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Soft power and brightest stars shine at TV9 What India Thinks Today (WITT) inaugural
Mumbai: The Inaugural of the TV9 What India Thinks Today (WITT) Global Summit 2024 kicked off on the 25 February, with a captivating exploration of India’s soft power and a celebration of its brightest stars in cinema and sports. Held under the overarching theme, “India: Poised for the Next Big Leap,” the inaugural day set a dynamic tone for the following days of insightful discussions and collaborative initiatives.
The day commenced with a rousing welcome address by TV9 Network MD and CEO Barun Das, who said, “We are here to celebrate the curtain-raiser with a subject very close to my heart, many well-known faces from the world of sports and entertainment are here today for a purpose – to discuss a bold vision for India. Not as an economic or military power. But as a soft power”.
Following shortly after was a fireside chat, with both the MD Barun Das and the Union Minister of Sports, Youth Affairs and Information & Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur. Speaking about the strides India is making in the arena of sports, he said, “Today, in sports other than cricket, we have a lot of stars to look up to. The government has increased (its) sports budget by about three times”.
Also expressing his pride in the way the Indian entertainment industry is evolving, he said, “In the next ten years, India will be the content hub of the world. It will be the ‘content continent’ of the world”.
The Inaugural day of the summit also featured the TV9 Nakshatra Samman Awards, celebrating contributions by the very finest stars in sport and entertainment. Record-holding athlete Harmilan Bains, para cricket champion Amir Hussain Lone, professional shooter Sift Kaur Samra, and badminton champion Anmol Kharb rounded out the list of sporting stars to be honoured, while superstars Allu Arjun, Raveena Tandon, Grammy award winners Rakesh Chaurasia and V. Selvaganesh were awarded for their artistic genius in a dazzling display.
The panel discussion on ‘Sports Burnishing: An Opportunity for New India’ witnessed participation from sports industry stalwarts and sports stars themselves, including badminton legend Pullela Gopichand, Collage Sports Management CEO Latika Khaneja, Bundesliga CCO Peer Naubert, Former FK Austria Vienna CEO Markus Kraetschmer, and Tata Motors CVBU CMO Shubhranshu Singh.
Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa, joined the Inaugural Day of the What India Thinks Today Global Summit for a keynote interview on ‘Brand India: Leveraging Soft Power’, where he seconded the administration’s faith in soft power, saying, “The PM believes that the cultural strength, the civilizational impact, the tourism products which India has, no other country in the world has. He believes that this can be the biggest driver of India’s growth, it can be the biggest employment creator”.
Firing up the glamour quotient at The Inaugural was none other than Raveena Tandon, who talked, in a fireside chat on the subject of ‘Female Protagonist: The New Hero’, about the problems of a patriarchal society, saying, “When the time came for women to be great at their work, to be masters of their craft, they were told to retire. This is something that I never understand.”
The panel discussion on the same theme saw participation from prominent women leaders from different fields, including National Commission for Women Member Khushbu Sundar, Stiftung Jugendaustausch Bayern MD Mirjam Eisele, football evangelist Julia Farr, and GAIL Director HR Ayush Gupta.
Casting a spotlight on the burgeoning content scene in India, a panel discussion on ‘Boundless Bharat: Beyond Bollywood’ capped off the evening’s events, with several notable faces lending their views to the subject, including actor-director Shekhar Kapur, Grammy award winners Ricky Kej, Rakesh Chaurasia, V Selvaganesh, and Sinclair Broadcast Group CEO Christopher Ripley.
The TV9 What India Thinks Today Global Summit 2024 continues on 26 February with the much-anticipated Global Summit, where distinguished guests from around the world will converge to discuss pressing geopolitical and geo-economic issues, and where Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will deliver the Summit Keynote address.
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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.
