News Broadcasting
CNN-IBN celebrates spirit of the cities of India in its series ‘Eye On’
The first city to be featured is Aamchi Mumbai
Mumbai: What is best for your city? Who is making your city proud? What is the agenda of its residents? All these and more questions will be answered by the people of India on CNN-IBN’s new series “Eye on”. The series will focus on cities across India. A week long series will cover various topics related to the city through public opinion polls, contest, online poll etc.
During February 20th to 25th, the first city to be featured on the show is nation’s financial capital Mumbai. In ” Mumbai Talks”, every day one central question will be posed covering the issues that concerns Mumbai: from messy traffic to crumbling infrastructure. An online vote on IBNLive.com and an SMS poll will find that One Mumbaikar who makes all others the most proud. The status of the poll is revealed every day during 9 p.m. news and the grand Mumbaikar will be announced on Sunday, February 26 th.
The breakfast news will be special all through the week, served with a unique mix of studio and live telecast from a popular Mumbai early morning hang out joint everyday. ‘Spirit of Mumbai’ a visual rich miniseries run thru the week will reflect the never-say-die-spirit of the citizens – from Dabbawallahs to train drivers, to vada pav and pav bhaji kings.
“State of the city”, the grand finale, will be anchored by CNN-IBN’s editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai along with a top notch panel and hundreds of Mumbaikars discussing over top 10 key questions.
“Eye on’, a fortnight series, will also focus on cities like Bangalore, New Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata.
GBN, a TV18 Group Company, is a 74:26 joint venture between the TV18 Group and professionals – Rajdeep Sardesai, Sameer Manchanda and Haresh Chawla. GBN’s charter is to launch channels in the general news space under the editorial leadership of Sardesai, one of India’s most renowned TV journalists. The TV18 Group is India’s leading and most successful business news broadcaster in both English and Hindi.
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.
