News Broadcasting
BBC makes additions to the managenemt team of kids brand CBBC
MUMBAI: CBBC which is the generic term for UK pubcaster BBC’s children’s programming and online services has made addituions tts management team. Joe Godwin joins CBBC from Nickelodeon UK to become CBBC Entertainment head. Reem Nouss who is CBBC Factual executive producer has been promoted to the newly created position of CBBC magazine programmes executive editor.
Godwin will head up a portfolio including Dick and Dom in da Bungalow, Bamzooki and Smart. His brief will be to develop a multimedia entertainment department which delivers exciting and relevant content to children across a range of platforms. BBC states that Godwin brings a vast breadth of senior experience in children’s media. He joined Nickelodeon UK in 2000. In his current role as vice president of operations and interactive director, he has overseen the revamp of the channel’s websites and interactive services.
CBBC controller Alison Sharman says, “My vision for CBBC is to deliver the world’s finest content and interactive services for children – always aspiring for creative excellence – and these appointments will add to a formidable CBBC line-up. Joe is a fantastic booking for CBBC. Just like adults, children use television as a means of escape and relaxation. Providing the most imaginative and stimulating entertainment portfolio is a central pillar to what CBBC is about. He has an innate understanding of the children’s audience and how to entertain them, combined with an impressive multimedia track record – the journey for entertainment is going to be in the hands of an outstanding player.”
Nouss, will be responsible for the department’s award-winning and distinctive factual magazine output, and building that content for the digital age. In her current role as CBBC Factual executive producer she has overseen a range of shows including Short Change, Beckham’s Hot Shots and the multi-award winning Serious strand. Nouss was also the executive producer of the BBC Three parenting series Little Angels and its older sibling Teen Angels.
Sharman added, “Reem has a fantastic track record in producing high-quality factual programming – and her passion for CBBC content is unrivalled. This role will be pivotal in delivering the young audience some inspirational factual content”.
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.
