News Broadcasting
Times Now brings you the Big action, from the cities
Launches ‘ACTION CITY’ – city centric show With News Now Overnight
Mumbai, May 29, 2006: TIMES NOW, soon after successfully completing 100 days of bringing urbane viewers the ‘Big Story’, announced the launch of ‘Action City’ – the show that covers all the action from the big cities of India. Recognizing the urbane viewers need for a quick catch up on the action of the day, its added ‘Action City’ at 10:30 pm and News Now Overnight 11:00 pm, Monday to Friday only on Times Now. Viewers can now look forward to a fresh new power-packed hour every weekday evening with ‘Action City’- an energetic, slick, high spirited city-centric show giving a daily doze of what’s buzzing in the city; and a classic round-up news bulletin ‘News Now Overnight’- that will empower you with the days’ relevant news.
Speaking on the launch of the show, Sunil Lulla, CEO, TIMES NOW said, “With just over 3 months of being on-air, TIMES NOW presentation of the big stories has made the channel capture quality market share. The success of accurate exit polls, insightful analyses and wide variety of guests during Assembly Elections has made a mark in the News Broadcast Space. The launch of two new shows with City focus and Big Story Focus will give our viewers a fulfilling news experience in the late prime time band.”
Action City – ‘Your city’s barometer!’ tells viewers what’s hot, happening and buzzing in the city and about its people. The show with its fast paced, racy and distinct content will give viewers a closer look at the happenings in their own city. The show has exciting segments like 60 seconds, Action Headlines, Action Nuggets and Entertainment packed – Action E, offering viewers a dose of heady adrenaline-and-testosterone news, all packaged in thirty minutes. The show will be anchored by Ekta Kumar Nagpal.
Speaking on the launch of the show, Arnab Goswami, Editor in Chief said, “With a strong focus on the big story, Times Now brings the action from the big cities adding to the news centric 7 to 11 PM Prime Time band. The show will be relevant to our target audience, making sense of all that is going on around them, bringing them face to face with the news from their environment and reporting on all that matters to them”
News Now Overnight is a classic wrap of the day’s important and significant, big stories that are relevant and will impact the lives of the viewers. The format of the show provides the viewers a complete news experience that are uniquely packaged with slick production values.
The shows will be anchored by Ekta Kumar Nagpal which will go beyond the conventional studio reporting and take the viewers in the city streets and lanes experiencing the news as it is.
So feel the news on your city and watch out for what impacts your life the most…Don’t miss to watch out for Action City and News Now Overnight from Monday, May 22nd from 10.30pm to 11.30pm only on Times Now.
About Times Now
TIMES NOW, a Times Group & Reuters Service is an urbane, 24-hour cutting edge English news channel connecting viewers with news and shows, which are relevant, distinctive, & appealing.
Focused at the Urbanite, TIMES NOW recognizes the varied television viewing habits across day parts and delivers news in relevant and distinctive formats at different times of the day. TIMES NOW weekend shows feature leading personalities from the field of theatre, business, defence and entertainment. The channel builds consumer associations through its various touch points – www.timesnow.tv, mobile and interactive voice response system.
TIMES NOW, a Times Group & Reuters Service, brought to you by Times Global Broadcasting Co. Ltd. is based in Mumbai with studios in Mumbai and Delhi and bureaus across the nation.
The Times Group is the largest media conglomerate in South Asia, with leadership in newspaper publishing; magazines; music; retailing; FM Radio; Internet; Interactive media; mobile services and lifestyle television.
Reuters (www.reuters.com), the global information company, provides indispensable information tailored for professionals in the financial services, media and corporate markets. Its trusted information drives decision making across the globe based on a reputation for speed, accuracy and independence. Reuters has 15,300 staff in 91 countries, including staff from the acquisition of Moneyline Telerate (MLT) in June 2005. It also includes 2,300 editorial staff in 196 bureaus serving 129 countries, making Reuters the world’s largest international multimedia news agency. In the 2004 Annual Report and Form 20-F, Reuters Group revenues were ?2.9 billion.
Reuters and the sphere logo are the trade-marks of the Reuters group of companies
For further enquiries:
Vishakha Singh
TIMES NOW
A Times Group & Reuters Service
Times Global Broadcasting Co. Ltd.
Trade House, 1st Floor,
Kamala Mills Compound,
Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel
Mumbai-400 013
Tel: (+9122) 24990318
www.timesnow.tv
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Genesis Burson Marsteller
1st Flr, Elegant House
Raghuvanshi Mills Compound
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Mumbai-400 013
Website: www.genesispr.com
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.
