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4 entries through to Intl Emmies final round from Asia/Africa in children, drama categories
MUMBAI: Judging for the semi-final round of the International Emmy awards for the Asia/Africa region in the children and young people and drama categories has come to an end.
Four entries, whose names have not yet been disclosed, will advance to the final.
The International Academy of Arts and Sciences commissioned the Eastern Multimedia Group to conduct the judging process. There were 30 jurors, among whom was Indiantelevision.com founder Anil Wanvari.
Speaking about the event, which was held in Taipei, from 7 to 10 July, Wanvari said, “It was a fantastic experience. Judging an event like this exposes you to a diverse array of programmes. There are different palettes. The quality of the entries was extremely high and it was difficult to differentiate one from the other.
“However the judges managed to award the requisite marks to each and move on. Each entry was marked by a high level of expertise in terms of production values,” he added.
India was represented among the programmes that came through to the semi-final round in the drama series category through Star Plus’s soap Saara Akaash. The show is loosely built around the lives of air force pilots.
Another entry in the drama series came from Singapore’s SPH Mediaworks. Together Whenever deals with a traditional bakery owned by a couple with two boys and two girls. Things are going great until competition enters the scene.
SPH Mediaworks again featured with Crunch Time II, a reality based documentary drama, whose aim is to bring out the positive aspects of people who have gone through a difficult time in their lives. The show examines how they counter tough moments and come out of them.
South Africa had two entries. Soul City, a drama series produced by the Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication’s, revolves around the Soul City community’s quest to strive over challenges as a collective.
The other one being the South African Brodcasting Corporation’s (SABC) Zero Tolerance, a 13-part, 1-hour drama series about a special investigative unit set up by the South African President. This unit, known as the Zero Tolerance unit, is responsible for investigating high high priority crime problems facing South Africa today.
The other drama series that were in the running for a final spot include: Happy and Lucky (SPH Mediaworks), A Child’s Hope (MediaCorp TV, Singapore), Always On My Mind (MediaCorp TV, Singapore) and Pure Love III (Mainichi Broadcasting System, Japan).
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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.
