News Broadcasting
NDTV, Aaj Tak English ready launch plans
MUMBAI / NEW DELHI: On 1 April if you thought some new news channels would make their debut, as was being envisaged and claimed, it’s not to be. The offerings from both NDTV and TV Today Network will be post-1 April for various reasons.
For Prannoy Roy’s two news channels NDTV India and NDTV 24×7, 14 April is the likely date for their unveiling. NDTV sources say it might even be some days earlier but will not be later than the 14th.
According to information available with indiantelevision.com, the permission for uplink for both TV Today Network (for the English news channel) and NDTV World (NDTV 24×7) is still awaited. Indications are they will have them in hand by next week.
For NDTV though the issue is not so much the licence as the fact that the content commitments for Star News still apply, and once that is through the team would prefer to have a proper test run of the two channels before officially going fully onstream. That way any logistical glitches that may crop up can be ironed out beforehand.
Around the 5th or 6th, NDTV is planning to set forth a full multi-media campaign which will also include roadshows and the like, industry sources say.
TV Today Network, which manages Aaj Tak and proposes to introduce an English news channel, is still tying up some loose ends before its product is put on air.
According to TV Today sources, though there was no deadline set for the launch of the English news channel, but if you take 1 April as a yardstick, then the new channel may get delayed by few days for “reasons beyond our control.”
Still, within the organisation, things are ready and the channel can be put on air anytime. “Only the nuclear button has to be pressed, after the final go-ahead is received from the top,” a source in the company close to the launch process said.
That happens to be the message NDTV is giving out as well. As far as the two NDTV channels are concerned, while most seem to feel that Roy has it spot on as far as NDTV 24×7 goes, they will be watching closely how NDTV India measures up. Leave aside Star News, there are already two well established products in Aaj Tak and Zee News to contend with. And adding Sahara Samay makes the equation even more difficult.
TV Today’s English channel meanwhile, as described by news director Uday Shankar in a recent interview with indiantelevision.com, would be targeted at English-speaking viewers. It has been modeled to suit their tastes, aspirations and viewing habit – all of which are different from that of a Hindi-speaking viewer who watches Aaj Tak.
Though the name is still being kept under wraps, what is known is that it will be a digital channel for which boxes would be needed for cable operators to access the signals for further re-distribution.
Pre-launch distribution activities of the yet-to-be-launched English news channels by TV Today Network hasn’t been that easy, according to cable industry sources. Talks of carriage fee being paid is doing the rounds of the industry.
In Delhi, for example, multi-system operator (MSO) Hathway (in which Star India has a stake) has received the boxes for the English channel, but Siti Cable has not yet received any boxes and talks for distribution too have been low key.
A senior executive of Siti Cable, arguably the largest MSO in the country with a claimed susbcriber base of over 6 million households, said today, “Talks with TV Today Network are not so regular and even the first batch of the boxes have not arrived till today.”
Sony’s One Alliance is seeding the market with boxes that would be needed for the NDTV channels, but ground realities point to the fact that things may have slowed down a bit.
A senior Siti Cable executive in Delhi confirmed that the company has received no boxes from the One Alliance for the NDTV channels that would be beamed in a digital format. In Delhi, Hathway, while concurring with Siti Cable, said that Sony execs have been holding talks for the NDTV channels, but the boxes have not been delivered yet as the “cost is a bit high and it takes time to collect money for such bulk deals.”
Asked to comment, SET-Discovery president Shantonu Aditya had this to say: “We are on target as far seeding of IRD boxes across the country for both the NDTV channels are concerned and we have received a very good response thus far from the cable trade.”
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.
