News Broadcasting
Dow Jones, Times Group in deal to publish Wall Street Journal for India
MUMBAI: Dow Jones & Company, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, and Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., publisher of the Times of India and The Economic Times, announced Thursday an agreement on a joint venture to publish The Wall Street Journal for India. The venture would publish the Journal five-days-a-week, edited for global Indian business readers and international business travelers, drawing on the newspaper’s global content.
Dow Jones would own 26 per cent of the new venture; Bennett, Coleman would own 74 per cent, a Dow Jones release says. The newspaper would be edited by Indian journalist Suman Dubey who is currently Dow Jones’ corporate representative in India. Further terms weren’t disclosed.
“I am thrilled that we will soon be able to offer Indian business readers access to the incomparable global business information of The Wall Street Journal on a timely basis,” Peter R Kann, chairman and CEO of Dow Jones, was quoted in the release as saying. “India is a vibrant and growing part of the global economy, and we look forward to playing an increased role in charting –and spurring– that growth. We’re especially pleased to be launching this venture in partnership with Bennett, Coleman and The Times Group, the leading Indian newspaper publishers, and one of the most distinguished players in publishing globally.”
Vineet Jain, managing director of the Times Group said: “The joint venture comes at a moment when India is poised to become a global player across a range of industries: from software outsourcing and entertainment, to pharmaceuticals, textiles and automobile components. As Indian companies, investors and consumers begin to think beyond the geographical boundaries, the need for global information and perspective will grow. We believe that the venture fits in perfectly with the emerging needs of the time. We respect Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal for the enviable standards they have set in publishing and media. We look forward to learning from each other.”
Karen Elliott House, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, added: “A Wall Street Journal for India will instantly become an important component of the global Journal network, including The Wall Street Journal in the US, The Asian Wall Street Journal, The Wall Street Journal Europe and The Wall Street Journal Americas in Latin America. We look forward to serving readers and advertisers in India who need the world’s most vital business news every business day.”
Added Ravi Dhariwal, executive director of The Times Group: “The joint venture represents an opportunity to synergize and leverage on each other’s core competencies. The joint venture between the two seeks to deliver great value to the reader and the advertiser.”
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.
