Electric cooktops in India have entered an unusually sharp growth phase, triggered by recent gas shortage concerns, emanating from restricted movement of crude oil and natural gas through the Strait of Hormuz.

As a result, consumers rushed to find alternative cooking products. March, 2026 was the breakout month, with offline retail consumer offtake of Electric Cooktops crossing INR 600 Cr+ and volumes reaching 26 lakh+ units, compared to 7 lakh units per month in the pre-war months. Nearly half of this incremental surge was retained in Apr’26, with 14 lakh+ units, indicating that a 10 lakh+ units per month run-rate might be here to stay. This represents a sharp consumer shift toward kitchen security.

Infrared Cooktops emerged as a winning product – sales contribution of 14% of sales in Feb’26, jumped to 22% value by April. Infrared solves induction’s utensil-compatibility barrier, albeit with lower efficiency. For many Indian households, Infrared offers a lower-friction transition, since consumers can continue using their existing cookware.

The next phase will depend on whether brands can convert crisis-led purchases into habit-led usage. Amid gas shortage concerns, brands have positioned electric cooktops as timely kitchen saviours. The winning positioning is not just “modern cooking”, it is “cooking continuity.” India may not replace gas overnight, but it is clearly moving toward a ‘dual-cooktop’ kitchen, and electric cooktops are becoming the top second choice.