Lens on challenges at Tata Play as CEO's exit looms

Tata Play Ltd's longtime chief executive Harit Nagpal will step down in late 2026, closing a 15-year run that turned the broadcaster into India’s largest direct-to-home (DTH) provider, but leaving his successor to navigate an industry grappling with a shrinking pay-TV market, subscriber losses, intensifying over-the-top (OTT) competition and rising fibre-to-home alternatives.

- Dipali Banka

Nagpal's impending exit, mandated by Tata Group's retirement rules, comes as Tata Play itself reports falling revenues, wider losses, and a shelved IPO plan, highlighting the pressure on its traditional business model just as it heads into a leadership transition.