News Broadcasting
News channels on road to slow recovery
NEW DELHI: Stung by high costs, shrinkage in the genre share and a slowdown in the economy, news channels have had a tough year. Expansion plans were shelved, the workforce was trimmed and operations were rationalised.
The TV news industry is now beginning to show early signs of recovery as the economy is improving. “The ad volumes are coming back. It is a matter of time when the rates will also come back,” said Star News CEO Ashok Venkatramani.
Still, news channels are far from being out of trouble. “One of the problems is that broadcasting is looked upon independently as a separate sector whereas it should include distribution. The total industry gets approximately Rs 300-350 billion. We hope to get our share of the distribution pie. The need is for a more addressable system,” said NDTV Group CEO KVL Narayan Rao.
Agreed TV Today executive director and CEO G Krishnan, “About Rs 150 billion resides with the last mile. We want a share of that.”
The challenge for news broadcasters is also to retain eyeballs at a time when events are absent. Though the total news audience grew 11 per cent in 2009, the time spent on news channels has fallen.
“In 2009, there were lesser events. Regional news channels were eating into Hindi news. The viewership for English news channels has, however, grown,” said Tam Media Research CEO LV Krishnan, while speaking at the News Television (NT) Summit.
The session on ‘Reality dawns in the news business’ was moderated by Indiantelevision.com founder and Editor-in-Chief Anil Wanvari.
News channels, particularly in the Hindi space, are facing competition from general entertainment channels. The hard task cut out for news broadcasters is to have newsy as well as entertaining content in the mix.
LV Krishnan said audiences don’t always accept frivolous content. “Social issues and science and technology work in smaller towns. Politics and astrology content work in metro markets,” he said.
G Krishnan dismissed charges of weak newsy content on news channels. “About 65 per cent of content on news channels is pure news. Not more than 35 per cent is entertaining content,” he said.
He blamed the government for interfering with pricing. “The content can’t improve because we are dominantly dependent on advertising revenues. Allow free market to take place,” he added.
Den president SN Sharma said many new channels have been launched without a proper understanding of the distribution costs that they have to cough out to cable TV operators.
P7 News director Jyoti Narain said news is coming back to news channels, while Sahara Media India CEO and Editor-in-Chief Sanjeev Srivastava raised the question of how news channels could arrive at an agreement on sharing infrastructure for news gathering.
Associated Broadcasting Company Ltd (TV9) VP operations NVN Murthy said the regional space was on a growth trajectory and his company posted a 35 per cent growth even during the downturn phase.
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.
