Change of guard at AIDCF: Can Anirudhsinh Jadeja deliver parity and policy reform?

New Delhi: The All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF), on Tuesday, appointed Anirudhsinh Jadeja, Managing Director, GTPL Hathway, as its new President, a change of guard at a delicate moment for the country’s cable TV industry. 

Jadeja, who replaces S.N. Sharma, CEO, DEN Networks, is poised to lead the federation through a growing pile-up of policy and market pressures.

Jadeja’s appointment comes at a time when AIDCF is demanding a ‘fair’ regulatory framework for a sector that’s increasingly losing its grip in the face of growing competition from digital media. The industry’s struggles were recently encapsulated in a report by AIDCF, in collaboration with EY, titled State of Cable TV Distribution in India. 

AIDCF, a federation primarily led by GTPL Hathway, Hathway Digital, and DEN Networks (interestingly, all owned by Reliance Industries), used the report to propagate its longstanding demands for policy parity while noting their differing technological and market dynamics.

The new leadership team includes Sankaranarayana, Vice Chairman, Asianet Satellite Communications, as Vice President, and Sanjay Goyal, Group Chief Financial Officer, Fastway Transmissions, as Treasurer - a team poised to navigate a complex policy landscape alongside Jadeja.

At the heart of AIDCF’s worries is the new Tariff Order (NTO) implemented by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The AIDCF-EY report also points at how the policy’s ripple effects have left both the federation and its members battling growing financial pressures, a mess Jadeja will be expected to help clean up.

Jadeja’s plate is undeniably full. Among his key priorities will be securing greater pricing flexibility for local cable operators to account for differing regional pay capacities, a practice already standard in many other sectors, and addressing AIDCF’s demand for subsidies to activate over 20 million dormant set-top boxes. 

In principle, it makes sense that a millionaire should not pay the same as a consumer in a low-income bracket. Yet, this demand is yet to find tangible actions, which Jadeja will be expected to catalyse. 

The differential pricing demand has more layers than what is visible on the face of it. Jadeja’s main contender in this bout of the fight would be the policy treating commercial subscribers at par with domestic subscribers, which has far-reaching consequences for the financial health and operational dynamics of both DPOs and broadcasters. 

The federation is also calling for greater controls on the near-simultaneous release of pay TV content on digital platforms, a move it argues undercuts its own ability to monetise its services.

There’s also a strong appeal for hardware subsidies in television-dark regions, an estimated 140 million households, through public-private partnerships or government-backed schemes. 

Furthermore, the report underscored the need for a unified and enforceable anti-piracy framework, noting that the media and entertainment sector incurs losses exceeding Rs 200 billion annually due to unauthorised content sharing.

While these policy battles rage on, Jadeja will need to bring much-needed clarity to another growing concern: the disparity between Local Cable Operators (LCOs) and major Digital Platform Operators (DPOs), many of which consolidate power under a small number of players, sometimes all within the same corporate umbrella. 

This not only dampens competition but also casts a shadow over AIDCF’s ability to act as a credible industry representative.

Jadeja will also have to cater to one of the most glaring tussles that is tampering the stability of the pay TV industry. AIDCF’s new chief would have to address the locked-horn situation that broadcasters and DPOs are in. 

The recent headlines that were grabbed by the showdown between Tata Play and Sony over pricing, and Airtel Digital TV’s dispute with ZEE, are emblematic of a growing power struggle within the industry. 

Instead of complementing each other’s offerings, the two sides of the industry are hell bent on playing the blame game. These disputes not only undermine relationships but also create uncertainty for consumers and further contribute to the ongoing chaos in pay TV. 

Jadeja’s ability to foster dialogue and find a way forward for both broadcasters and DPOs will be a crucial test of his leadership. 

With all these challenges on his plate, Jadeja’s tenure promises to be a defining moment for the AIDCF and for the future of the country’s cable TV industry.