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Trai recommends nondiscriminatory local loop unbundling
MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has recommended nondiscriminatory local loop unbundling (LLU) in a time bound manner for both Shared Unbundling and Bit Stream Access, to promote quick growth and create immediate competition in broadband services.
It has also set a target of 20 million broadband and 40 million internet subscribers by 2010.
The recommendations on the growth of Internet and broadband in the country, released today, add that since broadband using digital subscriber lines (DSL) are going to play a significant role in driving broadband growth, ‘it is important to have contribution and competition from other players for the incumbent to focus strongly on rapid roll-out of DSL services, and achieve the desired growth with the most value to consumers.
Since virtually all of the copper local loops are owned by the incumbent, giving nondiscriminatory access to this bottleneck facility for use and investment by other operators becomes crucial.
While the Trai is currently not in favor of Full Local Loop Unbundling at this point in time, it recommends shared unbundling to achieve competition in the market. While such unbundling would work only for data services, ‘one needs to address the concern raised due to the possibility of the access seeker providing voice services over those data services’, the recommendations add.
To promote quick growth and create immediate competition in broadband services, nondiscriminatory LLU should be executed in a time bound manner for both Shared Unbundling and Bit Stream Access, the recommendations note. The owner of the local loop who is a unified access or basic services access provider (LL Operator) will have the opportunity to decide in which exchanges they want to make the investment to upgrade the infrastructure for their own use as well as for providing Bit Stream Access to access seekers, it says.
The Authority has however made it clear that it would not insist on unbundling of new infrastructure which is less than five years old.
If the broadband connections achieved in the first year are less than one million, then a review of the above specified arrangement would be conducted to consider other modes of local loop unbundling, it adds.
The target set by the Trai translates to penetration levels of 1.7 per cent and 3.4 per cent for broadband and internet subscriber growth, respectively, which the Trai says is a bare minimum target and will need to be upgraded as progress is made.
Among its other recommendations are decreasing the level of duties on mobile phones, the current overall levels of duties for imported items used in broadband networks, and equalizing duties, providing the appropriate tax structure to enable faster growth, without the government having to forego significant revenue.
Once these recommendations are implemented, says Trai, India can reach broadband penetration levels that are 50 times where we are today within a couple of years. The growth that has been witnessed in a few years in India in the telephony space and in Korea in broadband, can be replicated and surpassed.
Quoting the Confederation of Indian Industry’s estimates that iinvestments of at least US$2.6 billion by 2010 and US$5.35 billion by 2020 will be needed to achieve the goals they have set for broadband services, the Trai says this would include investment in urban networks, domestic and international backhaul, content delivery mechanisms, content and application development, and rural build-out. The content and applications would include a full gamut of services including education, health, governance, local language web content, and new broadband-based entertainment like games and videos.
Broadband connectivity should be defined as An always-on data connection that is able to support various interactive services, and has the capability of a minimum download speed of 256 Kbps, says Trai, a figure that would increase the attainable market for 256 Kbps broadband services to 20 million by 2010.
In December 2002, the top 10 countries in terms of broadband subscribers realized on average 14.4 per cent of their total internet subscriptions from broadband. “While this seems a low percentage, newer growth countries like China and Korea saw tremendous growth in that value, reaching 17 per cent and 96 per cent, respectively, by the end of 2003, compared to 4 per cent and 38 per cent the year before.
This is the likely path that India will take. With the low quality of service and high cost of dial- up connections, Indias ratios are likely to be more in line with the trend that China and Korea are displaying than with the US (13 per cent in December 2002), where there is high quality dial-up based on low cost flat rate access. Taking this into consideration, broadband subscribers in India are likely to be 50 per cent, or even more, of total internet subscribers.
Targets for Internet and Broadband Penetration
Year Ending Internet subscribers number target % penetration broadband subscribers number target % penetration
2005 6 million 0.6% 3 million 0.3%
2007 18 million 1.6% 9 million 0.8%
2010 40 million 3.4% 20 million 1.7%
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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.
