News Broadcasting
CNN gets Dupont Award for Tsunami coverage
MUMBAI: CNN has received the prestigious Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award in the US for its distinguishing coverage of the South Asia tsunami disaster. The judges cited CNN for its ability to provide in-depth reports about a major natural disaster while under considerable deadline and logistical pressures.
CNN US president Jim Walton says, “We are thrilled that the duPont panelists determined that our coverage of the tsunami disaster merited their prestigious award. We certainly believe that our reports were nothing short of extraordinary in their scope, effectiveness and reach. Because of the cooperation among our networks, our journalists were empowered to go far beyond basic reporting to tell the full story of the disaster.”
Demonstrating its reputation as the leading international news network, CNN offered unprecedented round-the-clock coverage of the disaster. Within hours of the news breaking, CNN’s Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Hong Kong had deployed reporters and crew to cover the disaster including Mike Chinoy, Atika Shubert, Satinder Bindra, Stan Grant, Hugh Riminton, Aneesh Raman and Ram Ramgopal. They reported from locations across the region including near the epicenter in Banda Aceh and across Sri Lanka, Thailand, India and Indonesia.
In all, more than 80 of the network’s top anchors, correspondents and producers were deployed. With state-of-the-art broadcasting technology including two satellite dishes, CNN’s reports came from all coasts of the Indian Ocean.
The network produced two special reports Turning the Tide and a documentary Saving the Children anchored by Christiane Amanpour and Anderson Cooper. In addition, CNN.com featured timely and in-depth reports and provided a survivor locator service that reunited more than 100 families and friends.
CNN’s 10th duPont Award was among 13 chosen from a pool of 628 radio and television news entries that aired in the US between 1 July, 2004, and 30 June, 2005. The winners will be presented with silver batons, the symbol for excellence in television and radio journalism, at an awards ceremony on 18 January 2006 at Columbia University.
In honouring CNN, duPont jurors wrote, “When the tsunami struck South Asia last December, CNN immediately leveraged its overseas bureaus by switching to CNN International to inform US audiences about the disaster. This up-to-the-minute stream of coverage from a deep and nimble roster of correspondents on the ground in Asia demonstrated the power of well-informed reporting under pressure and in dangerous circumstances. CNN’s detailed reporting across the entire region included contextual issues often missed in fast-breaking reporting.”
The Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards recognise excellence in broadcast journalism and have been administered by the Graduate School of Journalism since 1968. Created by Jessie Ball duPont in 1942 as a tribute to the journalistic integrity and public-mindedness of her late husband, Alfred I. duPont, the Awards are now regarded as the most prestigious prizes in television and radio news, the broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prizes, which the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism also administers.
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.
