Noida, Apr 4 (APAC Media): The Government of India has announced measures to boost domestic production of induction cooktops, responding to rising demand for electric cooking appliances and ongoing concerns over LPG supply.
The initiative will include a temporary easing of import rules to ensure sufficient availability for households and institutional kitchens, officials said.
At a high-level meeting led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, senior officials from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the Power Ministry, and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) assessed the current supply of induction cooktops and their key components.
The discussions focused on ensuring adequate availability and reasonable pricing as households and institutional kitchens increasingly shift toward electricity‑based cooking solutions.
“With the recent uptick in demand for induction cooktops, we want to ensure sufficient supply and affordability for consumers,” a senior government official told news agencies.
“We are prepared to ease norms where needed and support domestic industry to scale up production.” Official added.
Industry representatives at the meeting sought temporary concessions, including reduced import duties on critical components and a brief postponement in enforcing the Quality Control Order (QCO) for certain consumer electronics, allowing manufacturers additional time to ramp up production capacity.
Many of these inputs, such as printed circuit boards and microcrystalline glass, are largely imported, prompting calls for policy support.
The government is expected to allow import of finished cooktops and critical parts in the coming weeks to meet immediate requirements while domestic plants increase output. “Imports will help meet short‑term needs but the long‑term focus is on strengthening local production,” the official expressed.
In addition to household appliances, authorities are urging large kitchens, institutional canteens, and factories to switch from LPG or piped gas to electric cooking, citing long-term cost savings and reduced reliance on volatile gas markets. Industry experts caution that while such transitions involve upfront investment, they can deliver substantial operational savings over time.
(News Agency Inputs)
