News Broadcasting
Times Now launches in UK today; other European launches to follow
MUMBAI: The Indian and south Asian diaspora in the UK will get a dose of television news celebrity anchor Arnab Goswami from this week onwards. The reason: Times Now is slated to launch this week in the UK on channel 576 as a free to air channel on Sky on 15 November, after testing its signals for the past weeks or so.
It joins the ranks of NDTV 24×7, Aaj Tak, ABP News and News18 India which too are airing in the UK.
Times Now will be targeting the 1.4 million strong Indian diaspora in the UK, and the management says it is the first of its launches in Europe. It is slated to be rolled out in France and Germany, according to company sources quoted in the Financial Times. The channel is already available in the US since 2011.
Times Television Network MD & CEO MK Anand told the British financial daily that the UK “can be our biggest diaspora market and a bridge into Europe … over the longer run there is no reason for us not to envisage Times Now as a global brand. Al Jazeera is an English-language channel which is talking about the world with an Arabic lens, and in time we can do the same for an Indian world view.”
Times Now President & Editor in chief Arnab Goswami – who has built up a cult status for himself and India’s most watched English news channel – told the paper that initially only India focused news would be covered on the UK service. But the intent is to develop local and global programming to appeal to global audiences, he revealed, bringing it in competition with France24, CNN, RT, and Al-Jazeera.
The company is going all out to promote the channel in the UK with an outdoor, radio, online and press commercials and advertorials in the pipeline.
It has set up an office in the UK in a bid to grab a share of the Britain’s estimated TV ad market of pounds sterling 4.04 billion. The UK is one of the few countries where digital spending is slated to account for 50 per cent of the overall annual adex of 16.26 billion pounds by end this year, according to research firm emarketer. Ad spending on mobile and online devices is slated to attract more than twice the ad spending that goes to TV.
Around 30 Indian channels are competing for the estimated 20-25 million pounds in ad spend by Indian-targeted brands in the UK.
News Broadcasting
Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
