News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak bags best campaign honour at RAPA awards
Hindi news channel Aaj Tak has bagged the Best Campaign of the Year (TV) Award at the 27th Radio and TV Advertising Practitioners’ Association of India (RAPA) Awards 2001. The awards function is to held this evening in Mumbai.
Through the ad campaign, Aaj Tak wanted to put forth the message that it was serious about the business of news coverage 24-hours a day. The channel knew the importance of the ad having universal appeal and so it looked at situations where the serious facet of the brand could be accompanied by an underlying sense of humour, says a company release.
The campaign was conceptualised by Gajraj Rao of Apocalypso Filmworks. According to Apocalypso director Pradeep Sarkar, ” We were given a free hand. The challenge was to mark the transition of Aaj Tak from a 1/2-hour programme to a 24-hour news channel and then as the Sabse Tez channel. The idea of using a black and white, humorous and old style juxtaposed with contemporary themes was to highlight the changes that it would make in our lives. The RAPA awards are a sure sign of the appreciation and success that the ads have achieved.”
The channel has earlier been honoured by the Indian Television Academy and Media Meet. RAPA claims to have received a record number of entries this year. All Radio and TV entries produced in India and broadcast and telecast for the first time, in any part of the world, between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2001 were eligible to compete.RAPA claims to be the only organisation that honours and gives awards in 48 categories and 17 India languages.
Other dignitaries expected to be present at the RAPA event include Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, Mumbai’s sheriff Kiran Shantaram and film director Mahesh Bhatt.
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.
