News Broadcasting
moneycontrol.com editorial shuffled; moves to integrated news room
KOLKATA: From today, the skeleton editing staff of moneycontrol.com, a business and finance news portal, which operated from Matunga (West), will be operating from the television unit at Lower Parel.
It is learnt from industry sources that more than six reporters who were engaged in the financial news writing have been asked to leave.
“Network18 Group won’t be producing any original content for moneycontrol.com. It has adopted a rationalised move by laying off all the reporters engaged in financial news writing. More than six reporters have been asked to resign and made to cite that they are walking out from the news organisation on personal reasons, the release letters of the employees disclose,” revealed the highly placed media source.
TV18 Broadcast which has laid off around 300-400 people as a part of its restructuring exercise and has merged the operational teams of CNN IBN and IBN7, will now be producing the content for moneycontrol.com too. The young team would be editing the copies filed by the television bureau, sources added.
The portal’s editor Santosh Nair has been asked to report in the Lower Parel office, but there is no clarification regarding whom he will be reporting to. Earlier, Nair reported to R Jagannathan, editor at Firstpost.com.
Also, it is interesting to note that the portal’s chief executive officer Joyson Thomson was mulling to list the entity but it seems he has changed his plans overnight. “Though of late, moneycontrol.com was driven by marketing strategies and not hard core news perspective which it adopted earlier,” sources said.
There were talks the news portal would set up an editorial team at Delhi and Kolkata. “In fact a year ago, the company was eagerly looking to hire an editorial staff for the Delhi bureau,” sources said.
“The first carnage happened in the second week of August when TV18 said it would ask around 300-400 employees to leave. We got the notice in the last week of August,” recounts an employee.
When asked about the compensation package, he said: “The compensation package is up to the mark as we have been offered three months CTC and not in hand salary.”
Media analysts said that TV18 has restructured its operations and reduced its workforce significantly, as part of a cost cutting exercise due to the lackluster advertising environment and government regulations like the 12 minutes advertising cap on broad asters.
Now going forward with this downsizing, journalists are required to work across both internet and TV medium, as the group has created integrated newsrooms.
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.
