Cable TV
MSO Alliance condemns attack on Hathway senior executive
MUMBAI: The MSO Alliance comprising Hathway Cable & Datacom, SitiCable, DEN Networks and IndusInd Media and Communication Limited (IMCL) has condemned the attack on Delhi-based senior executive of Hathway.
The executive was attacked in Gurgaon on 25 February, while he was on his way home and is currently recuperating in the hospital.
A statement issued by MSO Alliance secretary SN Sharma reads, “All national MSOs are implementing DAS as per rules and regulations defined by TRAI and are implementing the law passed by the Parliament to bring greater transparency in the entire value chain of the cable TV industry. This is being done to enhance consumer viewing by delivering world class digital experience to them. However, there are certain persons who are trying to derail the entire process of digitisation and have even used illegitimate and criminal means to stall the process.”
All the leading MSOs have strongly deplored and condemned the criminal and nefarious activities “and persons who have done such reprehensible act against an employee who had no fault and was simply involved in implementing the law of land,” the MSO Alliance says.
The MSO Alliance has reiterated its commitment to DAS. “We would like to emphasise once again that such activities would not deter us in implementing the process of digitising the country and we urge the authorities to take strict action against such criminals immediately,” reads the note.
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.
