New Delhi: The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has invited manufacturers, distributors, system integrators and solution providers to register for a public vendor directory for commercial electric cooking, and is developing a standards and labelling framework for commercial induction hobs with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
Follow Energy Watch on X
Both moves were announced by Krushna Chandra Panigrahy, Director General of BEE, at the Commercial Induction Cooking Showcase and Chef Challenge held in New Delhi on Thursday. The event was organised by BEE under the Ministry of Power on the theme "Accelerating India's Electric Cooking Ambition: From Technology Demonstration to Real-World Adoption."
The directory, called the Go Electric Commercial Electric Cooking Vendor Directory, is intended to help hotels, restaurants, canteens, hospitals and institutions find credible providers, Panigrahy said.
He said BEE's objective is to move beyond individual demonstration projects towards a mature commercial e-cooking ecosystem, "where users have confidence in the technology, manufacturers understand market requirements, and policymakers have the evidence needed to support its scale-up."
Panigrahy also said India's energy transition is not only about cleaner energy sources but about using energy more efficiently, and that electric cooking brings together efficiency, energy security, convenience and sustainability in a single shift.
Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary in the Ministry of Power, was the chief guest and inaugurated an exhibition of commercial e-cooking appliances and technologies from seven manufacturers.
Agarwal said energy security is the real driver behind India's shift to electric cooking. He linked the case to the ongoing global conflict and the rising price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), describing the transition to e-cooking as both a strategic shift and an operational choice.
According to him, the enabling base for the transition already exists. He cited the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA) and the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana as providing a foundation for promoting e-cooking appliances in the residential sector.
Agarwal was more specific about what has held adoption back. The barriers, he said, have been behavioural and infrastructural.
On the behavioural side he pointed to chef and consumer comfort with the taste of food cooked on induction. On the infrastructure side he cited gaps in local distribution capacity. He identified awareness creation as the fastest lever available to drive demand and mainstream electric cooking across the country.
The taste question was put on display at the event itself. The inaugural session was followed by a Commercial Induction Chef Challenge in which three chefs prepared dishes on induction cooktops, allowing participants to observe cooking performance, ease of use, heat control and cooking time.
The event brought together policymakers, public sector enterprises, manufacturers, technology providers, chefs, hoteliers and commercial kitchen operators. Neha Dhingra, Director at CLASP, delivered the welcome address.
BEE closed the event by restating its commitment to work with the Ministry of Power, CLASP, manufacturers, industry associations, public sector enterprises and commercial kitchen operators on adoption of energy-efficient electric cooking.
Follow Energy Watch on LinkedIN
BEE was set up on March 1, 2002 under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001, with a mandate that includes reducing the energy intensity of the Indian economy and both regulatory and promotional functions.
