India’s Cable TV Industry Faces Silent Collapse: 5.77 Lakh Jobs Lost as Digital Shift Accelerates
India’s Cable TV Industry Faces Silent Collapse: 5.77 Lakh Jobs Lost as Digital Shift Accelerates
In a country once united by prime-time television, India’s cable TV industry is now facing a quiet but devastating downfall. Once the centerpiece of home entertainment, cable television is rapidly losing relevance, displaced by the surge of digital streaming and free-to-air platforms. While consumers seamlessly switch to on-demand, low-cost content, the cable industry’s decline has gone largely under the radar leaving behind economic damage and massive job losses.
Subscribers Vanish as Viewership Shifts
India’s Pay-TV subscriber base has plummeted from 151 million in 2018 to just 111 million in 2024, as per a joint report by the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) and EY India. If the current pace continues, it could fall further to 71–81 million by 2030.
Platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and free options like DD Free Dish are reshaping how Indians consume entertainment. These alternatives are not only more affordable but also more flexible, causing traditional cable services to steadily lose their edge.
Financial Decline Mirrors Shrinking Audience
The industry’s revenue has dropped 16% since 2018, with profits tumbling by a worrying 29%. In 2019, the sector was earning ₹25,700 crore. By 2024, that figure dipped to ₹21,500 crore. With reduced subscriptions, operators are also losing the ability to invest in service upgrades, further accelerating their decline.
These insights are based on a survey of 181 cable operators across 34 Indian states and union territories marking one of the most comprehensive analyses of the industry’s health.
Employment Wipeout: The Human Toll
The most severe consequence of this decline is its impact on livelihoods. Since 2018, approximately 5.77 lakh (577,000) people have lost jobs linked to the cable TV industry. Around 900 Multi-System Operators (MSOs) and 72,000 Local Cable Operators (LCOs) have shut down entirely.
In total, employment in the sector has shrunk by 31%, with over 37,800 direct job losses and an estimated 114,000 to 195,000 professionals affected nationwide, including technicians, customer support, and backend roles.
A Vanishing Industry?
India’s cable TV industry, once a thriving source of information, entertainment, and employment, is now a shadow of its former self. As the digital revolution reshapes the media landscape, urgent policy attention and innovation may be required to soften the blow for businesses and the countless workers left behind.
