India’s cable television industry is facing a steep decline, with a loss of 577,000 jobs projected between 2018 and 2025 due to falling pay-TV subscriptions and the rise of OTT platforms and free broadcast services.
India’s cable television sector is undergoing a major crisis, with subscriber numbers and revenues steadily declining over the past several years. From 2018 to 2024, the number of pay-TV subscribers dropped from 151 million to 111 million. This trend is expected to continue, with estimates suggesting a further fall to between 71–81 million by 2030.
One of the biggest consequences of this decline is the estimated loss of around 577,000 jobs between 2018 and 2025. This includes reductions in employment among cable operators, closure of multi-system operators (MSOs), and the shutdown of thousands of local cable operators (LCOs) across India’s 34 states and union territories.
The cumulative revenue of four major direct-to-home (DTH) providers and ten major multi-system operators (MSOs) has seen a 16% drop since 2018, falling from ₹25,700 crore in FY19 to ₹21,500 crore in FY24. Their operating profits, or EBITDA, shrank by 29% during the same period, from ₹4,400 crore to ₹3,100 crore.
Cable operators have cited several reasons behind this drastic shift. The rising popularity of over-the-top (OTT) platforms, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Jio-Hotstar, has drastically changed consumer habits. In addition, free-to-air platforms like DD Free Dish offer access to entertainment without subscription fees, making traditional cable less attractive.
Further adding to the pressure are increased channel fees and service charges, which have pushed more users to cut the cord. Since 2018, around 900 MSOs and 72,000 LCOs have shut down operations. Employment in the sector has declined by 31%, with surveyed operators alone reporting over 37,800 job losses.
Some of the major companies affected include:
- Tata Play
- Airtel Digital TV
- Sun Direct
- Dish TV
- Hathway Cable & Datacom Ltd
- DEN Networks
- Siti Networks
Despite the gloomy scenario, industry stakeholders remain hopeful. Many believe that activating unused set-top boxes, revising regulatory frameworks, and innovating hybrid cable-streaming models could help cable TV providers reclaim lost ground.
Without immediate reform and adaptation, however, the Indian cable television industry may continue to shrink—impacting not just companies, but hundreds of thousands of livelihoods connected to it.
