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Fashion journalism seminar brings out flaws in the trade
MUMBAI: A seminar on the evolution of fashion Journalism was organised by the Fashion Design Council of India at the ongoing Lakme India Fashion Week 2002, kickstarting the Business of Fashion seminars series slated to be held during the event.
Perfect Relations consulting partner Dilip Cherian who spoke at the seminar stressed the need for Indian Fashion Journalism to address all aspects of the business of fashion and not just remain people centric. Analysing the current ‘non serious’ slant of fashion journalism, Cherian said that it had till now failed to look at the more serious and relevant issues of the Industry and had restricted itself to the colourful and the glossy.
He said journalism coverage was superficial as it mainly revolved around the quantum of skin that was revealed or the virtual nonentities who attended the fashion shows. This has caused a huge gap in the reporting where, evaluation of the issues confronting the industry and developments within it were almost missing, he said. The fashion media lacked the ability to inform and educate the players in the industry, he added. It was this visible and pronounced lack of expertise that had made the target audience of fashion journalism almost immune to its influence.
He also criticised the fashion industry by saying, “The fault does not lie entirely with the media, it is the industry itself that has painted itself into a corner by completely ignoring the mainstream bits of the business. This was in fact, one of the big reasons why fashion journalism was also way off the mark, in content, impact, seriousness and therefore relevance. What is more annoying is the home-grown approach to this industry that specialisation simply does not matter.”
Disagreeing with the argument that fashion journalism was still nascent in India and therefore needed time to mature, Cherian said that the Indian fashion industry was competing with global benchmarks, and. it was important therefore for fashion reporting to grow side by side. As with other streams, fashion journalism also needed to focus on reporting the news, like the state of domestic market, export markets, technology, retailing, global trends, regional flavours and situation analysis
Concluding his remarks, Cherian made a plea for the ‘growth of fashion journalism’ and said that owners and editors of publications had an equally important role to play in taking fashion journalism to its next stage of evolution. It was equally important for industry players to spend more time with reporters giving industry information to them. Education combined with argument, Cherian said would hopefully result in more balanced and acceptable comment.
In its third consecutive year, the Lakme India Fashion Week 2002 is being held from 2-8 August at the Taj Palace Convention Centre in New Delhi.
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.
