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UTVi, Dell to celebrate Indian spirit of entrepreneurship
MUMBAI: UTVi, the English business news channel, and technology brand Dell have joined hands to commemorate the “Indian spirit of entrepreneurship.”
Titled “Take Your Own Path”, the alliance will urge business owners to share their story to success.
UTVi, which started the initiative, said that it is directed towards the entrepreneurial owners of India’s small and medium businesses (SMBs) and future leaders from various business schools across the country.
UTV News Ltd CEO Shantonu Aditya said, “With this powerful partnership, we look forward to bringing out many stories of inspiration, belief and business acumen that hold the key to India’s entrepreneurial tomorrow”
The alliance is powered by Young Indians (Yi), a part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). They will be facilitating UTVi and Dell India to create a platform to engage young Indians and help them shape the Indian entrepreneurial future.
“India has a terrific entrepreneurial spirit– the successful big and small Indian entrepreneurs have made India the success it is. After our ‘Take Your Own Path’ campaign, we are seeking out more Indian entrepreneurial heroes with the Dell Small Business Excellence Awards. Dell and UTV – both first generation start-ups – have a special affinity for entrepreneurs, and we are delighted that UTVi has joined us in this search for excellence in small and medium businesses across India”, said Dell India GM – SMB Ravi Bharadwaj.
The initiative will be held in three phases. Phase one will comprise a joint initiative between Dell India and UTVi as a special 6-part series. The episodes will showcase the stories of individuals who have made it to the top.
Phase two will communicate with the entrepreneurial community at large to participate in the Dell Small Business Excellence Awards and share their own entrepreneurial journeys, business stories and innovative uses of technology with UTVi Business News. The top ten finalists from the entries will be featured as a part of special series on UTVi. The national winner will receive $25,000 from Dell technology and services, a best-practice sharing session with Michael Dell and Dell experts and an opportunity to be a part of the UTVi series on air.
These winners will also get the chance to compete for the global award worth $50,000 in Dell solutions. Yi will be supporting this communication by its contribution to the evaluation process.
Phase three will run parallel with phase two; UTVi and Dell will launch a nationwide business plan competition across Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Budding entrepreneurs and post graduates can present their ideas and business plans to a joint jury in each city. The evaluation of ideas and process formulation will be done jointly by Dell India, UTVi Business News and CII Yi.
Added UTVi COO Sumit Gupta, “With a three stage campaign flow and a multi media engagement, we approach segments like young students and budding entrepreneurs across industry verticals. We hope to involve these inspiring individuals with the channel and to set the stage for many more stories to follow.”
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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.
