What Hathway and Den deals mean for Reliance Jio
Live MintReliance Industries Ltd has made two strategic investments in Den Networks Ltd and Hathway Cable and Datacom Ltd. RIL made an investment of ₹ 2,290 crore for 66% stake in Den and ₹ 2,940 crore for 51.3% stake in Hathway. Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd’s deals with Den Networks Ltd and Hathway Cable and Datacom Ltd may not only allow the company to expand its presence to 1,100 cities and target 50 million homes with its faster broadband services, but also reduce the cost of reaching out to customers. Additionally, deals with Hathway and Den will help Jio GigaFiber achieve last-mile connectivity, overcoming the challenges the company has been facing from local cable operators who have in past stonewalled its expansion plans. The Indian broadband market currently consists of players like BSNL, MTNL, and Airtel, cable firms such as Hathway and Den Networks, and pure-play broadband operators such as ACT Fibernet and Spectra.