News Broadcasting
Asia’s First Cross-Media Interactive TV Game Format introduced at Mipcom
MUMBAI: Robert Chua, producer of original television programming for the Asian marketplace and founder of The Interactive Channel (TIC), introduced Asia’s first cross-media interactive TV quiz/game format You Are History! at Mipcom 2006.
The Frapa registered show will soon launch on TIC. The one-hour game show is the first of its genre using TV and Internet pairing of contestants. The unique concept is to have two competing teams each consisting of one studio-based contestant and one home-based contestant interacting via webcam. Each team will answer general knowledge, ‘IQ’ and current affairs questions, solve puzzles and answer questions asked by a celebrity.
The studio-based contestant will be the team leader and decide who will be his/her partner, choosing from a number of home-based contestants. Along the one-hour show, the studio-based contestant or home-based contestants can decide whether to keep his/her partner or to ‘fire’ that person and choose a replacement.
Viewers can via SMS and the internet participate by predicting the winning team or the final scoring to win prizes.
“We’re excited to have created You Are History!, a very promising unique cross-media interactive TV program,” said Chairman and founder of The Interactive Channel Company Limited Robert Chua.
“You Are History! sees the convergence of broadcast TV, Internet and Telephony (SMS) and is available to international buyers who want to broadcast cross-media interactive TV shows generating SMS revenue and ratings. TIC provides the ideal technical support and software platform to integrate the internet, TV and SMS technologies,” added Chua.
Over the past decade, Chua has produced and launched such format hits as Everyone Wins, You Be The Judge and The Entrepreneur Show. TIC licenses its cross-media interactive technology as an enhancement to existing TV channels’ programs or to start an entire TV channel with program formats.
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.
