News Broadcasting
CNBCTV18.com launches new series ‘Front Runners’
MUMBAI: CNBCTV18.com, India’s leading business website under Network18 Digital, introduces ‘Front Runners’, a new series that features some of India's top CXOs who reveal how they marshal their athletic self-discipline into assessing and resolving a raft of issues in the workplace. In addition to exploring their fitness mantras and regimes, the show will dive into their lives, allowing audiences an exclusive peek into how these industry stalwarts are able to strike the perfect balance between their professional and personal lives.
Frontrunners also uncovers how these corporate honchos discovered the joy of running that helped them impact and improve their businesses. The show features prominent names such as Rajat Khurana, Managing Director, ASICS INDIA; Karthik Raman, Chief Marketing Officer and Head – Strategy, and Products, IDBI Federal Life Insurance; Siddharth Banerjee, Global Sales Organisation, Facebook India; Avinash Pant, Director, Marketing, Red Bull India; Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18; and Rashesh Shah, Chairman, and CEO, Edelweiss Financial Services.
All these corporate personalities embody success in their line of work. Their stories about leading disciplined lifestyles to stay efficient, and in turn, be more productive at work are proof that there is a co-relation between a physically-fit chief running a financially-fit company.
Timed to release prior to the Mumbai marathon, the show is hosted by Shibani Gharat, anchor and senior producer at CNBC-TV18, a fitness enthusiast herself who is an avid marathon runner.
CNBC-TV18 anchor and senior producer Shibani Gharat said, “Today’s CXOs must be ‘fit for purpose’, which increasingly means being fit. Besides keeping you fit, running is a great sanity saver. Whenever you step out to run, as you hit the road, you feel that it brings you mental clarity and leaves you energized through the day. Plus, it is one activity that you can manage anywhere; even with your erratic schedule and travel. Hence, we are seeing a spike in CXOs indulge in running marathons along with managing marathon meetings, and speaking about personal bests and quarterly figures in the same breath.”
CNBCTV18.com business head Ranjita Sehgal said, “Staying fit is an integral part of everyone’s lives. The stress of the boardroom needs to be balanced and relieved with health and fitness activities outdoors. We have chosen a few boardroom warriors who are regular athletes as well. Our newest series, Front Runners helps you see the balance between the relationship of business mantras and fitness rituals. The series is airing across all CNBC-TV18’s digital and social media platforms. ASICS, the partnering brand, will be taking the Joy of Running narrative to the influential and aspirational audience of CNBC-TV 18 across digital and television.”
In a bid to further promote the need to live a healthy and fit life, the show has partnered with ASICS India and features their initiative ‘Joy of Running’ that inspires people to run simply for the joy of it and inculcate a healthy lifestyle.
ASICS India marketing head Gautam Raheja comments, “In a bid to take our 10-year association with the Mumbai Marathon forward, we felt Front Runners was apt to demonstrate our commitment towards the sport of running. Showcasing stories of c-suite executives who run a successful business using running as a catalyst was an ideal fit for our brand's narrative. Choosing CNBCTV18.com was an obvious choice as it provides the right audience for our brand. ASICS strongly believes in the Joy of Running and this campaign encapsulated the message very well.”
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.
