News Broadcasting
Channel NewsAsia relaunches; adds Mumbai bureau
MUMBAI: Asian news broadcaster Channel NewsAsia is ramping up investments and has set up new bureaus in Mumbai and across Asia as it expands its programming lineup.
Channel NewsAsia has relaunched and moved from a live broadcast of 20 hours a day to a 24-hour cycle. The channel also has a new look and new programmes to help viewers better “Understand Asia”.
The free-to-air channel already has a bureau in New Delhi. Going forward, it will add more bureaus. This will enable the channel to produce more original content and news stories for the additional hours of “live” broadcasting
The channel is banking on digitisation that it hopes will reduce carriage fees paid to cable networks.
The broadcaster has an on-going deal with news agency ANI in India. From India one will see more news on different topics like finance, business and entertainment.
Channel NewsAsia MD Debra Soon said, “As the locus f the world economy shifts towards Asia, we believe we are well-positioned to deliver what we’ve been doing daily since 1999, and help audiences around the world better understand Asia. We have made substantial investments to provide more business content about Asia, from Asia. We intend to increase our lead in covering South East Asia better than other broadcasters operating here, and we will cover South Asia better. This is all part of the drive to deliver insightful documentaries and programmes for viewers, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
Channel NewsAsia’s re-launch was celebrated today with a Champagne Lunch with the channel’s partners and friends at its new Marina Bay Studio. Simultaneous parties were also held in Mumbai and Hong Kong to mark this milestone occasion.
Increased news and business content and documentaries
Business news at prime time is more than doubled. A new one-hour financial programme, ‘Business Central’, airs at 8 pm featuring key stories from the region’s financial hubs – Singapore, Mumbai, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The show will give viewers insights into daily developments in other key world financial centres from the bureaus in London and New York.
Day-time market reports and key interviews will be conducted out of Channel NewsAsia’s latest facility in the Marina Bay Financial Centre, at the heart of Singapore’s new financial district.
The Marina Bay Studio will be featured during a new one-hour lunchtime show, ‘Asia Connect’, which will bring together the market action from every trading day in Mumbai, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore and keep viewers on the pulse of Asia. This studio is a result of the collaboration with DBS Bank.
News content is increased by more than one-third. A daily additional newsbelt called ‘News Pulse’ from midnight to 6 am, tracks world developments overnight for Asia, with breaking news from the US and Europe. This will be followed by a new start to Asia’s day, with ‘First Look Asia’ from 6 am.
With a line-up of new programmes interspersed throughout the channel, viewers are given an uninterrupted flow of news through the day:
(1) First Look Asia
(2) News Now
(3) Asia Connect
(4) Singapore Connect (Only on Channel NewsAsia, Singapore)
(5) Business Central
(6) Business Singapore
(7) News Pulse
Beyond the news, Channel NewsAsia is raising the depth of content about Asia with nearly 30 per cent more hours of current affairs programmes focused on the dynamism and progress of Asia. An example is ‘Power List Asia’, which looks at the core of Asian success stories through interviews with top CEOs and tycoons.
‘Extraordinary Asians’, meanwhile, profiles the exceptional Asians who inspire the community by contributing in extraordinary ways. ‘Boomtown Asia’ offers a preview of what Asian cities of the future might look like and what is being done now to help make existing cities sustainable, liveable and future-proof.
New branding and on-air look: The launch is marked by the channel’s new branding and on-air look. “To be the Voice of Asian Progress” describes Channel NewsAsia’s unique positioning of capturing the exclusive stories unfolding in the region in all its diversity. The fresh graphics and colours reflect the channel’s celebration of the dynamism and energy in Asia, while the channel will stay true to its mission of helping viewers “Understand Asia”.
All platforms: In such a dynamic environment, consumers would expect to have information whenever and wherever they are. Channel NewsAsia is already available via the iPhone, iPad and Android Apps. Its Android App will have enhanced features when relaunched later this year.
The channel is also streamed “live” on both Channel NewsAsia (url: channelnewsasia.com ) and Livestation (url: livestation.com/en/cna_en) websites. It has entered into a strategic partnership with YouTube to provide even better quality services for viewers.
Marketing initiatives: On the marketing front, Channel NewsAsia has launched a series of initiatives in the region, such as the partnership for the CEO World Forum held in Ho Chi Minh City on 11 January 2013.
In March 2013, the channel is taking its discussion programme, ‘Perspectives’, on the road in Jakarta. To be recorded on location live, a panel has been invited to discuss the topic of Indonesia Rising. Speakers include Indonesia’s Investment Coordinating Board chairman Dr. M. Chatib Basri; Garuda Indonesia president, CEO Emirsyah Satar, the World Bank’s Country Director for Indonesia Stefan Koeberle and Indonesia’s Pertamina president, director and CEO Karen Agustiawan. The channel will launch more of such initiatives, like the Luminary Awards Forum in Singapore at the end of March.
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.
