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Shah Rukh Khan is CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2023
Mumbai: The 13 edition of CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2023 awards took place in New Delhi on Wednesday. The biggest awards platform of news television honoured Bollywood’s King Shah Rukh Khan with the prestigious Indian of the Year award.
In his moving acceptance speech, SRK opened up about his life and career like never before. He touched upon several subjects in his almost 10-minute long speech, which included his flops before he took a break, his family’s struggles, and his successful 2023. He then said that he wanted to make a ‘brash’ statement by saying he doesn’t only feel like the Indian of the Year 2023 but the Indian of all Years.
CNN-News18 Indian of the Year recognises exceptional contributions of remarkable individuals across seven categories — business, entertainment, sports, youth icon, rising sports star, social change, and climate warriors.
While Shah Rukh Khan was crowned as the CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2023, renowned filmmaker Mani Ratnam was named CNN-News18 Indian of the Year in the Entertainment category.
Karnataka’s first transgender doctor and actor Trinetra Haldar was honoured with the Youth Icon of the Year award (Jury), while music composer and singer Anirudh Ravichander was awarded the Youth Icon (Popular) title at CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2023.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was honoured with the Indian of the Year 2023 award for outstanding achievement. The award recognised the remarkable contributions made by ISRO in pushing the boundaries of space exploration.
Neeraj Chopra clinched the Indian of the Year award in the Sports category in recognition of his remarkable achievements and significant contribution to Indian sports.
Chess Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa was named Rising Sports Star at CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2023. In the Climate Warriors category, Arun Krishnamurthy and Saalumarada Thimmakka won the award. Arun Krishnamurthy is the founder of the Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI), which has restored 460 waterbodies across 18 states.
Padma Shri award recipient Saalumarada Thimmakka is a 112-year-old climate warrior from Karnataka’s Tumkur district and is known as the “Mother of Trees” for planting over 8,000 trees.
Ravi Kannan, a distinguished oncologist, was named the CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2023 in the Social Change category. His commitment to people-centric and pro-poor healthcare has revolutionised cancer treatment in Assam.
State Bank of India (SBI) chairman Dinesh Khara won the prestigious Indian of the Year 2023 award in the business category. Khara joined SBI as a probationary officer in 1984 and has risen through the ranks over the years at India’s largest public sector lender.
The Heroes of Uttarkashi garnered a special recognition at the awards ceremony. Union Minister Jitendra Singh presented the award to the heroes, who included National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General (DG) Atul Karwal, rat miners Munna and Wakil, along with foreman Gabbar Singh Negi and his colleague Saba Ahmed. The rat hole miners garnered nationwide acclaim for their pivotal role in the successful rescue effort in the Silkyara tunnel.
CNN-News18 Indian of the Year platform has a rich legacy of honoring exceptional individuals across various fields. A distinctive feature of this year’s event was the blend of expert judgment and public voting, where 50 per cent of the decision-making power lies with the discerning audience, and the remaining 50 per cent is entrusted to a distinguished panel of judges.
Over the years, CNN-News18 Indian of the Year award recipients have included personalities such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, cricket star Virat Kohli, the Indian women’s cricket team, NGO Stop Acid Attacks, Chess Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand, music legend AR Rahman, former PM Manmohan Singh, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, star boxer MC Mary Kom, actress Deepika Padukone and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, among others.
Shah Rukh Khan Quotes ‘Vikram Rathore’ From His Blockbuster Hit ‘Jawan:
Shah Rukh Khan on the lessons he learned after the struggles his family underwent:
SRK’s pitch to Mani Ratnam:
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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.
