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Manorama Quickerala Machinery & Trade Expo draws huge crowds, making Marine Drive a “Machinery Land”
Mumbai: Events like Machinery and Trade Expos can help revive industries which collapsed during the Covid pandemic, Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden said here on Wednesday. He inaugurated the third edition of Malayala Manorama Quickerala Machinery and Trade Expo at Marine Drive Kochi. The expo featuring products by nearly 130 machine manufacturers and 31 products manufacturers with over 225 stalls was conducted from 15 to 18 November.
Marketing Services & Solutions VP Joy Mathew, Malayala Manorama chaired the inaugural meet. General secretary P.J Jose, Kerala State Small Industries Association president Mujeebur Rahman, All Kerala Distributors Association president Mujeebur Rahman, Bakers Association district president V P Abdul Salim, Small Industries Development Bank of India deputy general manager K V Karthikeyan and State Bank of India deputy general manager Pradipta Kumar Pradhan spoke at the event.
The exhibition featured a huge collection of small and big machineries from industry majors across the country. The items lined up for display include food packing and food processing machines, jalebi makers, laundry machines, waste incinerators, water purifiers, paper bag making machines, solar products, modern technology pumps, CNC cutting machines, bakery equipments and machines, ice cream making machines, different types of power tools, napkin vending machines, interlock manufacturing machines, chapathy making machines, copra machines, electric coconut graters, flour mill machines, diesel generators and oil cleansing machines.
A discount fair of household items was held as part of the event. Items such as furniture, coir products, fencing materials, massagers, mop and water tank cleaners, tower fans, chapati makers, popcorn making machines, power saving bulbs, optical lens and car wash machines were available at the fair.
The event was organized by Kerala’s own search engine Manorama Quickerala.com in association with the Kerala State Small Industries Association , Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry , All Kerala Distributors, Association and Bakers Association. The expo’s banking partner State Bank Of India , Automative Partner Maruti Suzuki Nexa, MSME partner Small Industries Development Bank Of India and furniture partner Wood Look Furniture have arranged exclusive stalls at the event.
Thousands of people thronged the Marine Drive ground to visit the Malayala Manorama Quickerala Machinery and Trade Expo featuring a wide array of small and large machinery by manufactures from across the country.
The three day expo entered its second day on Thursday and the enthusiasm of the small and medium business community , and the public was evident from the crowd gathered.
The third edition of Malayala Manorama Quickerala Machinery and Trade Expo features products from nearly 130 machine manufacturers in over 200 stalls.
Two seminars aiming to help entrepreneurs were held as part of the expo on Thursday. In the first one, Najeeb P A , general manager, Department of Industries general manager (Ernakulam) Najeeb P A said, “The New Business Opportunities and Prospects in Kerala”. He explained the various government schemes introduced to help entrepreneurs in the state. On the first day , K V Karthikeyan , deputy general manager, the Small Industries Development Bank of India – Cochin branch , spoke on the schemes and financing for micro, small and medium enterprises. On the following days, various experts sessions were conducted by governments officials, among the sessions the most exclusive session was on Food Business in Kerala handled by Master Chef. Sri, Suresh Pillai (founder & chef and restaurateur). The changing market conditions and momentum has been building up a new culture which influences the future generation to build a business of their own to scale up their living standards. The expo has even marked more than 25 crores business bookings at an average for each and every participating company. The major categories participated were food packing machines, food processing machines, CNC cutting machines, industrial generators, printers, 3d printers, industrial refrigerators, bakery equipment, ovens, laundry machines, power tools and trade and franchise stalls were are highlights of the event. State Bank of India (SBI), Small Industries Development Bank (SIDBI), Maruti Suzuki NEXA, Woodlook were the category partners for this year’s manorama quickerala machinery & trade expo. The event has maintained its standards to be retained as the Top Rated Machinery & Trade Expo. The expo will be hosted in various other parts of the State as well. The attendance growth started with 18,050 in the year 2019 with 73 stalls at Calicut thereafter it marked an attendance of 68,823 with 138 stalls and the above mentioned current year attendance brings an outlook that the interest towards the business development and establishment is increasing day by day. The expo was promoted targeting the audience from pan Kerala. The machines weighing tons with Live demonstrations were the major core highlights of the event. The entry was FREE for all participants to avail the entry pass online ticket portal was introduced. The massive crowd experience in the event days under intense heat conditions were the points to mark the need of Manorama Quickerala Machinery & Trade Expo in Kerala. The next edition will be announced soon. The feedback from the entire participating brands was at its peak, which is the key to mark the success.
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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.
