News Broadcasting
HDFC Life’s ‘Birthday’ gift
MUMBAI: “Not today but surely tomorrow,” is something we all say even though tomorrow never comes. And if it does, it’s usually because someone or something triggers us into action.
Similarly, HDFC Life’s new campaign ‘Birthday’ to promote its long-term financial plan to secure the future of a child tries to inculcate among young parents the habit of disciplined and systematic investment planning by using their kid’s birthday as trigger.
HDFC Life didn’t want its campaign to be labelled as something that simply lures people but as an informative ‘trigger’ that would help them secure their child’s future.
Watch the video: YoungStar Plans from HDFC Life
Drawing a parallel with the Cadbury ad which uses the tagline ‘Shubh Aarambh’ telling people to eat something sweet before starting something new, HDFC marketing, product, and direct channels senior executive vice president Sanjay Tripathy says: “Previously too, brands, especially FMCG brands, have used trigger-based communication successfully. Hence, we thought of using the same thought.”
“Birthday seemed the best option because as parents, one can plan a long-term and every b’day will act as a reminder for the payment of the premium. Timing and the context plays a very important part. We did this by showing in our film a younger kid and young parents and one of our contextual ads also shows age for buying the product, which is between 3-9 years so that parents can have a long investment horizon of 10-15 years for a bigger corpus available when the child turns 16, 18 or 21, ready to take up under or post graduation.”
Won’t the economic slowdown impact the plan and in such a scenario, will the trigger work?
Child plans are some of our major plans and close to 15% of our business comes from this, says Sanjay Tripathy
“Child plans are some of our major plans and close to 15% of our business comes from this. And when we did research, we found out that the parents are very involved in the planning of birthday celebrations, the other part that came out was that the mother is very involved in the planning of the financial future of the child. And lastly, people are not very clear about when to take the step? So we thought this a nice way to convey the message of when is the right time for the parent to start investing,” replies Tripathy.
The 360-degree campaign covers TV, print, radio, OOH and digital and will run for six weeks. Asked about the spend break-up, he says: “Television and print by nature are costly, and the amount I’m spending on digital might be less compared to them but it might be sufficient for that medium so I won’t be fair to break it down.”
With Leo Burnett having done the ATL (print, TV and radio), NCD KV Sridhar talks about campaign execution as: “Most of the times, the important parenting decisions are overshadowed by urgent ones. Through our campaign, we’ve tried to communicate to parents that investing in a child plan at the right time is equally important. And we thought what better day than a child’s birthday to remind parents to start investing for their future. After all, only when they invest on time will their children get the support they need to fulfil their dreams when they grow up”.
Digital agency Propaganda has handled the campaign’s digital side.
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.
