News Broadcasting
Nielsen launches Streaming Signals for more efficient CTV advertising
Mumbai: Nielsen has announced the launch of Streaming Signals, a new solution for connected TV (CTV) operators and advertisers to better understand who is watching a show within the household. As a solution that unbundles household viewing, it will be the next step towards better presenting advertising at the personal level, said the company.
Streaming Signals is well suited for Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings (DAR) clients since these two solutions together enable them to both optimise and measure CTV reach for more efficient advertising. Using custom machine learning models based on historical viewership data to determine who is in the household, it delivers a signal to CTV operators within 50 seconds to indicate who is currently streaming program content, said the statement. “Streaming Signals enables both media buyers and media sellers to optimise and measure CTV reach for more efficient advertising, maximising ad revenue, and for delivery to streaming audiences,” it added.
The elimination of delivering irrelevant advertising to viewers results in advertisers and agencies making better and faster choices to reach their target audiences. In turn, with ad inventory that is more accurately packaged, media owners can attract more media dollars by delivering real-time advertising to the right audience.
“Nielsen Streaming Signals brings a layer of unmatched real-time, person-level demographic precision to audience optimisation,” said Nielsen GM digital and advanced TV Ameneh Atai. “We know that the media industry is going through accelerated change and switching to a streaming-first approach with an audience watching programming whenever, wherever, and on a number of devices. Nielsen is the only one that is unbundling the household because we are the only ones that sit at the intersection of the streaming behaviour and audience data.”
This solution is made possible by using machine learning algorithms, viewing from Nielsen’s gold-standard panel data, and the CTV provided viewership data to assign person-level demographics instantly. Once integrated, the CTV provider will notify the Nielsen system and will receive a signal containing information regarding who is most likely watching within the household. The CTV provider can then play a more ideal advertisement instead of playing the previous ad that was reserved, said the company.
Traditionally, clients have looked at on-target percentage when evaluating advertising on CTV. Streaming Signals empowers them to positively impact that percentage by knowing who is behind the CTV screen before the ad is served.
Nielsen’s Digital Ad Ratings (DAR) enables clients to understand who was reached by age and gender during the CTV advertising campaign. In turn, advertisers would rely on using either behavioural targeting (tracking digital behaviours aggregated at the household level) or contextual targeting (displaying an ad based on genre of content) to try and deliver the right ad to the right person. Streaming Signals brings the best of these solutions together to deliver a higher threshold of ad accuracy and relevance.
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.
