News Broadcasting
First 24 hour martial arts channel launched in US
LOS ANGELES:Producers of the Mortal Kombat feature film franchise, one of the biggest and best-known martial arts franchises of all-time have launched Blackbelt TV, the world’s first 24 hour martial arts entertainment cable network.
With a management team comprised of leading cable executives, Blackbelt TV has assembled the largest martial arts entertainment and sports library in the world from leading worldwide fight organizations and Hollywood studios including Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Totaling nearly 15,000 hours, the library consists of some of the greatest martial arts films of all times, including Enter the Dragon, Once Upon A Time in China, The Karate Kid, Drunken Master, Out For Justice; classic and new martial arts television series like Kung Fu and Mortal Kombat Conquest; Japanese animation; health, fitness and self defense programming as well as original shows like Soul of the Champion.
Viewers will see world championship bouts never before aired on US television from countries including India, China, Japan, Russia, Europe, Korea and Thailand.
Blackbelt TV has entered into exclusive licenses within the martial arts genre with two of the top providers of martial arts entertainment in the US – Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution and Sony Pictures Entertainment. The new channel will also import films and television programming from all over the globe including some of the largest Asian film libraries in the world, claims a press release.
Blackbelt TV’s programming unites the biggest celebrities in martial arts entertainment including Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Chuck Norris, Chow Yun Fat, Steven Seagal. In addition to the martial arts films and TV shows, Blackbelt TV has entered into exclusive relationships with leading promoters of championship fights and martial arts competitions from around the globe.
The channel will show world championship Judo bouts directly from the International Judo Federation in Korea; explosive kickboxing from the US, China and India via the World Championship Kickboxing; the fury of Muay Thai Kickboxing directly from Thai Stadiums in Thailand.
Blackbelt’s on-air look and feel will be created by its sister company Threshold Digital Research Labs (TDRL), one of Hollywood’s leading digital animation and visual effects companies whose technology alliance is with IBM. The feature film quality bumpers, interstitials and Network IDs will be created by the same digital wizards that produce special effects, theme-park attractions, and animation for MGM, Miramax, Paramount and others.
The network will generate additional forms of revenue by tapping into the billion dollar martial arts ancillary markets through its Blackbelt TV Network Enterprises Division. The division is responsible for developing Blackbelt TV branded home video/DVD, music, video games, apparel, toys, interactive television, on-line and off-line gaming, martial arts instruction and a line of health, fitness and self-defense products. Primary investors in Blackbelt TV include Threshold Entertainment, Fusient Media Ventures, and Sirius Investment
Corp. Blackbelt TV is headed by leading entertainment and cable executives with established track records in starting new enterprises and producing successful branded, mainstream properties. Together their credits include blockbuster feature films like True Lies and Mortal Kombat; hit TV shows like Babylon 5; technology breakthroughs like the first digital movie and digitally recorded score; theme park attractions like King Kong, Robocop and Earthquake; studio experience including Sony, Disney and Vestron; and cable TV experience including BET, VH-1, Animax, Sony Entertainment Television, Discovery Networks, and AXN .
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.
