News Broadcasting
Reuters picks up 26% stake in Times’ English news channel
MUMBAI: Until now rumours were rife that news and information provider Reuters Group Plc was picking up a 26 per cent stake in the soon to be launched English news and current affairs channel from the Times of India stable. Reuters confirmed early this morning that the agreement has finally been inked.
Reuters said in a statement it would take a 26 percent stake in The Times Global Broadcasting Co. Ltd (the Times’ news channel has been hived off into a separate company and will not be a part of Bennett, Coleman & Co). According to information available with Indiantelevision.com, the deal was signed on 20 April.
While the financial aspects of transaction remain a matter of speculation, a report put out by moneycontrol.com quoting news wires says Reuters’ 26 per cent stake in the Times channel has been valued at $20 million (Rs 900 million). If this be the case, then the total valuation of Times Global Broadcasting stands at just below Rs 3.5 billion (Rs 3.46 billion to be exact).
The news channel will be the second from the TOI’s stable after it launched a lifestyle channel – Zoom – in September last year. Reliable industry sources say that hiving off the Times’ news channel into a separate company will facilitate skipping over various procedural hurdles when government permission is sought for the Reuters investment.
Reuters Media president Chris Ahearn said, “Reuters has been doing business in India for almost 140 years and is synonymous with trusted, independent and accurate information. Working with the Times Group in this way enables us to enter India’s dynamic broadcast industry and reach its rapidly growing, information hungry, audience. This investment marks an exciting new chapter for our media business in India and is a key step in growing our global direct to consumer business.”
The Times of India Group managing director Vineet Jain said, “We have built our heritage and standing with generations of Indians the world over through our flagship newspaper. This television channel is the natural next step in offering our news to a rapidly growing and discerning urban audience. This is a great coming together of two of the world’s strongest news brands.”
In the race for a deal with the TOI group for the television venture were also the likes of the British Broadcasting Corporation, which already has an existing memorandum of understanding for bringing out specialty and niche magazines. What swung the deal in favour of Reuters is still not clear, but it’s being estimated that more than Reuters financial muscle, it was the company’s widespread offering that tilted the balance in its favour.
The Times’ news channel will be needing technology and global resources to source news and Reuters fits in very well with the whole scheme of things. The English news and current affairs channel, due to launch later this year, will be a pay channel and could also be packaged with some Reuters services offered to Indian customers, apart from being made available on cable networks and, probably, on DTH platforms.
Reuters, in their statement, said that the news channel’s revenues would come from subscriptions and advertising.
Times Group president Arun Arora said, “It has been an absolute pleasure dealing with the Reuters senior management. Like us, they are driven by their passion for news. This is, therefore, not just a deal, but a meeting of minds to set up a great business.”
Times Global Broadcast Co. Ltd CEO Sunil Lulla added, “The Times Group and Reuters will enable the channel to access the best of content and practices, within India and across the world. We believe this partnership will help build a differentiated offering with depth and width, to our potential audiences and customer.”
In a chat with Indiantelevision.com last week, the channel’s vice president news and editor television division Arnab Goswami had said that the channel will be laying strong emphasis on global news. Hence, now as the deal is concluded, the new channel will include Reuters branded programing from across the globe. Reuters has five bureaus in India.
Reuters, a global information company, provides information tailored for professionals in the financial services, media and corporate markets. Although Reuters is one of the world’s best-known international multimedia news agencies, more than 90 per cent of its revenue is derived from financial services business. Some 330,000 financial market professionals working in the equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, money, commodities and energy markets around the world use Reuters products. They rely on Reuters services to provide them with the information and tools they need to help them be more productive. Apart from that, Reuters open technology, based on industry standards, enables customers to search, store and integrate our information with content from other sources, facilitating the way they work
The agreement between Times and Reuters is subject to regulatory approvals and contract. The financial advisor on the agreement are Lazard India for Reuters and JM Morgan Stanley for Times of India Group.
As the English news channel space hots up, to use a cliché, time alone will tell who stays ahead in the race.
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.
