News Broadcasting
DD seals ICC cricket terrestrial telecast deal; WSN to handle air time sales
MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television, which has the cable and satellite telecast rights for all ICC cricket tournaments including the next two World Cups, has a serious fight on its hands for the advertising pie from national broadcaster Doordarshan, which has secured the terrestrial rights for the ICC World Cup cricket tournaments.
As per the terms of the acceptance letter that came in this evening from World Sport Nimbus on behalf of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp subsidiary Global Cricket Corporation, the GCC has reached a revenue-share agreement with Doordarshan whereby advertising revenues will be split on a 80:20 basis. This was confirmed to indiantelevision.com by a senior official of pubcaster Prasar Bharati today. The deal was actually reached last evening though.
World Sport Nimbus (WSN) will not only be handling marketing and ad sales for DD, it will also be the producer of all the shows that are developed around the events. As for the matches themselves, it is responsible for the technical arrangements and will produce and deliver the signal to Doordarshan at its uplinking facility.
Three DD channels – DD1, DD Metro and DD Sports – will be used as platforms to push the cricket. While, the actual match telecast will be on DD1, what is envisaged is programming around cricket that will run year-round but will build up in intensity as each individual tournament draws near.
According to sources, WSN will be running vignettes and interstitials on DD1, programming through the week on DD Metro and weekend programming on DD Sports.
One advantage (which will allow for seamless programming on match day) as far as pushing ad sales is concerned is that DD has guaranteed that all news bulletins will be shifted to DD Metro, sources say. Before each game there will be a one-hour pre-match special as well as a post-match half-hour wrap that WSN will produce.
And in what should serve as a notice to Sony, DD has already got on board big spenders Pepsi, Hero Honda and South Korean electronics major LG as advertisers. All three are World Cup sponsors.
It is clearly a win-win situation for DD as it has negotiated a guaranteed revenue for each of the World Cup matches it telecasts. This ranges from Rs 7.5 million for the early rounds to Rs 17.5 million for the semis and the finals.
The revenue-share deal between GCC and Doordarshan calls for telecast of 15-18 of the total 54 matches in each of the World Cups. These will include all India matches, the semi-finals and the finals, as well as the Super Six matches involving the best teams. In the Champions Trophy or Mini-World Cup Series, DD will telecast live 8-10 of the 15 matches.
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.
