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SOM Distilleries & Breweries launches Milestone100 and White Fox
NEW DELHI : SOM Distilleries & Breweries Limited (SOM) today launched a new, ambitious and premium brand ‘Milestone100’ and ‘Whit Fox’ at a grand event at The Grand in Delhi.
Veteran Bollywood actor & Brand Ambassador ‘Milestone100’, Manoj Bajpai along with Mr. J K Arora, Chairman & MD, SOM Group of Companies and Mr. Deepak Arora, CEO, SOM Group of Companies, unveiled the new brand at a glittering event, which also saw performances from Bollywood actress Bruna Abdullah.
‘Milestone100’ has been specially made for people aspiring to achieve new milestones in their lives, and thus the tagline ‘Thodda Aur’. And, the 100 denotes 100% purest form. A premium brand from the company, the whole packaging has been crafted sensuously by O&M, who have designed it keeping in mind the likes and preferences of Indian drinkers. The octagonal shape of the bottle & diagonally cut two piece mono carton is a first in the Indian market, which makes it innovative, unique and attractive.
The diagonal three piece label, the octagonal shape and the classy tones on the outer pack will enable ‘Milestone100’ to stand out distinctly from its peers.
It was also an opportunity for the company to launch ‘The White Fox’ vodka, a triple distilled grain vodka which is prepared exclusively using state of the art porous/ carbon filtration technology to ensure and give the consumers that absolute clarity and smoothness to the blend which makes it an unmatched quality product in its price offering.
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Deepak Arora, CEO, SOM Group of Companies said, ‘We have completed 25 successful years, and with Milestone100 & White Fox Vodka, we are ready to enter the premium segment. A lot of time and effort has been put into manufacturing Milestone100, which has been blended with the finest blend of triple distilled 100% premium grain whisky, with imported 100% scotch malts, matured exclusively in oak casks from Scotland. This has resulted in a product, which is the perfect combination of smoothness and strength, without any artificial flavours.”
Added Mr. J K Arora, Chairman, SOM Group of Companies, “The company, and collectively as a group, we have grown significantly over the past several years. In fact, our performance has been above industry average on many parameters, and the same is validated by the recent recognition – SOM Distilleries & Breweries Limited was featured in August 2013 in the Forbes Top 200 companies (best under a billion in sales in the whole of Asia Pacific), chosen out of a set of 15,000 companies, and has also been ranked 93rd in Inc. India 500 (India’s fastest growing companies under Rs. 1,500 crores). And, we hope to continue this momentum with the launch of Milestone100 and The White Fox.
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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.
