News Broadcasting
BBC World appoints Sian Kevill as editorial director
NEW DELHI: Sian Kevill has been appointed to the newly created position of editorial director of BBC World, the BBC’s commercially funded 24-hour international news and information channel.
The former editor of the BBC’s Bafta awards-winning Newsnight programme will be responsible for shaping and building the overall editorial direction of BBC World, ensuring that it meets its aim of being the best international television news channel, according to an official statement from BBC World.
Sian is currently the head of new political initiative at the BBC, where she has led the corporation’s political programmes review. She assumed her new role on 10 November.
As Newsnight editor from 1998 to 2002, Sian led the programme to Bafta Awards for Best Presenter and Best New Director.
During this time, Newsnight also received awards from the Monte Carlo Television Festival, the Royal Television Society and Race In The Media. Sian herself was presented with a personal award from Women in Film and Television in 2002 for her contribution to news and current affairs.
Sian’s wide-ranging editorial experience across the BBC will enable her to enhance and develop the editorial direction of the channel at a time when the demand for international news has never been greater. Her career at the BBC, which began in 1984, has also included time as the deputy editor of on the record, editor of radio foreign programmes and the deputy head of political programmes.
Commenting on the appointment, director of the BBC’s global news division Mark Byford is quoted as saying, “BBC World is at the heart of our strategy for the Global News Division, which encompasses all our international facing news operations. Over the coming months, Sian will play a leading role in building on the editorial success of the channel to date. She is an outstanding editorial executive.”
BBC World now reaches a third of senior financial leaders in Europe, North America and Asia, according to this year’s Global Capital Markets Survey, and was recently ranked first in the categories of authority and relevance in the European Opinion Leaders Survey.
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.
