News Broadcasting
CNBC chairman Pamela Thomas-Graham joins Liz Claiborne as group presi
MUMBAI: Pamela Thomas-Graham will be stepping down as the chairman of CNBC and will be joining Liz Claiborne Inc. as group president, with responsibility for the company’s flagship Liz Claiborne label as well as other brands.
Thomas-Graham said, “I am delighted to be joining the outstanding management team at Liz Claiborne Inc. This well-respected Fortune 500 company has an enviable track record and has several of the most highly regarded apparel brands in America in its portfolio. I worked with several apparel companies when I was a partner at McKinsey & Company, and joining one of the most successful companies in the industry is an opportunity I could not pass up. In order to accept this challenging new assignment, I am, effective today, resigning my position as Chairman of CNBC. While I look forward to my new responsibilities, I also will miss working with my distinguished colleagues at GE, NBCU and CNBC. These past six years have been extraordinarily fulfilling both professionally and personally. I am proud of all that we have accomplished as a team, and I am particularly grateful to Bob Wright for the opportunity to work with him and for my leadership role at CNBC. I know the network will continue to flourish because of the quality of the team here, which has made CNBC the industry standard for world class business news coverage.”
NBC Universal chairman and CEO Bob Wright said, “While we regret losing Pamela as a colleague, we congratulate her on her new position. As CEO and then Chairman of CNBC, Pamela led the network through a most challenging era in business news reporting. The network has retained its strong profitability, and the CNBC audience continues to be among the wealthiest in all of cable television. During her tenure, the organization successfully built and moved to its new global headquarters, and the network earned its first Peabody Award. Pamela’s talents are many and I have confidence in her ability to succeed in her future endeavors. We all wish Pamela the very best in this exciting career opportunity.”
Thomas-Graham has served as chairman of CNBC since February 2005. Before her promotion to chairman, she served as president and CEO of CNBC for four years. Previously, she was the president and CEO of CNBC.com, the network’s website.
She joined NBC in 1999 from management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, where she was the firm’s first black female partner and a member of its Consumer practice. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard College, Harvard Business School, and Harvard Law School, where she served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Thomas-Graham is the author of three mystery novels published by Simon & Schuster.
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.
