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Big Picture at India Today Conclave
MUMBAI: The second session of the India Today Conclave 2018, The Big Picture, saw politicians Jayant Sinha and Sachin Pilot, economists Mohan Guruswamy and Arvind Panagariya and industrialist Uday Kotak debate the case of the missing jobs. While the politicians countered each other on job creation, Kotak discussed suggestions on how to create new jobs with a focus on the service sector. They stressed on the need to focus on education and link academics with education for imparting skills that make people employable. The debate threw up some startling figures—that demonetisation killed 20 million jobs in the construction industry, 57 per cent of the rural youth cannot do mathematical division.“We need a refocus to look at services. Manufacturing is a game that was played well in earlier times,” Kotak said. Some of the jobs of the future would be in leisure and wellness industry such as physical trainers and dentists.
The panel also debated on the role of the government and the private sector in job creation. Sinha was of the view the issue to be debated was not about missing jobs, but about missing data. He cited a recent report that suggested 6 to 7 million jobs are being created every year, if one goes by data mined from the EPFO. A number of jobs are being created in the informal sector, which is sometimes not captured in mainstream data.
Panagariya stressed that while jobs were there, the main problem was of people not being employed at full productivity and potential. “Talking of jobless growth is nonsense,” he said. The economy cannot grow at a robust 7.3 per cent if not for the contribution of new employment. The real problem is underemployment, and not unemployment, he added. While Pilot insisted that a government must create an environment that is conducive and positive where industry believes that its investments are safe, Kotak offered suggestions on how to transform the system to create more employment—a “deep rooted correction” in the education system, transforming the banking system to have a more efficient financial system and refocusing the approach to look at the services industry. Guruswamy agreed that skilling is key to creating more employment. An important sector, he said, was construction which employed around 55 million but was hit because of demonetisation. A unanimous point was on the need to skill the youth to make them more employable.
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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.
