News Broadcasting
Times Network unveils second leg of Remonetise India campaign
MUMBAI: Prime minister Narendra Modi would surely approve Ditto with the finance minister Arun Jaitley.
The Times Network is getting into the second phase of its drive which seeks to give an impetus to the initiative by the two most powerful leaders in India to nudge Indians towards cashless transactions, digital money and paying taxes.
Called – Remonetise India – Invest in the Nation (Help your Help), it follows the first leg Remonetise India – A Citizen’s Pledge. The second part of the campaign was flagged off with a TVC yesterday that will be promoted across the Times Network channels and additionally in 300+ multiplexes. It is being supported by a digital contest where viewers will be gratified with goodies to promote participation.
The TVC will run almost 20-25 times each day on the Times Network’s channel bouquet. Ads will also appear in parent company Bennet Coleman & Co’s print publications and on sister firm ENIL’s Radio Mirchi stations nationally. These will continue across the Times media group until 31 March 2017, following which the pay taxes phase will commence.
Says Times Network MD and CEO MK Anand: “At a time when the nation is attempting to leapfrog economically, we believe that regulation, infrastructure and technology are not enough to jumpstart socio-economic change. Behavioural and cultural transformation are as important, if not more. This is where a uniquely positioned media group like Times Network can help. Through the ‘Remonetise India’ campaign, we aim to focus on making changes in everyday behaviour of urban Indians so that the benefits of this disruptive reform (demonetisation) flow in the right manner. One of the pledges under Remonetise India is to help others around us to go digital and benefit from the new economy. The second phase of the campaign ‘Help your Help’ is a call to capable urban citizens to help and aid others in achieving financial inclusion.”
The first phase included activities like Telethon, Go-Cashless Rally and Sahayata Camps. The telethon witnessed the participation of key influencers, policy makers and opinion leaders like Ministry of Commerce and Industry Minister for Commerce Nirmala Sitharaman, Niti Ayog CEO Amitabh Kant and Infosys founder Narayana Murthy who answered questions on the way forward for the remonetisation movement.
Then B-town celebrities like Sonam and Anil Kapoor, R Madhavan, Shilpa Shetty, Sonu Sood and Manoj Bajpayee supported this initiative and came together to be the agents of change to help bring India’s economy back on track.
Additionally, the network organized Sahayta Camps which were supported by actress Taapsee Pannu who encouraged people to get Pan Cards, Aadhaar Cards and open bank accounts (Jan Dhan Yojana Accounts) for the development of Digital India.
Finally, the Go-Cashless rally took place to drive awareness about digital transactions and save cash for those who can’t do without cash.
The Times Network will continue with these activities across India to take the movement forward in phase II and phase III as well.
With a viewership base of around 4.5 crore English speaking Indians, it is likely to have an impact on those who are most likely to follow the new vision that Modi has set out for the nation.
Publicis South Asia MD and CCO Bobby Pawar points out that the three-step campaign was conceived during a conversation that the agency and the Times Network team was having about the consequences of demonetization.
“We saw that it was causing pain,” he says. “The media primarily focused on the immediate impact of demonetization. Because most of the transactions were in cash, businesses got affected, raises got affected, employment got affected and people started losing jobs. We kept saying that we have to be forward thinking about the change that is being attempted by the government. We started with seeding it on social and doing things on-ground and then taking it to mass media. One of the biggest challenges was apathy. To make people go beyond themselves was a tough task. Even if we move a few thousand people, it will be a big thing. This is a long term thing and will take a lot of efforts. Post us, other brands will also start talking about it.”
Adds the TVC’s director Karthik Bhatt: “We have created a light hearted film in which we have highlighted that we want to make a small change which will benefit everyone in the long run, rather than the focusing on the big tidal change. We got the brief and I immediately went on a recce to the Sahatya camps to see what the situation really is. I saw people who did not have any PAN card or Aadhar card but were willing to have one. There were volunteers filling their forms. We have used references from what actually happened at the camp. 26 January was my first visit and we shot the film on 5 February. We had the film ready in 10 days times. We did not want to get to preachy; we just wanted to tell you to help them. If they want to be a part of the system, they need to understand the process and once that happens they will get regular.”
Also Read :
http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/news-broadcasting/unsponsored-remonetise-india-simulcast-on-all-times-channels-without-ads-170115
http://www.indiantelevision.com/mam/media-and-advertising/ad-campaigns/taapsee-endorses-cashless-economy-campaign-170206
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.
