News Broadcasting
Zee takes on ‘Kahaani…’ with ‘Kittie Party’
Fortune favours the brave. That could well be the tack that Zee Telefilms is taking as it attempts to pick itself off the floor as far as the ratings are concerned.
With the full cast in tow and the show’s celebrity writer Shobhaa De present, Zee Telefilms director marketing Partha Pratim Sinha yesterday announced the launch of a daily soap Kittie Party slotted in the 10 to 10:30 pm band. Launching Monday, 19 August, Kittie Party is pitched directly against the Balaji blockbuster soap Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki that airs on Star Plus.
From left Poonam Dhillon, Deepshikha, Kavita Kapoor, Maya Alagh, Preeti Dayal, Shweta Salve, Pyomori, Achint Kaur The serial revolves around the lives of eight women who meet every month fore their kittie party. The serial explores their individual lives through these meetings. And what is it that Zee hopes will connect with the viewer. According to the release issued, “Since the situations are from every day life, audiences will be able to identify the characters and the conflicts they deal with.”
“But if there is one key factor that Zee hopes will bring in the audiences it must be one of aspiration. For though De was at pains to point out that it was not only people of a “certain class” (the rich and upwardly mobile) that would relate to the show, the evidence of the AV that was screened did not indicate otherwise. De also took a swipe at the kind of fare that dominates prime time television, saying that the story was about issues relevant to today’s women and not the “saas-bahu sagas where the protagonists’ mindsets were 50 years behind the times.”
On the plus side, producer Manish Goswami’s Siddhant Cinevision has left no stone unturned to give the show top notch production values. The look as well as the background score is of a uniformly high quality and certainly seems to have done justice to the estimated Rs 450,000 per episode cost of the series. One cannot forget the high profile lead cast with the likes of Poonam Dhillon, Kavita Kapoor, Achint Kaur, Deepshikha and Maya Alagh, among others adding to the glam appeal.
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.
