News Broadcasting
HLL says it is focusing its adspend even as it reports tough quarter
India’s leading fast moving consumer goods company Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL) has said that it is increasingly focusing its marketing spends on a core group of brands that it calls the power brands.
Speaking at a press conference in Lever House in Mumbai to announce its Q3 results for 2001-2002 HLL Chairman MS Banga said the company had set aside an ad & promotion budget of Rs 8,240 million for the year. This is an increase of 18 per cent over the previous year’s figures, he said. Of this 90 per cent has been allocated to the so-called 30 power brands.
He added that while the revenues for the firm had grown by 3.5 per cent, the power brands had shown six per cent growth in the same quarter. “Overall, the market has been in a bad way,” he pointed out. “But our power brands are fundamentally stronger than they were 12 months ago.”
“Our objective is to deliver directionally with the focus on certain key products,” Banga said. On the big question what sort of resources the company was setting aside for advertising, he said: “Our commitment remains to drive our power brands and for that we will spend.”
A point that Banga made as to which area was seeing increased ad spends should have television executives sitting up and taking notice. “We are investing in a major way on outdoor media. The growth of ad spend on outdoor media is significantly higher than other media,” Banga said.
Banga said the company’s ice-cream business was losing money as the market was not growing but said the next fiscal would see a major initiative to turn around the business.
The company was test-marketing brands among which figure Knorr rice-at-ease, and other spreads in Punjab. He added that both rural and urban India had grown to account for an equal share of revenues for the company. He was a little bearish about the return of the rural consumer, saying that things will become clearer only after the Rabi crop was harvested in March 2002. “Rural income will depend on the price-realisation that the farmer gets for his crop and that will be known in the second quarter of this year,” he pointed out.
On the whole Hindustan Lever, reported a tough quarter with its October-December net profit growing a fractional 1.39 per cent at RS 4360 million from RS 4300 million in the corresponding previous quarter. Net sales were up 4.34 per cent to RS 27,630 million compared to RS 26,480 million last year. Its profit after tax (before exceptional items) rose 16.39 per cent to RS 4,999.80 million (RS 4,295.8 million).
On a year on year basis, however, HLL’s FY01 results showed a 25.26 per cent increase in net profits to RS 16,410 million (RS 13,100 million), while sales were up 3.47 per cent, to RS 100,972 million as against RS 106,040 million.
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.
