News Broadcasting
BBC, ESPN win at Webbys 2002
The Webby Awards – run by the The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences – are the pinnacle of recognition that Internet sites receive from the industry for excellence in the online realm. And in its sixth edition, the Webbys saw quite a few media firms getting a pat on their backs for their Internet forays.
The BBC pocketed two awards – one for Best News and the second for Best Radio. The Osbournes a reality show focusing on rock star Ozzy Osbourne’s family bagged one for best television. Search engine Google pocketed the best practices award for the second year in succession for serving as a model of excellence.
Several sites walked away with both a Webby Award and a People’s Voice Award, which is decided by public vote. Dual winners included espn.com for Best Sports, Lonely Planet Online; Amazon.com for Best Commerce; The Onion for Best Humor; epicurious.com for Best Living; and evite.com for Best Services.
The sixth year of the Webbys witnessed a record number of entries – indicating that the disgruntlement by the business world with the Internet was easing off. Entries from 36 nations came in. Among these: AllAfrica.com (Mauritius-News), Debkafile (Israel-News), BBC News Online (United Kingdom-News), Freemuse (Denmark-Music), RTE Interactive Radio (Ireland-Radio), and The Vatican (Vatican City-Spirituality).
“This year’s winners and nominees surely live up to the title ‘world wide’,” Webby Awards founder Tiffany Shlain reportedly told the attendees at the awards ceremony. “The Webby Awards are proud to honor the Web sites that are setting the standards for the medium and bringing the world online.”
Three new awards- The Rising Star Award, the Top Global Site and the Top US site – were unfurled at the Webby Awards 2002. These recognise sites that excel at attracting visitors and were presented in partnership with Nielsen//NetRatings.
The winners of the three awards were the following in the order stated: self-assessment site Emode, Yahoo! and AOL.com.
The list of winners:
ACTIVISIM: tolerance.org
BEST PRACTICES: Google
BROADBAND: GUGGENHEIM.COM
COMMERCE: Amazon.com
COMMUNITY: Idealist.org
EDUCATION: Exploratorium
FASHION: ZOOZOOM.com Magazine
FILM: Donnie Darko
FINANCE: Yahoo! Finance
GAMES: Netbaby
GOVERNMENT and LAW: Library of Congress
HEALTH: teenwire.com
HUMOR: The Onion
KIDS: OLogy
LIVING: epicurious.com
MUSIC: LOOPLABS
NET ART: 360degrees
NEWS: BBC News
PERSONAL SITE: The Committee to Free Lori Berenson
POLITICS: Center for Responsive Politics
PRINT and ZINES: Salon.com
RADIO: BBC Radio 4 website
SCIENCE: Becoming Human
SERVICES: evite
SPIRITUALITY: BeliefNet
SPORTS: ESPN.com
TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT : David Rumsey Historical Map Collection
TRAVEL: Lonely Planet Online
TELEVISION: The Osbournes
WEIRD: Devices of Wonder
RISING STAR: Emode
TOP U.S. PROPERTY: AOL
TOP GLOBAL PROPERTY: Yahoo!
News Broadcasting
Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
