News Broadcasting
Tom Online Inc. buys wireless entertainment firm Infomax
MUMBAI: China’s wireless internet company Tom Online Inc is acquiring a wireless entertainment company Infomax with the maximum valuation capped at approximately $75 million.
Through the acquisition, Tom Online will gain access to Infomax’s extensive TV distribution network which reaches out to millions of Chinese households. This acquisition is expected to further strengthen Tom Online’s leadership in China’s wireless Internet market.
Following the acquisition, significant synergies between Infomax and Tom Online are expected to be created in the coming years. Tom Online has proven and pioneered the integration of TV and wireless media as a new way to inform and entertain Chinese consumers with the purchase of Treasure Base in 2004. By combining Tom Online’s own industry leading service platform with Infomax’s strong TV operator relationships and experience, the company believes the acquisition of Infomax will produce yet more benefits in the areas of product diversification, operational efficiency and content sharing.
Through its unique relationships with TV operators and other entertainment companies, Infomax has been providing wireless interactive products and services to China’s national TV audience since 2003. Tom Online management believes the purchase presents tremendous synergy potential for enhancing Infomax’s existing product portfolio given Tom Online’s leadership in SMS, WAP, MMS, CRBT and IVR services.
Tom Online CEO Wang Lei Lei said, “The achievements accomplished by Tom Online in the wireless Internet market today are not only the results of our ability to continuously innovate, they are also the results of our solid working relationships with mobile operators such as China Mobile. With that as a foundation, we work hard to build the most comprehensive and multifaceted distribution network in the SP industry, and focus on formulating strategies to develop entertainment and sports-related products. In the TV media alone, we have accumulated a vast amount of content cooperation experiences through our partnerships with more than 200 TV stations. I believe, with the addition of Infomax, Tom Online will be able to further enhance its TV distribution network, which in turn will help promote the growth of our entertainment services.”
Besides TV alliances, Tom Online’s extensive distribution platform also brings many media partners from print, radio and the Internet, as well as audio and visual distributors and handset manufacturers. Through its acquisition of service provider Treasure Base in August 2004, Tom Online became the exclusive wireless content partner of China’s most watched sports channel.
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.
