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Unlocking Indias potential to build a more sustainable tomorrow
The CII-ITC’s 8th Sustainability Summit held in New Delhi saw the release of a new report on ‘How India Innovates: The promise of sustainable and inclusive innovation.’ As economic growth rates go down and global climate temperatures go up, innovation has become nothing short of a necessity. India, too, has declared 2010-2020 as the Decade of Innovation.
Under the framework of Indo-German bilateral cooperation the Umbrella Programme for the Promotion of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ India has partnered with CII-ITC-CESD to strengthen sustainable and inclusive innovations and to support the dissemination of knowledge and the scaling up of successful SI2.
As part of this partnership GIZ and CII-ITC-CESD have conducted this study with the objective to provide the innovation eco-system with information on how business in India innovates and the promise it sees in Sustainable & Inclusive Innovation.
According to the report, 79% companies in India innovate with radical solutions while 71% innovate with incremental or radical solutions. Companies have also identified exploiting green growth opportunities and reducing environmental impacts as other important factors to innovate. However, the bottom-of-pyramid market is still not an important driver for companies to innovate.
According to Ms. Seema Arora, Executive Director, CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development, awareness on sustainability issues has come a long way in the 30 years since the Brundtland Commission, with leading companies taking proactive steps towards building a more secure, sustainable and equitable future. She adds, “Regardless of whether it is called climate change, responsible business or CSR; the message today is clear – sustainable business is here to stay and industry must change the way it operates.”
Sharing her thoughts on the event, Ms Arora, states, “The Centre is pivotal in spearheading the sustainability agenda in the country in that it was created by the industry itself. And the Summit is the realisation of the fact that by bringing civil society, government and industry together on one platform, we can truly succeed in co-creating a more sustainable India.”
The Prime Minister’s Office set up the National Innovation Council with a mandate to substantially enhance the innovation ecosystem in India. The Council has developed a roadmap that would, among other things, create State Innovation Councils and innovation clusters. CII is a member of the National Innovation Council and is helping set up innovation clusters in a couple of sectors.
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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.
