News Broadcasting
Carriage fees likely to spiral upwards in 2005
NEW DELHI: Carriage fee (paid by TV channels to cable ops) is like the casting couch in the entertainment industry. It exists, but is not discussed openly. But live with it, most broadcasters must. And it is only going to get worse what with all these new channels lining up to make their entry into the Indian cable space.
Not only are comparatively new entrants like India TV and old warhorses like Zee News feeling the heat, but those in an expansion mode, like Sahara, are lamenting the increased pressure on the companies bottomlines because of this out flow.
“Distribution is a problem that we had not envisaged. Especially when more than (investments in) content dictate the rules of the game,” India TV head honcho Rajat Sharma told indiantelevision in an interview recently.
If industry figures are to be believed, then the likes of NDTV has spent over Rs 90 million on network development and distribution activities (euphemism for carriage fees). Sahara group, struggling to beef up its distribution to increase tunable penetration into cable homes, is said to have a budget of Rs 93 million for the year 2004-05 ending 31 March. Similarly, other news channels too are said to have spent sizable amounts as carriage fee, ranging from Rs 30 million to Rs 1 billion.
According to Sharma, market leaders in the news segment space – names withheld, for obvious reasons – have been paying carriage fees to an extent that the cable ops don’t shy away from asking the same from all of us too. He did admit that after initial resistance, India TV too has had to ‘pay carriage fee, which are in the form of annual contracts.’
“Subsequent to this gameplan, our visibility has definitely increased, which is indicative from the type and number of responses that we are getting for our programmes,” Sharma says.
Rivals they may be, but Zee News, headquartered less than half a kilometer from India TV on the outskirts of Delhi, agrees with Sharma.
A senior executive of Zee News told indiantelevision late last week that Zee News was effectively fighting two battles with competition — on the content and distribution sides.
It is an open secret that Zoom TV from the Times stable paid up huge amounts of money to MSOs and cable ops for the channel to be put on tunable bandwidth. Headlines Today did not start appearing on prime band one fine morning for no reason.
It is also not that the popular channels don’t indulge in such ‘friendly activities, which go down in the profit and loss accounts as marketing and network development initiatives and expenses. Two cable operators, amongst a dozen, have confirmed that the Sony-Discovery joint venture distribution company, One Alliance, took cable operators in batches for a fully paid holiday to South Africa during the last cricket World Cup.
It is interesting to note that distribution and network development expenses run up two kinds of bills: cash and gifts. The latter can range from snazzy haversacks to watches to costly leather jackets (for those living in North India where the winters are really cold). The last one is a favourite of One Alliance this year, one learns and is a much sought after commodity amongst cable ops and MSO execs.
Not that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is unaware of the ground realities, but it feels that the issue of carriage fee is something that the stakeholders have to sort out amongst themselves as it cannot be regulated. However, it is of the view that with the process of registration of interconnect agreements — especially between broadcasters and MSOs and broadcasters and cable ops — beginning, this problem can be arrested to a certain extent.
But there is just no getting away from the fact that with new channels lining up to make their debuts, the menace of carriage fee is unlikely to recede suddenly. It’s a classic case of demand being more than supply. With severe constraints on bandwidth and other related infrastructural problems, getting on to tunable bandwidth would be a race that every channel would like to win.
And, if one doesn’t believe in carriage fee, one has only to take a look at the Disney channels, which are still missing in most parts of North India, dominated by Siti Cable and Hathway.
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.
