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Addressability issue raised again at CII conference
Addressability. Everyone wants it but no one seems to know how it is to be instituted.
That about summed up the last session of the day as the two-day conference on “The Business of Entertainment” kicked off in Mumbai today.
But as at the Enter Media 2001 conference held in August last year (then as now organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry), where addressability was at the core of discussions at the session on television and broadcasting, this time round as well there was no fresh ground made at the discussion on “The Future of Electronic Media”.
All the panelists seemed to agree that one way the ongoing friction between MSOs and broadcasters could be resolved was for conditional access systems to come into play. How and when had no ready answer though.
There were other issues that were covered by the panelists Ashok Mansukhani, executive V-P, corporate services, HTMT (speaking for the cable industry), Ravi Gupta, CEO, B4U Worldwide, and Rajat Jain, executive V-P, SET MAX. They just seemed to get overshadowed a bit.
Mansukhani spent the largest time on the subject. But then that may have been linked to the ongoing stand-off between ESPN Star Sports and InCable Net over increased subscriber rates and the fact that ESPN Software managing director Manu Sawhney was initially pencilled in as one of the speakers. That he did not make it deflated the tenor of the discussions somewhat.
According to Mansukhani, the government was dragging its feet on two crucial issues. As he sees it, there is no political will to get in either conditional access or to push through the convergence bill.
One way to accelerate the move to an the addressable regime was for the government to make available set top boxes at an affordable cost, Mansukhani said. As an immediate measure the 68 per cent duty on the import of set tops needed to be suspended for at least the next three years, Mansukhani said.
Gupta however countered that even in a zero duty scenario this would still come in at a considerable cost. And even if costs could be managed the whole process would take a considerable time.
Bhuvan Lall, executive director, Indian Broadcast Foundation, who chaired the session, put some perspective on the subject when he said that the total worldwide manufacture of set tops in a year was 12 million. Compare that to the declared cable & satellite TV population of 39 million that has to be seeded.
Dinyar Contractor, editor and publisher of trade magazine Satellite & Cable TV raised a point that the cost per set top would come to around around Rs 5,000. Assuming a C&S TV population of about 40 million at the current numbers, the total cost works out to Rs 200,000 million that will have to be raised from the end subscriber, Contractor said.
Jain, meanwhile, pointed out that in a scenario where were over a 100 channels were scrambling for a share of the ad pie, the rush to go pay was becoming more pronounced.
The ad pie may be a limited one but there is no dearth of new entrants wanting to get into the business, is Jain’s view. According to him 30 new channels will see the light of day before the year is out.
Jain sees a lot of scope in the regional channels, especially the southern ones. According to him, it makes strategically sound sense to get strong regional language channels onto any platform as far as a bouquet completion perspective is concerned. The regional language channel market is the fastest growing today, Jain says.
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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.
