News Broadcasting
Aidem Ventures to handle ad sales for Al Jazeera in India
MUMBAI: Aidem Ventures is appointed as Al Jazeera’s India media representative for its English and other flagship channels. These channels include Al Jazeera Arabic, Al Jazeera Documentary and Al Jazeera Mobasher.
Al Jazeera English was granted a licence by the Government of India in December 2010 to broadcast in India for the first time.
Announcing the appointment Group Media General Manager at q.media, the media representative of Al Jazeera Channels Jaber Al-Ansari, said,”We are excited to establish our business presence in India with the appointment of Aidem Ventures as our representative in India. This partnership reflects q.media’s ambition to pursue Al Jazeera’s successful global expansion and to meet Indian based companies’ needs for a prestigious media platform like Al Jazeera English Channel to market their brands to a global audience”.
Al Jazeera English currently has a bureau and a distribution office in New Delhi. Al Jazeera English is the first English language world news channel to be headquartered in the Middle East.
Aidem Ventures director Vikas Khanchandani said,”We are delighted to be entrusted with the mandate to develop the advertising potential of an iconic and credible media brand like AJE in India. As India continues to integrate strongly with the world economy, more and more Indian companies and brands will be looking to expand their footprint globally and will be seeking robust global media platforms to build their brands. Aidem, with its extensive experience and track record in the news genre, is best equipped to partner with Al Jazeera in their foray into the Indian market.”
Launched in November 2006, Al Jazeera English seeks to present every side and every angle to its stories and act as a bridge between cultures. With unique access, making it the channel of reference for Middle East events, and 65 bureaus strategically placed around the world, Al Jazeera English laims to provide independent and impartial news for a global audience, giving voice to different perspectives from under-reported regions around the world.
Al Jazeera English is available in more than 100 countries to more than 220 million households worldwide. The channel was awarded”Best 24 Hour News Programme” at the 48th and 50th Annual Monte Carlo Television Festival and has received awards from the Royal Television Society, Amnesty International and YouTube.
The channel has also received a total of six International Emmy nominations in the News, Documentary and Current Affairs categories.
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.
