News Broadcasting
TV18 goes live from NSE TV18 Media Centre
MUMBAI: The Television Eighteen Group (TV18) and the National Stock Exchange have come together to form the NSE-TV18 Media Centre.
CNBC AWAAZ went live this morning from the NSE-TV18 Media Centre housed at the NSE premise in Mumbai. The partnership aims to provide a platform to bring real-time reportage, corporate earnings and discussions with company management to a larger national and international audience.
On the launch of the NSE TV18 Media Centre, Television Eighteen India Limited managing director Raghav Bahl ‘We believe that this is a concrete step further in enhancing levels of transparency and communication with investors. This is a first in the history of the Indian stock markets and TV18 is extremely proud to partner India’s leading stock exchange, the NSE.’
National Stock Exchange managing director Ravi Narain added, ‘The setting up of the media centre is a step in line with global practices. Most of the leading exchanges worldwide have set up such platforms for real time coverage of markets. This I believe takes the exchange to the doorstep of the investor.’
CNBC Awaaz editor Sanjay Pugalia also pointed out, ‘CNBC Awaaz has successfully completed 2 years in India and is the fastest growing channel in the country today. CNBC Awaaz cuts through jargon and gives information in a language understood by everyone, reaching out to a wider audience and that is the reason why CNBC AWAAZ is solely responsible for 55% growth in the business genre viewership. The partnership with NSE is our endeavour to make real time stock market information available for the investors’.
The ‘e-inauguration’ beamed live on CNBC AWAAZ and was simulcasted on other TV18 network channels.Speaking on the occasion finance minister P Chidambaram said, ‘It is now time to focus our efforts on making information available instantaneously to the entire target audience – domestic and overseas. The joint initiative of TV18 and NSE to set up a media centre to bring real time linkages between markets, corporates and investing communities, live from the media centre is a step in this direction. I am sure that this would bring the viewer closer and will improve the level of communication between the company management and the shareholders’.
Market hour programming on CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz will go live from the NSE.Also earnings coverage of NSE listed companies and listings on the NSE will be announced live from the NSE TV18 media centre.
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.
