News Broadcasting
CNBC-TV18 marks fifth anniversary with Awaaz launch
NEW DELHI: With an aim to empower the common man with business decisions and target regional and smaller advertiser-brands, the Raghav Bahl-promoted Televison Eighteen today formally launched the country’s “first consumer channel”, aptly called Awaaz.
“Our aim is to be India’s largest business and consumer network,” Television Eighteen CEO Haresh Chawla said at press conference to announce the launch of Awaaz, which was reported by indiantelevision.com earlier.
The new channel’s launch, unveiled at a function here attended by prime Minister Manmohan Singh, also marks the completion of five years of CNBC-TV18, country’s first full-fledged business news channel that caters mainly to the upper and upper middle class society.
Pointing out that the business new segment market is worth between Rs. 800 million to Rs. 1 billion — mostly dominated by CNBC TV18 at the moment — Chawla said that the launch of Awaaz and other business channels (from the NDTV stable; Zee Biz has already been launched) is likely to result in doubling of this market segment in a couple of years.
Though TV-18 has a slew of marketing and promotional activities lined up for creating an awareness about Awaaz, which would not be restricted to the TV 18 network channels only, Chawla refused to hold out details saying it may act as a tip off to competition.
According to Chawla, the new channel, carrying the tagline `Awaaz khushali ki’ (the voice of prosperity), should break even between 9-18 months time.
“Our target is to get about 30 million subscribers in three to four months time,” he added, refusing to divulge the price of this pay channel aimed at empowering average Indians to make informed decisions about investing, careers and spending.
According to information available with indiantelevision.com, Awaaz is slated to be a pay channel and priced at Rs 6 on an a la carte basis and will be distributed by Zee Turner. The maximum retail price of Aawaz has been marked at Rs 25, but an effective rate of Rs 6 will be charged from subscribers.
Awaaz is being distributed as part of a new bouquet created by Zee Turner and, according to information available, approximately 3,000 boxes are being seeded in the market place spanning urban and rural areas. “Since we are targeting first time and smaller investors, our focus would be on smaller cities to begin with,” Chawla said.
Awaaz would be on Dish TV’s DTH platform soon and the endeavor, according to Chawla, would be to be present on all DTH platforms, apart from Doordarshan’s free to air KU-band DTH transmission.
Asked whether smaller investors in states like Gujarat and Maharashtra understand Hindi language, Chawla explained, “Hindi, the national language, is understood by more than 65 per cent of Indians and a good 75 per cent of this population falls in the working adult category. There is a fairly large proportion of Hindi-speaking audience that is financially independent and who take investing and spending decisions. There definitely is a need for a channel that understands and talks to the Indian consumer in a language that has wider appeal. With ‘Awaaz’ we aim to fill this gap.”
The new Hindi channel will broadly focus on programmes related to personal finance & markets, guidance on careers, education and consumer based programming, which will help them make more intelligent choices. “Our effort will be to provide jargon free information,” Sanjay Pugalia, editor of Awaaz said.
Besides Pugalia, a former print medium journlaist with experience in the electronic medium too, the editorial team at ‘Awaaz’ includes a mix of print and electronic media journalists like Vivek Law, Gaurika Chaudhuri and Joyneel Mukherjee.
The launch of Awaaz will be phased across various categories of towns over the coming weeks.
Earlier in the day, a CNBC-TV18 India Economic Conclave was held, which was attended amongst other by industry minister Kamal Nath, Planning Commission deputy chairperson Montek S Ahluwalia, Arun Jaitley, former commerce and industry, HSBC India hewad Naina Lal Kidwai, first deputy MD of IMF Anne Kruger,, Heizo Takenaka, minister of state for economic & fiscal policy, Japan, and Gordon Astles, president, Asia Pacific, Cisco Systems, Singapore.
Indicative programmes on Awaaz
Investing & personal finance – Interactive shows
Markets Band (Day Band): Coverage from a variety of markets, from small towns to metros, from commodity markets to stock markets, in Hindi, with an educative slant
Aapka Paisa is the smart money manager that offers useful tips on maximizing investment returns in insurance, mutual funds, bonds, etc.
Kaise Kamayen, Kaise Bachayen is an interactive show that covers non-equity queries, such as pensions, loans, credit cards, gold commodities, etc.
Aapka Share will demystify the stock market for viewers with expert perspectives for their call-in queries
Consumer-focused, interactive shows
Aapki Awaaz and Consumer Court air consumer issues from all across the country and focus on consumer rights
Chalti ka naam Gaadi is a weekly guide to the world of auto
Smart Shopping is the Indian consumer’s shopping guide, with buying tips, information on product launches, purchasing options, availability, discount sales and more
News
Hourly news updates, covering a wide range of issues
Hafte ka Audit is a supplement to an in depth news coverage, giving viewers a summary of this week a glimpse into the next
Career, self development & lifestyle
Hum Honge Kamyab is a weekly career guide covering every stage from training to placement. Jiyo Zindagi covers health and lifestyle, with experts perspectives.
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.
