New Delhi, March 12 (IANS) Induction cooktops are rapidly disappearing from online platforms as households across India rush to find alternatives to cooking gas amid growing concerns about LPG supply disruptions linked to the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Search results on leading quick-commerce platforms such as Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart and BigBasket are showing “Unavailable” and “Sold out” badges for many induction cooktops in several cities.These platforms, which usually promise deliveries within minutes, are witnessing a sudden surge in demand for electric cooking appliances as consumers look for options beyond LPG cylinders.

Large e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart are also witnessing a sharp increase in orders.According to an Amazon India spokesperson, sales of induction cooktops have surged more than 30 times over the last two days.“At the same time, rice cookers and electric pressure cookers are seeing nearly four times the usual demand, while air fryers and multi-use kettles are recording around double their normal sales,” the spokesperson added.Flipkart also confirmed a sharp rise in demand, saying that sales of induction cooktops have quadrupled over the past four to five days compared with the previous few weeks.

The company noted that demand spikes are especially high in areas such as Delhi, Kolkata and parts of Uttar Pradesh, where consumers are trying to secure alternatives amid fears of future price volatility and supply shortages.The surge in demand reflects growing anxiety among households and small businesses about the availability of cooking gas.The West Asia conflict has raised concerns about disruptions in the supply of liquefied petroleum gas and other energy resources.At the same time, oil marketing companies have reportedly asked LPG distributors to prioritise supplies for essential institutions such as hospitals and educational establishments.

Meanwhile, the government has increased domestic LPG production by about 25 per cent and is directing the entire output towards household consumers to ensure uninterrupted cooking gas supply amid the evolving situation in West Asia.According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the government issued an order on March 8 asking refineries and petrochemical complexes to maximise LPG production.

/ IANS