Hyperactive mediaman

When Hathway Cable and Datacom Ltd, a provider of cable TV and broadband services, closed its initial share sale recently, Akshay Raheja's 17 per cent stake turned out to be worth some Rs 625 crore. Not bad for less than four years at a company controlled by father Rajan Raheja. Those years have been hard work for Akshay, a Columbia Business School graduate.

Since 1998, Rajan Raheja has led the change in Indian TV viewing habits and broadband usage—spreading Hathway's reach to 125 cities and towns. In 2006, when elder son Akshay returned from Columbia, he was handed over daily responsibilities at Hathway. With that, the focus of Hathway moved forward towards building strong management teams, delivering consistent and quality services, and expanding its reach.

Akshay's brother Viren has been helping in that transition. "We're hoping to spread our net, build on infrastructure and ensure that our business model allows our one-million-andcounting users to enjoy high quality services," says Akshay, who ranks impatience among his shortcomings.