News Broadcasting
Star Ananda leads in the first week
MUMBAI: Star News’ Bengali sibling, Star Ananda, seems to have got off to a good start. At least in Kolkata. In the first week, figures show that it managed to corner a market share of 38 per cent amongst news channels.
Officially born on 1 June, Star Ananda’s nearest rivals in the first week in the Kolkata market have been Tara Newz and, surprisingly, Hindi news channel NDTV India, both of which have a 10 per cent market share each, as per TAM data.
Aaj Tak, Zee News and Star News with market share of nine per cent, seven per cent and six per cent, respectively, follow the top three.
Surprisingly, for a city that should have been more at ease with English than Hindi, apart from the local Bengali language, English news channels’ market share is negligible.
According to the TAM data, in the first week of Star Ananda’s launch, channels like NDTV 24×7 and Headlines Today have a market share of three and one per cent each. International news channels like BBC World and CNN too sit low in the pecking order with one per cent market share each in Kolkata.
Uday Shankar, CEO of Media Content and Communications Services India Pvt Ltd (MCCS), which manages Star Ananda, attributes the performance to the “presentation of news on the channel,” which focuses on having a balance between local and national, international and other types of news.
On the day the Bengali news channel made its debut, TAM figures show, it had notched up a market share of 45 per cent, followed by Tara Newz and Aaj Tak, which had shares of 10 and eight per cent, respectively.
Contacted by Indiantele
vision.com, Tara Newz, promoted by former Star India CEO Rathikant Basu, did not hand out any comment on Star Ananda’a performance. However, Kolkata based industry observers pointed out that the high market share of Star Ananda could have been the curiosity of viewers to check out a new product.
It needs to be seen whether Star Ananda could sustain this market share over a longer period of time, a media expert observed.
According to TAM data, national language news programming in Hindi or English has 36 per cent viewership in the largely Bengali speaking West Bengal market. Regional language news parogramming in Bengali garners as much as 46 per cent viewership.
MCCS is a 74:26 joint venture between ABP group and the Rupert Murdoch-controlled Star Group. The company has plans to make forays into other languages too offering basically news and current affairs based programming.
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.
