LPG curbs: Induction cooktop makers struggle to meet demand as imported component shortage looms

A sudden surge in demand for induction cooktops, triggered by India’s curbs on LPG supplies, has prompted kitchen appliance makers to ramp up production, testing supply chains for imported components.Demand for induction cooktops spiked after the government imposed restrictions on booking LPG cylinders and increased their prices, pushing restaurants and households in urban areas to look for electric cooking alternatives.At Stovekraft Ltd, the parent company of kitchen appliance brands Pigeon and Gilma, average sales of induction cooktops increased about four times over the past few days, with weekly demand about five-fold higher than in the same period last year, managing director Rajendra Gandhi told Mint.“Induction cooktops are currently seeing the strongest demand, followed by cookware,” Gandhi said. Demand is largely from retail consumers through online channels, with some traction from restaurants and cloud kitchens, he said.Wonderchef Home Appliances Pvt Ltd founder and CEO Ravi Saxena said the company’s monthly inventory of induction cooktops sold out within hours after demand suddenly spiked.“Whatever we sell in a month has already been consumed in less than half a day,” Saxena said.

Induction cooktops account for about 5% of Wonderchef’s sales, though the recent spike has pushed the category into sharper focus, according to Saxena.“Sales volumes that typically take about two weeks to achieve are currently happening within a single day,” Subhadip Dutta Choudhury, chairman and CEO of Hawkins Cookers, told Mint.Hawkins started selling induction cooktops and electric kettles in July last year. The segment currently contributes low-single digits to the company’s revenue, according to Choudhury.There’s also been a