News Broadcasting
Vizeum to lead rebranding of BBC Knowledge to BBC Earth across Asia
MUMBAI: Vizeum has been appointed to lead the launch of the BBC Earth channel across Asia.
Consistent with BBC Worldwide’s global strategy BBC Knowledge was rebranded to BBC Earth on 3 October, 2015.
In Asia, BBC Earth will be available in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. There is also a BBC Earth block in Japan on Wowow.
For India, BBC Worldwide entered into a joint venture partnership with Multi Screen Media (MSM) to launch the channel of BBC Earth. The co-branded channel will be called Sony BBC Earth.
“It’s fantastic to have been appointed to launch BBC Earth in Asia and to expand Vizeum’s global relationship with the BBC. We look forward to working with the team at the BBC to deliver incredible content to consumers across the region,” said Vizeum Asia Pacific MD Duncan Pointer.
BBC Earth offers premium content, original commissions and a world beating pipeline of factual programmes that define the human experience, our planet and the wider universe. The channel will deliver awe inspiring programmes in the BBC’s well-known world class style.
BBC Earth launched with Shark, the history of the ocean’s greatest predators.
The new channel will also see the Asia premiere of The Hunt, within 24 hours of the UK telecast. The blue chip landmark series, narrated by Sir David Attenborough and executive produced by award-winning producer, Alistair Fothergill, explores the dramatic world of predation as never before, taking an intimate look at the remarkable strategies of hunters and the hunted, exploring the challenges animals face and the tactics they employ.
Other programmes on the channel will include the series Life Below Zero, which follows the lives of hard-working people living off the grid in Alaska, Infested in which Dr Michael Mosley explores the bizarre and fascinating world of parasites by turning his body into a living laboratory and deliberately infesting himself with them, and Human Universe, in which rockstar turned nuclear physicist Professor Brian Cox explores our place in the universe.
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.
