News Broadcasting
Korean companies gung ho on digital multimedia broadcasting
MUMBAI: Want a digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) service delivered on your mobile phone? Several Korean companies have launched this service via the terrestrial or satellite route.
TU Media is bullish and expects to rope in 6.6 million DMB subscribers by 2010, driven by affordable service rate plans and content. Currently, it has 437,000 subscribers.
The company displayed its wide array of products at the TV Korea Showcase 2006, held in Mumbai today. Among the other participants were companies like Seoul Broadcasting System (CBS), Alticast and Korean Broadcasting System (KBS).
The Korean companies expressed their intent to play a major role in expanding mobile broadcasting in India. A good geographical location makes India a suitable market for satellite DMB. Besides, India’s configuration of ground is generally flat, implying that there are less shadow areas.
Speaking on the occasion, Alticast vice president Eun Sang Yun elaborated on the change in market demand for interactive TV service in Korea. “We are seeing on-demand type of services across the media markets. Also, there is a strong demand of interactivity in the mobile environment,” Yun said.
While the cost of technical solutions has come down, Korea has adopted open standard solutions. This is easy to deploy, raises the quality of service, lowers costs for interactive TV solutions, and sets up a route for export. “This model can be adopted to the Indian market,” Yun said.
There are interesting statistics for DMB subscribers. TU, which has funded $200 million till October 2005, has found that male viewers comprise 66 per cent of the base while 72 per cent of the audience is in the age group of 20 years to early 30s. Drama, game, news and movies are very popular. Sporting events like football have a very high viewership. The average usage per day is one hour with watching on mobile TV dominating the daytime. There is a trend for viewership to drop on the weekends which is controlled by conventional TV.
TU charges a registration fee of $20 million and a monthly subscription rate of $13 million. The satellite DMB capabilities allow you to view high definition broadcasts while on the move via a frequency transmitted from the satellite to your vehicle-mounted TU terminal and your TU handset that receives both satellite DMB and cellular services. It also offers a broad range of interactive multimedia services that let you directly participate in such broadcast programmes as wireless internet, home shopping, and M-commerce.
The TU handset for both satellite DMB and cellular service does not offer only mobile phone functions, but it also provides a wireless internet connection function, and an on-air broadcast programme capture and recording function.
The portable receiver for DMB services is equipped with a multimedia file reproduction function, as well as a capture and recording function. It carries a built in antenna receiving signals from terrestrial repeaters and provides a removable antenna receiving signals from satellite.
TU Media plans to invest a total of $6.68 million in the content area over the next five years. It offers 11 video and 26 audio channels.
SBS, the biggest private terrestrial broadcasting company in Korea, has developed various digital broadcasting technologies including digital multimedia broadcasting radio model.
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.
