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Beehive Systems wins Nasscom’s IT Innovation award
MUMBAI: Indian IT company Beehive Systems, which provides digital media solutions to broadcasters globally, has won Nasscom’s (National Association of Software & Service Companies), IT innovation award for spearheading innovation (in products and solutions) and original IP creation movement.
The award aims at celebrating the spirit of innovation in the emerging Indian It companies. The selection process comprised of two rounds of shortlisting by a panel of eminent personalities from the corporate and academic world, informs an official release.
On winning this award, Beehive Systems co-founder Tushar Kothari said, “We are elated to win Nasscom’s IT Innovation award. This is a great forum created by Nasscom to showcase all the innovative work being done by small and medium sized Indian companies. This award will fetch us the due recognition and valuable opportunities to highlight all the pioneering work we’ve been doing and gain more ground as we plan to scale up.”
In the first round of shortlisting, out of nearly 100 participating companies, Beehive was selected along with 17 others from across India. From the 18 shortlisted companies, six, including Beehive, were finally chosen as the winners based on a series of workshops in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, added the release.
Beehive along with five other companies will now go on to present at Nasscom’s annual summit in Mumbai on 9 February 2005. Other five companies that will receive the award include, Compulink Software, Pune; Liqwid Krystal, Bangalore; PACE Soft, Pune; Shrishti Software, Bangalore and Whizlabs Software, Delhi.
Innovation, Nasscom says, “is the ability of an organization to be different, creative, dynamic and take the unbeaten path. The innovators in the ICT sector are companies that have built products that are possibly firsts within their respective categories, which have launched services that break the traditional mould, have taken the non-typical route to new markets, explored and tapped these geographies and have resorted to imaginative strategies to sustain growth and stay ahead of their peers.”
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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.
