MUMBAI: Hathway Cable & Datacom is gearing up to take its consolidated revenues to Rs 10 billion this fiscal as it steps up its digitisation, broadband and last mile acquisition drive.

India’s leading multi-system operator expects to lift its Ebitda from Rs 1.38 billion to Rs 3 billion in FY’11, hoping to benefit from an improved business model.
 
“We are looking at a turnover of Rs 10 billion and an Ebitda of Rs 2.75-3 billion this fiscal,” says Hathway Cable & Datacom managing director and chief executive officer K Jayaraman.

Hathway had posted a revenue of Rs 7.35 billion for the fiscal ended 31 March 2010.

The company hopes to seed one million digital set-top boxes during the current fiscal. The MSO will start charging an extra amount of Rs 15 as monthly subscription fee in markets where it can, augmenting its revenues from digitisation. 
 
“We will be charging Rs 15 from the operators. We will leave it open for the operator to fix the monthly subscription price that a digital customer will have to pay,” says Jayaraman.

Speeding up its acquisition drive, the MSO expects to have direct primary points touching half a million. The last mile access directly to the customer homes will allow it to offer value-added services.

On the broadband front, Hathway will reach half a million subscribers while holding on to its ARPU (average revenue per subscriber) of Rs 330.

Analogue cable ARPU can also go up by 10-15 per cent in certain markets, Jayaraman says.

Hathway will expand its reach from eight to nine million in FY’11.

"Hathway is planning to cure the business model of digitisation by charging an extra Rs 15 as subscription fee. The ebitda target of Rs 3 billion looks ambitious at this stage but could be achievable," says a media analyst who tracks the company.