Cable TV
Tony D’silva to spearhead Hinduja Group’s media business
MUMBAI: Cable TV industry is undergoing major changes and in this wave of change has come a shocker. IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd. (IMCL) managing director Ravi Mansukhani, has stepped down from his position. Mansukhani, who has been associated with IMCL for more than seven years, had earlier expressed the desire to relinquish his services, which was accepted by the board of directors in the board meeting held on 31 January.
“Yes, I have stepped down,” confirmed Mansukhani without commenting further.
The board has now appointed Tony D’silva as IMCL MD and CEO with immediate effect and also approved certain other key management changes. D’silva who is currently the president of Hinduja Ventures Limited (HVL) has also been re-designated as Group CEO- media of HVL. As Group CEO –media and MD and CEO of IMCL, D’silva will hold the responsibility to restructure entire media business and value creation.
It is notable that HVL is restructuring its media vertical in order to enhance synergy across its various media initiatives. And to support this initiative, Rs 300 crore is being invested in the media business.
D’silva has been associated with HVL for the past one and a half years and comes with more than four decades of rich experience spread across media, FMCG and pharma sectors holding senior positions. He has a creditable track record of setting up and scaling up media ventures. D’silva began his media foray in 1992 as Modi Entertainment CEO and in 1997 helped Zee TV launch its international business in UK. Upon his return to India in 2001, he joined Star as executive VP and consolidated its TV business. He joined the Sun Group in 2007 to set up Sun Direct DTH as CEO, and then took over as the Group CEO, overseeing its entire media business including TV, print and radio.
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.
