News Broadcasting
Rough Q2 for TV news firms
MUMBAI: News channels are badly bruised by an ad slump in the second quarter as monies have shifted to Hindi general entertainment and sports channels.
The turnover of most of the listed news companies has eroded in a quarter when other genres of broadcasting have gained in an improved advertising economy.
TV Today, which runs India’s most popular Hindi news channel Aaj Tak, has seen a 6.6 per cent revenue fall over the year-ago period due to lower inventory utilisation. NDTV’s second-quarter revenue from the news business also slipped 6.1 per cent.
“There is a growing concern that TV news business in India is going through a rough patch. The third quarter will see a significant recovery due to the festive season but we could be headed for a slow revenue growth for the sector in the backdrop of increasing commoditisation,” said a media analyst who has been tracking the sector.
TV Today’s consolidated Ebitda, in fact, turned negative for the first time in 24 quarters. Net loss stood at Rs 76 million.
“While revenue fell, staff and distribution expenses grew. Investments also went into Headlines Today and Tez for their revival. The third quarter will see a drastic improvement and TV Today will turn profitable again,” an analyst said.
For the TV broadcasting segment, TV Today posted a revenue of Rs 596.22 million and an operating loss of Rs 40.57 million. In the trailing quarter, the company had posted a revenue of Rs 641.39 million and an operating profit of Rs 49.05 million.
NDTV suffered from weak sales and posted a standalone Ebitda loss of Rs 233 million and net loss of Rs 343 million.
“It has been a bad quarter generally for everybody in the news business from a revenue perspective. There has been a shift in advertising from news to GECs and sports channels. In the earlier year, some stability had come into the market in the second quarter. But the good news is that there seems to be a strong recovery in the third quarter coinciding with the festive season,” said NDTV Group CEO KVL Narayan Rao.
TV18 improved its performance in the fiscal second-quarter but IBN18 Broadcast continues to post losses.
Zee News Ltd chief executive officer Barun Das feels the decision to stick to hard news has worked for the company. “It has not been one of the best quarters for TV news. But we have seen revenue growth. We have the advantage of having regional news channels in our network. Sticking to hard news has worked for us. On the Ebitda level, we have performed beyond our expectations in the first two quarters. We were expecting to be Ebitda negative but have turned positive,” he said.
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.
