Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 7 : Rising tensions in West Asia and concerns over fuel supply have renewed focus on induction-based cooking solutions in India, with industry players calling for policy support to boost domestic manufacturing and reduce dependence on LPG.
According to industry representatives, geopolitical disruptions have increased concerns around fuel availability and prices, prompting a push toward electric cooking technologies that are more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
While speaking to ANI, Dr Chandra Mouli, Director of Lorman Kitchen Equipment Private Limited, said the company has been promoting induction-based bulk cooking solutions for years as an alternative to gas-based systems.
Talking about the equipment, he said, "This is basically induction cooking equipment, which runs on electricity. Since we have seen the trails in West Asia, the scarcity of LPG in India is high," he said.
Highlighting the cost benefits, Mouli said the technology can significantly reduce cooking expenses for commercial users. "The advantage with the induction is it is... this will be 60 per cent cheaper than LPG running cost," he added.
The government is also encouraging domestic production of induction heaters and related equipment. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has formulated a strategy to strengthen the manufacturing ecosystem not only for induction stoves but also for compatible utensils and cookware.
Experts say wider adoption of induction technology could help reduce reliance on imported fuels and improve energy security while lowering emissions.
Explaining how the technology works, Mouli said induction systems heat the contents directly instead of the vessel. "While heating even the vessel does not get heated, only the content inside gets heated. So there is no heating of environment, this becomes eco-friendly, flame free kitchen, there will not be any fire hazard in the kitchen," he said.
He added that the equipment can also run on renewable power. "It can also run on solar connected PV cells... then it becomes 100 per cent eco-friendly kitchen, we call it a clean green kitchen," Mouli said.
The company said its bulk induction cooking systems can replace conventional gas burners used in commercial kitchens and large community cooking setups.
"This equipment is for bulk cooking... you can replace the gas burner and use this electrical burner. Any type of food what you cook in a normal commercial burner, you can use this as an alternative equipment and this is 100 per cent safe to use and eco-friendly itself," Mouli said.
Pramod Mouli, General Manager at the company, said the technology also improves kitchen conditions and cooking quality.
"When there is no toxic gas released, the environment is not getting heated and you have precision control of temperature... all these things will lead to a good food quality and food accuracy of cooking," he said.
Industry representatives have also urged the government to reduce GST on induction equipment to accelerate adoption and support domestic manufacturing of the technology.