Kolkata, February 13 Meghbela Broadband has signed an agreement with Sahaj Retail to help local cable operators transition into multi-service digital outlets, as the traditional cable business faces pressure from increasing streaming adoption, an official said on Friday.
The initiative will be launched in the first phase across semi-urban and rural areas of West Bengal and Odisha, he said.
"We have partnered with Sahaj Retail to offer a range of government-to-citizen services, banking, and other public utility services through our local cable operators. In the first phase, the service will be launched in West Bengal and Odisha," Meghbela Broadband Director Tapabrata Mukherjee told news agency PTI.
"We have about 6,500 cable operator partners in the two eastern states, and we expect this collaboration to enhance their earnings," he said.
Mukherjee said the Kolkata-based company has operations in 12 states, covering eastern, northern, central, and southern India.
"This partnership has the potential to generate an additional revenue of Rs 20,000-22,000 for each cable operator," he said, adding that the partnership is structured on a revenue-sharing model.
Sahaj Retail will train the operators and provide them with the necessary systems to deliver a range of services, including banking, financial inclusion products, Aadhaar services, PAN registration, rail ticketing, tax filing assistance, and bill payments through BBPS, among others.
Mukherjee said the collaboration is designed to "significantly boost the earnings of our partners while expanding access to essential public and financial services in underserved regions".
He said the initiative would help cable operators modernize their business model and remain relevant in a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem.