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Close What do buyers want?
CANNES: That they’ve come to Mip Junior looking for kids’ content doesn’t really mean they are clear about what they want to buy. Which is where the conference titled ‘What do buyers want’ stepped in and did some much-needed hand-holding.
Moderated by C21 Media editor-in-chief and managing director David Jankinson, with panellists including Nickelodeon senior VP, global acquisitions and international programming Jules Borkent; The Walt Disney Company SVP, programming, scheduling, multi platform and acquisitions Paul DeBenedittis; RTL Disney Fernsehen head of acquisition and co-productions Frank Dietz; and Cartoon Network VP content acquisitions and co-productions Adina Pitt, ‘What do buyers want’ concentrated on the proliferation of devices and platforms for kids’ entertainment.
DeBenedittis said: “We don’t really think of ourselves as just a linear TV screen. Today, content is a means to distribute the message about the Disney brand, no matter where the audiences are.”
Added Pitt: “The number of screens from where kids can consume our content has increased. So, the focus now is to provide the best possible content on the screens that are being used widely.”
With viewers today moving faster than channels, this was probably the best time for producers to be in the business of kids’ content, Pitt pointed out.
DeBenedittis spoke about how audiences are just a click away. “Considering the amount of content one can watch online, viewers have moved from the remote to just a click. Channels are competing with YouTube. But what is different about us is that we can tell a story,” he said.
Pitt spoke about how channels were concentrating more on comedy content for kids. “Kids come to us to laugh. So even if it is mystery or action or drama, our content always comes with a bit of humour and it works well with our core target audience. Ben 10 being the biggest example,” said Pitt.
Ditto for Nickelodeon. “We are looking at pure comedy. Kids want to laugh and that is what brings them to us,” said Borkent.
Pitt said their budgets were so tight they could not afford to buy anything that was less than extraordinary. Nickelodeon, which had launched an app earlier this year, was now creating content specifically for it, including some digital commissions, which according to Borkent, could be developed into a TV show.
Even channels like Cartoon Network were flipping through the internet to see if there was anything interesting to be converted into content. “There are numerous ideas in the internet, some brilliant. People just need someone to help them tell the story better. So we are always looking for something that is undiscovered,” revealed Pitt.
DeBenedittis cautioned against the tendency to develop any single platform in isolation. “Developing content for only one platform is not the most efficient way to leverage resources. It is about using the platform to distribute content as opposed to being very focused on a platform and developing content specifically for it,” DeBenedittis said.
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.
