West Asia crisis | Amid LPG supply concerns, induction cooktops fly off the shelves in Ahmedabad as people look for Plan

Amid growing concerns over LPG availability following the escalating tensions in West Asia, households in Ahmedabad are increasingly turning to electric and induction cooktops as an alternative cooking solution.

Overwhelmed by a nearly 20-fold demand, many retailers have not only run out of stock but some say there is no supply in sight in the near future.

Shop owners say that while induction cooktops were earlier purchased mostly by students and office-goers for occasional use, the LPG supply uncertainty has pushed many families to buy them for regular household cooking.

Karan Singh, owner of Mahavir Home Appliances in Bodakdev area ofAhmedabad, said the demand has risen sharply in the past four days.

“Earlier the sales were very limited.

We would sell maybe one unit in a month or two to three pieces over two months,” he said.

“The situation has completely changed.

Yesterday I received 20 pieces and by the next day all of them were sold out.

As of today, I have zero stock.” Singh said he had around 65 to 70 units in stock just four days ago, but all of them were sold.

“Ever since the US-Iran war started escalating, the issue has become serious.

LPG supply has decreased and demand for induction cooktops increased significantly,” Singh said.

Retailers also report that suppliers themselves are running out of stock.“Whichever company we call, almost all of them say they don’t have stock available right now,” he said.

The price of induction stoves varies depending on the brand and power capacity.

According to retailers, entry level models are priced between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,500, while high-end models with capacities around 2100 watts can cost up to Rs 4,500.

Prakash Kumar, owner of Ambica Kitchenware in Vastrapur, termed the recent sales figures “unprecedented”.

“The sale of induction cooktops we have seen in the last four to five days are equal to what we would normally sell in an entire year,” he said.

According to him, the shop would usually sell around 100 to 150 units annually.

However, in the last three to four days alone, the store has sold nearly 200 units.

Retailers also point out that the transition has been easier because many households already have utensils compatible with induction cooktops.

Prakash Kumar said that over the past few years, most branded stainless steel cookware has been designed to work with induction systems too.

“For the last two to three years, almost 90 per cent of the stainless steel utensils — like cookers and pans — come with induction-compatible bottoms,” he said.

Despite the current surge, retailers remain uncertain whether the shift to induction cooking will be permanent or only a temporary response to the LPG supply concerns.

Singh believes the trend could grow if the demand continues.

“People know that in the future we are moving towards electricity-based systems, whether it is solar power or electric appliances,” he said.

“If the demand continues like this, the market for induction cooktops will grow massively.”
(Aryan Mathews is an intern with the Ahmedabad office of TheIndian Express)
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