News Broadcasting
PM Modi to meet NBF delegation to put focus on future of news industry
Mumbai: The News Broadcasters Federation (NBF), a news broadcaster, will be meeting prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday in New Delhi to discuss the future of the new broadcast industry. The delegation of the NBF will be led by Republic Media Network chairman and NBF founding president Arnab Goswami.
As the largest news industry body with more than 50 news broadcaster members, NBF sees the meeting as an opportunity to apprise the prime minister of the seminal role it plays as an institution of democracy. It would also be an occasion to get an insight into the prime minister’s vision in shaping of the future of broadcast news television in India. The NBF will also seek the prime minister’s support in crafting structural policies that will shape the news industry’s future.
Arnab Goswami, who has been at the helm of raising news industry concerns via the NBF is slated to lead the briefing at the meeting and apprise the prime minister on the present situation within the news industry. The NBF is set to raise issues such as the challenges faced by national and regional channels and concerns regarding the lack of transparency and data sharing within the present systems.
The meeting is happening in the backdrop of the prime minister’s recent call for Indian media to get a global voice. The NBF firmly shares the prime minister’s vision and it is expected that the meeting would have some exchange of thoughts on the same.
Arnab Goswami and the NBF delegates are also likely to discuss the need for the evolution of the rating measurement system in synchronization with the Government of India’s policy and emphasis on transparency of data and digitization.
The NBF differentiates itself as an industry grouping that is mostly comprised of non-corporate media owners, who have successfully built their respective organizations without big corporate support so as to keep news independent and democratic. NBF member organizations have created thousands of jobs for the youth of the country without big corporate funding that comes with strings attached.
Under the leadership of Goswami, the NBF has been a vocal body, standing for the independent and democratic ethos of the news industry. The NBF has batted for an absolute level playing field within the Indian news industry- for broadcasters large and small- by raising concerns at various levels and forums against restrictive trade practices.
The meeting with prime minister Narendra Modi comes at a time when the wave of broadcast news television is on the uptake and the viewership through Connected Televisions (CTVs) is seeing phenomenal growth for broadcast news consumption, thereby laying the ground for the possibility of critical transformative frameworks that can take the voice of the Indian media to the global scale.
Founding president of the NBF and Republic Media Network chairman Arnab Goswami will lead the delegation which includes News Industry Stalwarts, Media Owners and Top Editorial Minds from across national and regional Media in India. The Delegation will include Industry Stalwarts such as Barun Das, the MD & CEO at TV9 Group, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, the Chairperson and Managing Director of Pride East Entertainments, Kartikeya Sharma, Founder of ITV Network, Jagi Mangat Panda, Co-Founder & MD Odisha Television Network Ltd (OTV), Shankar Bala, Chief Executive Officer of Fourth Dimension Media Solutions Pvt Ltd which represents Puthiyathalaimurai and leading Telugu News Channel V6 News, Angad Deep Singh of Living India News which has a deep presence across the North Indian states and Sanjive Narain, Founder of Prag News. The Delegation will also include industry conglomerates in the news media represented by Sreekandan Nair, Managing Director of Insight Media City, Manoj Gairola, Editor-in-Chief of News Nation Network, Suresh Goel, Chairman of IBC 24, Subramaniam, the Managing Director of News7 Tamil, Aishwarya Sharma, Promoter, ITV Network and Director of The Sunday Guardian Foundation, Jagdish Pawra, the Channel Head for VTV Network, Prashant Neema, Channel Head of Sandesh News, Pravindra Kumar, leads the Editorial operations at Network 10 and NBF Secretariats R Jai Krishna and Eshita.
The NBF is a body with more than 50 news broadcasters that disseminates news in over 14 languages, across more than 25 states of India.
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.
