News Broadcasting
Oye! 104.8 FM resounds to Ganpati Bappa Morya
NEW DELHI: Oye! 104.8 FM Sabse Filmi has set the tone for the Ganesh Chaturti Celebrations by both on air and on ground activities that celebrate the festive spirit. Oye FM has its presence at two of the biggest and richest Pandals in Mumbai, Lalbaugcha Raja, Parel and GSB Ram Mandir, Wadala to reach out to the lakhs celebrating the festival. The station is doing Live Aarti from the Pandals along with interactions with the visitors and taking their song requests on air. A lot of listeners on Oye! FM who were winners on on-air contests got a chance to get exclusive access to the special Morning Aarti without waiting in queue.
In a special initiative around Ganesh Chaturti, Oye FM is taking song requests from listeners and a few selected songs will be made into a special music album called Oye! All Time Sabse Filmi. The music album will be created and retailed across the county by Sony DADC.
‘Aapke Ghar – Mumbai ki Aarti’ is another initiative by Oye! FM where the spirit of the festival was taken to homes of listeners, where an Oye! FM RJ celebrated the festival and gifted a box of sweets/gift hamper to the winning family. In addition the RJs performed a special edition of the Aarti at the Oye! studio for the betterment of the City of Mumbai.
For a social cause, OYE! 104.8 FM has tied up with United Way Mumbai, an independent body which focuses on cleanliness in the city by educating and assisting BMC in running the program. The station is promoting responsible Ganpati celebrations and proper disposal of the waste during the festival like garlands, fruits etc. The representatives of United Way Mumbai have been coming to the Oye FM studio to discuss the hazards of pollution post ‘visarjan’. OYE! 104.8 FM will also be part of the clean up drive on 19th September at Juhu beach and will join hands with Untied Way Mumbai volunteers to keep the beaches of the city clean.
To give the Filmi touch to Ganesh Chaturti, Oye! FM RJs in Mumbai will also be visiting the homes of the Bollywood Stars and celebrate the festival with them in their own way. Oye! FM has been part of evening aartis of celebs like Vivek Oberoi, Shilpa Shetty, Anil Kapoor, Neil Nitin Mukesh to name a few. In addition a lot of celebs including, Amrita Rao, Isha Koppikar, Chief Minister Prithiviraj Chauhan and Gurudas Kamat have already been part of Oye FM celebrations at the Pandals
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.
