News Broadcasting
News vet Mini Menon and Alok Nair announce digital content partnership
MUMBAI: With an aim to produce high quality infotainment content in digital, news television’s two famous personalities Mini Menon and Alok Nair have announced a strategic partnership. The duo with Akshay Chavan as partner as well as domain expert, have launched Indy Network, which will work with various partners and young talent to create the first of its kind offering for viewers between the age of 15 to 45 years.
Its digital platform and first product is expected to roll out by the end of this year.
“Indy Network is the holding company that will have other platforms across genres under it. We saw a huge need gap in the infotainment genre. In my opinion, Indian is about niches. I think going niche is more successful on digital than going mass,” voiced Indy Network co-founder and editor Mini Menon.
With technology providing multiple touch points and much clearer audience segmentation, Indy Network is based on the belief that the Indian audience, especially the youth, is being under-served and there are big and crucial content gaps that need to be filled. The network’s aim is to close this gap by offering clear, focused content.
Nair shared, “It is time to bring in a fresh set of entrepreneurs in the infotainment business. Dr. Pranoy Roy, Raghav Bahl and Ronnie Screwvala all started in the 1980’s – 90’s and have been inspirational for what they have created.Indian media is ready for a new generation of passionate entrepreneurs creating independent unbiased content. We are excited with the tremendous opportunity that digital offers and are hoping to create innovative content platforms with strategic partners catering to a diverse audience set across niches. We believe the infotainment space will see a huge growth in the next few years and Indy Network shall be a key contributor.The spirit of our enterprise is collaboration. We look forward to this exciting new journey.”
“Our core will be digital but we will also make content for TV as well,” he added.
“We are products of first generation entrepreneurs like Ronnie or Raghav Bahl and we are products of that. It’s time for new entrepreneurs to come up. It is time to break through the clutter and bring together the finest minds and create the best in class content,” Menon reflected.
“The difference between the rest of the platforms and us is that we are going to be an adaptive platform. With increasing penetration of social media and technology, India is experiencing a dramatic change in the way content is being consumed and shared. These are indeed interesting times to be in. With the experience and understanding that Menon and Nair bring, the network will flourish automatically,” voiced Chavan.
Being credited with creating some of the most compelling news and long format programs in the TV industry, Menon will drive the content and vision for the network. In Indy Network she will take this to the next level.
“315 million people are currently consuming internet in India, which is only going to grow. The environment will get better and will provide technology infrastructure. Till then we have to ride on available and accessible resources. Stakeholders are working on it for the ecosystem to thrive. I am positive that digital will also evolve successfully,” added Nair.
On moving out of television, Mini quipped, “After a great innings in television I am looking forward to taking the next big leap as an entrepreneur and co-creator of what we hope will bring a paradigm shift in content.We have an exciting slate of work lined up and we hope to create something that will make every Indian proud.”
The trio is yet to decide a monetising model for their platform, yet is positive on generating revenues for the platform and believes that if the content is good it will turn heads of the viewers and advertisers automatically. “Revenue generation is not difficult. We believe we can find good partnerships in India,” added Menon.
As far as marketing goes, it is divided into various phases. Once the partnerships are locked, hoardings will be put up everywhere. After the platform goes live, there will be targeted marketing on traditional as well as digital mediums with more emphasis on the latter.
Kudos to the trio for choosing a road less taken.
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.
