News Broadcasting
CNNMoney expands globally; Richard Quest named editor-at-large
MUMBAI: CNN Worldwide has expanded its CNNMoney brand internationally, across both TV and digital, to provide consumers with business and financial news and analysis. With the addition of staff in Hong Kong, New Delhi, London, and Dubai, CNNMoney will launch new franchises, series, features and reporting tailored directly to the regions and audiences it covers.
“By uniting our portfolio of US and international business reporting under the CNNMoney brand, we now offer an even more compelling product to globally-minded consumers hungry for a smart, accessible business and financial news experience – everywhere in the world,” said CNN International general manager and senior vice president Mike McCarthy.
The venture will tap the talents like Richard Quest, Nina dos Santos and Maggie Lake whose programs will represent CNNMoney on television. Quest will now serve as editor-at-large for CNNMoney and will pen a global daily newsletter “CNNMoney Presents: Quest Means Business,” timed to the open of the Asia markets.
“CNNMoney is an important and unique business offering for the Asia-Pacific market that already resonates with a core premium audience,” said CNN International advertising sales Asia Pacific VP Sunita Rajan. “This global expansion will amplify that engagement and attract a wider audience who want business at their fingertips. The synergy between the influential CNNMoney brand and journalistic excellence creates a compelling advertising proposition and something our clients are genuinely excited about.”
Coverage from CNNMoney will span Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. It will focus on global markets and the economy, business strategy, corporate leadership, global brands, business travel, lifestyle and luxury, as well as industries such as auto, energy and technology.
Also joining the CNNMoney roster are Andrew Stevens, Asia Pacific editor based in Hong Kong; John Defterios, Emerging Markets editor based in Abu Dhabi; Eleni Giokos, Africa business correspondent based in Johannesburg; and Samuel Burke, CNNMoney business correspondent based in New York. The multi-platform editorial teams will be led by Penny Manis, director of global business news programming based in New York, and CNNMoney International managing editor Mark Thompson, who is based in London.
The global initiative will also expand CNNMoney’s data-driven storytelling and digital war rooms to international bureau, arming reporters with the most advanced tools and analytics available to drive and react to stories in the global marketplace.
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.
