News Broadcasting
Journalists, anyone?
MUMBAI: The past few months have seen established news channels showing their employees the door; be it a TV18 Broadcast or UTV Bloomberg or NDTV, which took the cake when it shut down the entire Mumbai office as cost-cutting measure. Media as a whole – particularly English news channels – has sunk into a lull. However, all’s not lost. There’s still hope for aspiring journalists in the form of a smattering of channels that are out to hire in the time of widespread lay-offs.
A case in point is the ITV Network – comprising English news channel News X and Hindi news channel India News – which is currently hiring people both in its editorial and management departments. Not so long ago, the network roped in known faces such as Rahul Shivshankar and Diptosh Majumdar as Managing Editor and National Affairs Editor, respectively. “We ensure team structure and size is controlled in order to optimise cost,” says ITV Network HR Shikha Rastogi.
Popular news channel India TV too is looking to fill vacancies in editorial and digital media. About 20-30 people have already been hired in various departments in the last quarter.
Even in these difficult times, many new channels are making their way into the ecosystem, paving the road for hiring more people. So, while English news channels have started containing themselves, a number of new Hindi and regional news channels have cropped up.
Just launched Hindi news channel, Jia News, will complete its second phase of hiring within the next two or three months. News Nation, another Hindi news channel which was launched earlier this year, did a significant amount of hiring to reach its current 350 staff strength. Hereon, the channel will hire as per specific requirements. There are also instances of new channel additions, where hiring is not really a prerogative except when the need arises.
MCCS (Media Content and Communication Services) is adding a Punjabi news channel to its existing flock of ABP News, ABP Majha and ABP Ananda but no hiring is taking place in the ABP channels presently. Ditto for ZMCL, which added Zee Rajasthan Plus to its portfolio and recently acquired Maurya TV that runs in Bihar and Jharkhand. “We only hire when we need to. No attrition has taken place so no addition will either,” says MCCS CEO Ashok Venkatramani.
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Anurradha Prasad says that the situation can be much better once pay TV kicks in
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BAG Films and Media MD Anurradha Prasad, which owns the channel News 24 agrees that the scenario is not too good but since elections are approaching they will be looking at hiring competent people to cover it. Overall, there isn’t any such post vacant in the channel.
Again, many channels are looking at getting their staff to multi-task to restrict hiring to the minimum. Sahara Samay Editor (Network Operations) Sanjay Banerjee says that their company has not fired any employee since their hiring itself is kept to a bare minimum. “Only when we have vacancies will we fill them as we did with the recently re-launched Sahara Samay NCR as Samay Rajasthan,” he adds. The Samay Rajasthan re-launch took place in mid-September and a good number of reporters and cameramen were hired in many cities of Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, industry insiders feel the whole ruckus has been caused due to hiring more people than required. “A lot of unnecessary hiring has happened. Where just two people could do the work, six people have been taken in,” says an industry source. “The field hasn’t matured in all these years. There’s no formula to reach the top and there’s no benchmark either. At the same time, recession is happening and then if you aren’t a strong team, you are going to be in a mess,” opines a channel editor.
Asked about what could be the reason for this sudden lull Prasad points out :”The cost of producing news has not come down in all these years and the system of pay TV has not yet kicked in.” Most channels say they are incurring losses rather than making a profit out of the business. The wait is on for digitisation to set in which will see news channels getting a better share of revenue.
And though the gloom hasn’t passed yet, journalists would do well to hold on to whatever they have or look for and accept any opportunity as a stepping stone till an established name in the business is ready to hire once again.
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.
