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AIR hopes to expand reach, revenues with satellite radio feed
All India Radio, considered to be one of the most powerful pubcasters in the world and the low-profile cousin of Doordarshan, is all set to give the private FM radio broadcasters in India a run for their money and popularity. AIR will soon be made available on cable television as part of an exercise to generate additional revenues and increase its reach.
“We have a proposal to offer domestic consumers in India AIR through cable TV,” a senior official of the Prasar Bharati Corporation said, pointing out that the effort is to increase the reach of AIR through various media.
The expansion mode also includes Prasar Bharati holding negotiations with the Indian Railways to offer the AIR’s FM service on long distance running trains like the Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express. A pilot project undertaken in this regard has yielded good results, the official said, adding, “We are about to finalise the deal with the Railways.”
The radio-through-cable TV initiative will mean that Indians can tune their cable TV to a frequency where the TV screen will appear blank, but the channel will carry audio feed.
“Radio over cable is very popular in the West, specially in the hotels,” the official explained, adding once this gets popular, AIR can exploit the commercial opportunities too through advertisers who would want to target a particular set of clientele.
AIR’s gross advertising revenues for 2000-01 were Rs 878.3 million while for 2001-02 they were Rs 969.8 million.
It may be worth mentioning here that during its early broadcasting days in India in the early 1990s, the Rupert Murdoch-controlled Star Group (then called Star TV) used to beam a satellite radio channel called Sky Radio which was accessed by cable operators and re-distributed as an audio channel broadcasting mostly music to cable subscribers. This was at a time when most Star channels, including Star Plus airing English programming, were not available in India as 24-hour TV channels.
Prasar Bharati feels that the radio-over-cable is an initiative, which is worth exploring considering the amount of content it generates and the huge library at AIR’s disposal.
Considering that AIR is receiving more financial help from the government (courtesy Planning Commission’s recommendations accepted by the government) this financial year for programming initiatives, Prasar Bharati can go in for innovations. AIR’s programming budget has been increased from about Rs 10 million during the last financial year to Rs. 200 million during the 2002-03 fiscal.
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.
