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ZEEL expands to Indonesia, launches Zee Bioskop
MUMBAI: Of late, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has been making headlines for its expansion plans the world over. It isn’t just taking the existing channels from India to the international market but is also coming up with new channels to cater to the local people of the countries they want to reach out to. In the present case, they have done just that.
In order to expand in the south East Asia market, it has launched a movie channel in Indonesia, aptly titled Zee Bioskop (Bioskop means cinema in Bahasa, the local language of the country). The last time Zee introduced a channel in this region was five years ago – Zee Variasi in Malaysia, again a local Bollywood movie channel.
Zee Bioskop, which has been launched today, is currently available only on Aora TV as a pay channel and is beaming off satellite Measat 3a. With the tagline – ‘Bollywood Banget’, which means ‘bollywood excessively’, the channel will showcase the best of Bollywood movies dubbed in Bahasa Indonesian.
An official announcement about the launch will be made in January in Jakarta, the capital, where the office of Zee Bioskop is located. As of now, the officials are working on increasing the distribution of the channel.
Since Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country with not too many movie theatres showing Bollywood movies, the company is trying to cash in on the situation. “Our focused study group showed that Indonesians wanted to watch Bollywood movies and with Bioskop we are targeting the local audience and not the Indians in Indonesia,” says a highly placed source from Zee.
Bioskop will air comedy, action, thriller, drama and romantic movies. Activities on Facebook and Twitter have already started to promote the channel. “This initiative is going to make not just Zee but also Bollywood movies popular in the Indonesian market,” says the source.
Movies like Delhi 6, Shaitan, Aa Dekhen Zara, Oh My God, Vivaah, Love Story 2050 etc are in the current line-up. The channel will come under the APac area and will be headed by Asia-Pacific business head Sushruta Samanta. There are other Zee channels already present in the region since many years.
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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.
