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MSOs swing into action, unveil channel packages
MUMBAI: Decks have been cleared for implementing digitisation in the four metros within the deadline period of 31 October as the four national multi-system operators (MSOs) have announced the much awaited channel packages to sell to their cable TV subscribers.
Hathway Cable & Datacom, Den Networks, Digicable, and Zeel-owned Siti Cable (earlier WWIL) have announced the channel packages and their rates to the consumers who will need to transition to an era away from analogue cable where they were served a fixed bouquet of channels and had to pay one rate. The new prices are exclusive of taxes.
Hathway has three packages with Basic package having 135 channels for Rs 160, Medium package offering 198 channels for Rs 220 and Premium package with 242 channels for Rs 275.
Den is offering 112 channels for Rs 180 in its Pack 1 package, 219 channels for Rs 225 for its Pack 2 offering and 235 channels for Rs 270 for its Pack 3 offering.
Digicable also has three packages – Basic, Gold and Premium – the Basic package will offer 145 channels at Rs 180, while Gold package will provide 151 channels at Rs 200. The Premium package targeted at high-end consumers will have 165 channels at a cost of Rs 250.
Apart from channel packages, Digicable also announced the Basic Service Tier (BST) consisting of at least 100 channels for Rs 100 comprising the Free-to-Air channels. As part of its offering, the MSO is offering 117 channels.
| Name of the Package | No. of Channels | Rate in Rs. ( exclusive of taxes) |
|---|---|---|
| Digicable | ||
| Basic | 145 | 180 |
| Gold | 151 | 200 |
| Premium | 165 | 250 |
| Hathway Cable and Datacom Ltd. | ||
| Basic | 135 | 160 |
| Medium | 198 | 220 |
| Premium | 242 | 275 |
| DEN | ||
| Pack 1 | 112 | 180 |
| Pack 2 | 219 | 225 |
| Pack 3 | 235 | 270 |
| WWIL | ||
| Janta | 118 | 100 |
| Popular 1( Kolkata) | 151 | 150 |
| Popular 2( Mumbai) | 153 | 150 |
| Popular 3( Delhi) | 142 | 150 |
WWIL is the only MSO to have four packages which includes three city specific packages. The Janta package available for WWIL consumers in all three cities has 118 channels for Rs 100, the Popular 1 (Kolkata) package with 151 channels, Popular 2 (Mumbai) package with 153 channels, and Popular 3 (Delhi) package with 142 being offered for a flat rate of Rs 150.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that consumers will also be given the option of choosing channels from a la carte list. It also revealed that the digitisation percentage in four metro cities has gone up to 73 per cent from 68 per cent.
As per the data provided by MIB, 1.47 million set-top boxes(STBs) have already been installed in Delhi as against the target of 2.47 million with a digitisation rate of 60 per cent. The digitisation progress is 70 per cent if 877,000 lakh DTH subscribers are also taken into consideration.
Delhi has shown good pace of installation of STBs in the last one month and currently about 15000 STBs are being installed per day in the city, the MIB claimed.
The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act 2011 has made it mandatory for switch over of the existing analogue cable TV Network to Digital Addressable System (DAS) by December 2014 in the entire country in four phases.
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Inshorts Group chief Deepit Purkayastha joins IAB video council for Southeast Asia and India
The co-founder and chief executive of the short-form content platform has been inducted into the IAB SEA+India Video Council, giving India a stronger voice in shaping digital video frameworks
NOIDA: India has long been the world’s most chaotic, multilingual and mobile-first digital market. Now, one of its most prominent short-video executives is getting a seat at the table where the rules are written.
Deepit Purkayastha, co-founder and chief executive of Inshorts Group, has been selected as a member of the IAB SEA+India Video Council for 2026. Run by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, the council brings together senior leaders from Southeast Asia and India to shape standards, best practices and measurement frameworks for the fast-evolving video and digital advertising ecosystem.
The timing is pointed. According to the IAMAI-Kantar Internet in India Report 2025, over 588 million Indians are now consuming short-video content, with growth increasingly driven by rural and non-metro audiences. India’s active internet user base has crossed 950 million, with 57 per cent of users now coming from rural markets. Yet the frameworks that govern how video consumption is measured and monetised were largely designed for single-language, Western markets and have struggled to keep pace with the scale, diversity and complexity of India’s digital landscape.
Purkayastha is no stranger to these debates. He already serves on the AI Council at Marketing and Media Alliance India and as co-chair of the Digital Entertainment Committee at the Internet and Mobile Association of India. His induction into the IAB SEA+India Video Council extends that influence into the global video standards arena.
Inshorts Group sits squarely at the intersection of these forces. Its flagship product, Inshorts, India’s highest-rated short news app, reaches 12 million active users with 60-word news summaries. Its sister platform, Public App, reaches 80 million monthly active users across more than 700 districts and 12 languages, serving communities that most global platforms barely register.
Purkayastha said the opportunity was about building something more representative. “India today sits at the centre of the global video ecosystem, but the frameworks that define how value is created and measured have not always kept pace with the realities of our market,” he said. “Being part of the IAB SEA+India Video Council is an opportunity to contribute to a more representative and future-ready approach, one that accounts for diversity in language, context, and user intent.”
As a council member, Purkayastha will contribute to shaping regional standards across video advertising, measurement and platform governance, with a focus on frameworks that are native to India’s multilingual, mobile-first ecosystem rather than imported from global benchmarks designed elsewhere.
For years, India has been content to play by rules written for other markets. Purkayastha’s induction is a signal that it is done waiting to be consulted and ready to start writing them.
