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DVD player base to increase five-fold in Asia-Pacific
LONDON: After having claimed dominance in the US and European markets, the DVD (Digital Video Player) is now poised to sweep the video business in the Asia-Pacific region as well.
In South East Asia, the only competition that the digital format faces is the disc-based video format – Video CD, states a study by Screen Digest.
Screen Digest’s senior home entertainment analyst, Helen Davis Jayalath explains, “In the shorter term, the VCD player will continue to prove popular with many Asia-Pacific consumers due to its low cost and the widespread availability of cheap VCD software. However, DVD is already becoming the format of choice in the mature markets of Japan, Australia and New Zealand. In the longer term, the DVD Video player will become increasingly important throughout the region; our forecasts indicate that by the end of 2006 139m Asia-Pacific homes will have a DVD Video player or recorder – more than five times as many at the end of 2002 and almost 20 per cent of all TV households in the region.”
According to the report, India, South Korea and the Philippines are likely to be of particular interest to the US studios and other video distributors over the next few years. The distributors’ revenues from India, is expected to to increase by almost 130 per cent between 2001 and 2006.
The study however reveals that, new hardware indicates additional software sales and simultaneously total consumer spending on DVD software to increase by 165 per cent over the same period, thus generating an estimated $8.2bn by 2006. This will be fuelled in part by an anticipated fall of 16 per cent in the average retail price of a DVD during the same period.
Interestingly, the expansion of the DVD sector will help boost total consumer spending on all video software (DVD, VCD and VHS) by over 40 per cent, the report says. By the end of the forecast period, DVDs will account for almost 70 per cent of consumer spending, up from just over one-third in 2002.
According to the author of the report, David Scott, the sheer size of the Japanese market means DVD will continue to dominate the Asia-Pacific video business. “Japan remains the world’s second largest single territory video market after the US, and the third largest (after the UK) for Hollywood product. However, China and India boast two of the largest potential consumer markets worldwide and demand for legitimate video product is growing in these territories”.
Piracy, however continues to pose a major threat to the potential of the Asia-Pacific business. The lack of copy protection on VCDs ensures that vast numbers of counterfeit discs flood the market at rock-bottom prices, making it impossible for rights holders to raise the price of legitimate discs. Meanwhile the availability of DVDs offers criminals a perfect digital master for copying, ensuring that the quality of counterfeit products is improving, adds the report.
The bottom line is that ultimately, the DVD will replace both VHS and VCD. The speed at which this occurs in each country will depend on how quickly DVD hardware and software prices decline, combined with the effectiveness of efforts to combat the trade in counterfeit discs.
Equally important, however, will be the rate at which consumers in the region become more discerning in their attitudes toward software quality. As a result, Screen Digest foresees a period of co-existence between both disc-based formats before DVD eventually predominates across the whole Asia-Pacific region.
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.
