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Manorama News Conclave 2024 concludes on a high note
Mumbai: The conclave, titled ‘Change Makers,’ began earlier in the day with tributes to the Wayanad landslide victims. Defence minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the event at the Hotel ‘O by Tamara’. This year’s conclave brought together ‘Changemakers’ from different walks of life. Since its inception in 2017, the Manorama News Conclave has addressed topics ranging from happiness and freedom to a new India. Union minister Suresh Gopi was the chief guest at the closing session at 6 pm.
The defence minister said the last decade was an era of “epochal change” in the country’s economic, cultural and political spheres. Singh painted Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a visionary who could tap into the disenchantment that was so pervasive in the country in 2014 and transform it into positive thinking. He added that certain states were not doing enough for the safety of women in the country. The union minister said this in the context of the Kolkata rape incident.”We have amended laws to provide capital punishment for heinous crimes like rape. This should be implemented with strictness,” the minister said.
Suresh Gopi, who created history by giving the BJP its first elected representative to the Parliament, was modest about his unique accomplishment while delivering his address at the Manorama News Conclave 2024. “The change-maker who bestowed that honour upon my party and my family is not me, it is definitely the people of Thrissur,” said the minister of state for petroleum and natural gas and the ministry of tourism.
The conclave honoured the stars of the film All We Imagine as Light, which won the Cannes Grand Prix award. The cast, including Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Anand Sami, Azeez Nedumangad, and Hridhu Haroon, also engaged in a discussion after being felicitated by Malayala Manorama chief editor Mammen Mathew. While discussing the Hema Committee report, Kani Kusruti lauded WCC and survivors for coming forward and sharing their struggles. “There’s no standardised pay in the film industry. Though it is based on the market value of a market, there should be a margin and contract,” she said. Meanwhile, actor Divya Prabha said the Cannes recognition did not help her gain more opportunities.
Sojan Joseph, the first Malayali MP from the UK, spoke on the ‘Changing face of migration’. Joseph, a mental health nurse who got elected from a constituency in the UK with an 80 per cent native population, wondered whether Kerala had ever fielded a nurse in parliamentary elections.While admitting that there is a right-wing movement against immigration in Europe, Joseph cited a few instances where people sometimes forget to abide by a country’s laws and system.
Thiruvallur MP Sasikanth Senthil, BJP national spokesperson Anil Antony, and SFI all India secretary Dipsita Dhar discussed ‘India: The Voice that Matters’.
Inner Manipur MP and JNU associate professor Bimol Akoijam discussed the ongoing crisis in Manipur at a session of the conclave.
For the first time in the state’s history, Kerala chief secretary Dr V Venu and chief secretary-designate Dr Sarada Muraleedharan, a husband-and-wife duo, shared the changes they envision. “Sometimes, we push ideas to the government, and they get spurned. We must accept that and move on. They might have a better political vision about the issue,” Sarada Muraleedharan said at the conclave.
Directors Jeo Baby, Chidambaram, and Rahul Sadasivan discuss the transformative shifts that captivate Malayalam cinema and welcome the changes heralded by the release of the Hema Committee report.
Dr Roxy Mathew Koll, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, and recipient of the Vigyan Yuva–Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, spoke of the need for societal change in tandem with climate change.
Public Accounts Committee chairman and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, Minister P Rajeeve, and former union minister V Muraleedharan seek answers and ideas on the question, ‘Is Kerala on a changed track?’
Dr Tom Joseph, director (new initiatives) at Jain University, speaks on the state and higher education standards.
In an interesting twist, Manorama News anchors – Shani Prabhakaran, Nisha Purushothaman and A Ayyappadas – known for their probing questions, will face counter-questions from Speaker AN Shamseer.
The Manorama News Conclave 2024 offered a platform for enlightening discussions and unique activities, bringing together diverse voices and perspectives on India.
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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.
