, and Win Cable, an almost wholly owned subsidiary of Hathway.
Hathway has a significant presence in Bangalore and Mumbai while Win is very strong in Delhi. RPG’s coming under the Star wing gives the network strong leverage in all the main metros except Chennai, where DMK scion Kalanithi Maran’s Sumangali Cable Vision (cable arm of the Sun Network) holds complete control.
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.
