News Broadcasting
Journalists felicitated at Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards
MUMBAI: The seventh edition of the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards, instituted by The Express Group in memory of its founder was held on 9 September 2014. Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan was the chief guest at the function. She presented the awards for outstanding journalist work done in 2011 and 2012. The winners were chosen by an eminent jury from nominations in 15 categories.
Mahajan presented the awards to 59 journalists from broadcast and print media under different categories. The Journalist of the Year for 2012 went to Sreenivasan Jain of NDTV 24X7. CNN-IBN bagged five awards and NDTV 24X7 received three.
From the broadcast segment, Jajati Karan from CNN-IBN and Geeta Datta from News-X won the award for investigative journalism. Smita Nair from CNN-IBN won the award for reporting on politics and government for the year 2011. Vimal Mohan from NDTV India won the award for sports journalism for his report on how lack of facilities stands in the way of Olympics dreams.
Surbhi Khyati of The Indian Express won the award for Investigative Reporting (print) for 2011 for her series exposing the corruption in the National Rural Health Mission in Uttar Pradesh. The Investigative Reporting (print) award for 2012 went to Mehul Srivastava, Andrew Macaskill and Adi Narayan of Bloomberg News for their story on how malnutrition affects India’s children. Nidhi Verma of Reuters won an award for Business and Economic Journalism (print) for her series on Iran’s oil exports to India.
Speaking at the awards, Mahajan said, “The media is considered the fourth pillar of democracy and we expect as much responsibility and transparency from it as from the other three pillars. A free press and a fearless press are in the interests of both society and the nation.”
“In a fast-changing world, journalists must provide the people with information to make them both aware and strong. The dissemination of information is the most powerful tool in strengthening the awareness of people,” she added.
Mahajan also said that the parliamentary proceedings were not always given adequate coverage and had observed on several occasions, high level and important debates were not highlighted by the media. In fact, at times, the reporting, she said, was distorted. “I laud the media for highlighting issues of corruption and nepotism but along with this I want that the media should also focus on interesting and important debates that take place in Parliament. If the media does not give this adequate coverage then we can’t reap the benefits of democracy,” she said.
The Indian Express Group chairman Viveck Goenka said, “2011 and 2012, for which the awards were being given, were pivotal years for the country which saw the birth of an anti-corruption movement, its steady evolution and often devolution into a political party.”
Goenka stressed the importance of institutions in facilitating good journalism. “In our frantic count of how many followers we have on social media and amid the pressure to collapse an argument into 20 seconds we tend to forget that good journalism needs a good ecosystem of individuals and institutions,” he added.
The awards pay tribute to journalists from print and broadcast who maintain the highest standards of their profession even in the face of political and economic pressures, who produce work that underline the values of good journalism — excellence and enterprise, courage and fairness.
To view the entire winner list please click here
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.
