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Iran war: Why Flipkart and Amazon are seeing a spike in induction cooktop sales
In a statement to The Indian Express, a Flipkart spokesperson said that sales of induction cooktops have quadrupled in the last few days, with demand coming from cities like Delhi, Kolkata, and Uttar Pradesh.
The price of a 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinder in Delhi has jumped to Rs 913, up from Rs 853 — a hike of Rs 60 — while commercial cylinder prices rose by Rs 115. (File Photo)
The Iran war’s ripple effects have reached deep into India’s kitchens. With cooking gas supplies tightening and prices climbing sharply, Indian consumers are rapidly pivoting to electric alternatives — and e-commerce platforms are seeing the evidence in real time. Flipkart said that the recent surge in sales of induction cooktops has turned the appliance from “kitchen upgrade” into a “survival necessity” for many households.
The price of a 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinder in Delhi has jumped to Rs 913, up from Rs 853 — a hike of Rs 60 — while commercial cylinder prices rose by Rs 115. Though the Centre has assured that households will not face a shortage, the crisis has already led to several restaurants around the country shutting down, or severely cutting back on operations. In some parts of the country, the panic has driven a black market. An executive from the food industry said that cylinders are being sold for as much as Rs 2,000-Rs 3,000, with consumers forced to pay the premium because cylinders are simply unavailable at agencies.
In a statement to The Indian Express, a Flipkart spokesperson said that sales of induction cooktops have quadrupled in the last few days, with demand coming from cities like Delhi, Kolkata, and Uttar Pradesh.
“We are seeing an unprecedented surge in induction sales driven by a combination of soaring costs and physical supply shortages of LPG. Sales volume has quadrupled over the last 4-5 days as compared to the preceding 3-4 weeks, with some localised high-demand areas like Delhi, Kolkata, and UP having even higher spikes as consumers hedge against future price volatility,” a Flipkart spokesperson said.
How does an induction cooktop work?
Induction cooktops use electromagnetism to heat cookware directly rather than heating a surface or flame. A high-frequency alternating current passes through a copper coil beneath the glass-ceramic surface, creating an oscillating magnetic field. When magnetic cookware is placed on top, this field induces tiny currents within the pan, causing it to heat up instantly. They only need electricity to run, and no other additional fuels.
‘Massive surge’ in cookers, kettles and fryers
The company is also seeing a “massive surge” in other categories like electric cookers, kettles, and air fryers, which it says is “expected to continue increasing with each passing day”.
The war in Iran, initiated by the United States and Israel, has triggered a global energy shock that is now being felt in India’s kitchens. The conflict has disrupted tanker movement through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil and gas shipping routes, through which a large share of global energy supplies passes. For India, which depends largely on importing its fuel needs, the vulnerability is particularly acute.
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An Amazon spokesperson said that sales of induction cooktops have increased over 30 times, while sales of multi-use kettles have doubled. Meanwhile, rice cookers and electric pressure cookers have quadrupled in sales.
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