News Broadcasting
Mobile phone entertainment is about making dead time alive: Sandip Das
MUMBAI: One of the special addresses on the final day of Frames – The convention for the business of entertainment was made by Hutchison Essar MD Sandip Das.
He pointed out that the mobile is an effective entertainment tool as it makes dead time alive. It could be while one is travelling in a bus, car or sitting on a beach watching the waves.
“The mobile does not compete nor threaten other media.
It complements them. Its portability and unobtrusiveness provide opportunities for engagement. At the same time it cannot match the scale of Imax. Yet, one cannot carry an Imax or a movie theatre as one does a mobile.”
He praised Ericsson’s 0,1,2,3 phase of developing the mobile. 0 means that no user manual is needed. It is self explanatory. One means one button to remove the complications of different controls. Two refers to the two seconds it takes for a screen to appear. Three refers to getting to an online destination within three clicks. “It is important that the mobile service providers think in this manner. The mobile is all about customised and personalised entertainment. The more mass it becomes the more important it is for mobile operators to provide distinctive services.”
He said that for content providers looking to tap the mobile it is important to think of the mobile first and not see it as an appendage. “Unique content needs to be created for the mobile that does not involve merely shortening the length of a film. Mobisodes are a step in the right direction. The good news is that data is getting compressed into smaller formats.”
He stressed that no other media had as much user capability as the mobile. Location based services will help make the mobile more timely. He quoted Bill Gates who once said that knowledge was more profound than information. The reason why some channels consistently get excellent viewership even though there are more choices available is because those few channels understand their viewers.
He went on to state that the jury is out on the mobile entertainment eco system. There is land grabbing going on. For instance Apple is selling music, Sony has bought a bank, HP sells TVs. There are also challenges that the mobile entertainment industry is facing. “The first is that we need more data friendly mobile phones. There is no point in buying a Ferrari if you drive it on pot holed roads. More bandwith is necessary for the mobile. It is important for more spectrum to be freed up. There also needs to be a change in terms of how our filmmakers and television serial makers view the mobile. Their antennas go up when the word mobile is mentioned.
“M Night Shyamalan for one has said that he would not like to make a film which can be viewed by someone in a toilet who has a mobile. I think that with our stories there is scope to make great content for the mobile.”
He noted that open source software is enabling collaboration and content is increasingly being created by users in the form of blogs and communities. It is becoming less and less the privilege of technology geeks. He mentioned that revenue sharing is one area that needs to be sorted out. That is why Digital Video Broadcast Handheld (DVB-H) is facing a problem. It is not that the technology is not upto speed. He praised Nokia who through the N Series has revolutionised MP3 and e-mail among other functions.
The consumer experience is key. If one develops services but does not allow the experience to be as good as it should, then one is doomed. In mobile as in other media, content is king. There are four sectors – video, imagery, gaming and music. While music has 70 per cent revenue share this will change in the coming years.
“The challenge for providers of mobile entertainment will be to bridge the gap between the early adopters who saw the potential in the medium and the huge mainstream market that wants to enjoy its benefits but does not want to get caught up in the gory technological details.
“Seamlessness in mobile technology will enable us to move seamlessly from one media to another. For instance, you watch a football match at home. In the middle of the match you have to leave for the office.
When you leave home, the mobile picks up the signal and the match gets switched on the mobile. When you reach the office, the PC has the match on. I got a demonstration of this from Motorola yesterday.”
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.
