News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak English channel may launch in 10 days
NEW DELHI: TV Today Network, part of The India Today Group, is all set to launch its English channel over the next 10 days, even as last week it roped in Alok Verma, a senior television professional, as executive producer.
“We don’t want to create a hype and hoopla about it, but it (the channel launch) can happen very soon, maybe over the next seven to ten days. It can also happen much before a 10-day period,” a source in Aaj Tak informed indiantelevision.com.
The company has been testing the signals, off an INSAT satellite, for quite some time now.
However, the name of the channel is being kept a secret.
It seems that the endeavour is that with the Budget, slated to be presented in Parliament on February 28, a soft launch of the channel is done. But some technical aspects are still to be smoothened.
TV Today Network has been the target of maximum poaching with quite a few top notch anchors, reporters and news producers leaving for rival organisations like NDTV and Star.
In a bid to beef up its act, the company is getting on board new recruits at all levels, including Verma who joined them formally this week.
Verma as the executive producer, along with senior people like Uday Shankar (the No. 2 at TV Today after chief executive G Krishnan), will be responsible for editorial and production aspects of both the channels.
A former print medium journalist, Verma moved on to the electronic medium early and has worked with Zee News, during its better days in the late 1990s, and has also done a stint with Star India at the company’s Bangalore-based interactive TV division, amongst other media assignments.
TV Today Network, not part of any bouquet, does not want to take a chance with the distribution angle of the proposed English channel and is leaving no stones unturned to see that the boxes meant for the digital free to air channel is fairly well seeded in the market.
Will the Hindi Aaj Tak go pay simultaneously with the launch of the English channel? A question difficult to answer at this point of time. Industry sources indicate with the government pushing aggressively ahead with conditional access implementation, Aaj Tak or its soon-to-be-on-air sibling doesn’t want to get caught in the transition hiccups. That means, Aaj Tak may remain free to air for some more time.
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.
