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Fifa’s marketing agency Infront to donate public viewing revenues from 2006 World Cup to charity
MUMBAI: When football fans in Germany enjoy the matches of the 2006 Fifa World Cup on giant screens, SOS Children’s Villages will benefit too.
Infront Sports and Media, which handles the marketing of the broadcast rights to the 2006 Fifa World Cup, will donate all the broadcast license fee income generated from commercial public viewing activities in Germany to SOS Children’s Villages, Fifa’s adopted charity. A special World Cup charitable campaign has been set up called Six Villages for 2006.
When the final draw was announced a few days ago Infront’s donation approached 250.000 Euros in fee income from this category.
Infront executive director Günter Netzer says, “We hope that we will be able to double this amount before the opening ceremony. With the amount already announced, it will be possible to build a family home in one of the six villages and to secure its regular maintenance for five years.”
Netzer added, “As Fifa’s exclusive television partner, we are very happy to support Fifa’s chosen charity; also the official charity campaign of the 2006 Fifa World Cup. Our donation is linked to the enthusiasm of Germany’s football fans and I hope that the joy and the fun of the World Cup will contribute to the happiness of the future inhabitants of the six new SOS Children’s Villages.”
SOS Children’s Villages worldwide secretary Georg Willeit says. “We are delighted to have supporters like Günter Netzer and Infront and we hope that their engagement gives a positive signal towards other companies involved in the World Cup.”
As an expression of gratitude Willeit handed over a picture of the SOS Children’s Villages in Dong Hoi, Vietnam, to Netzer. This village is one of the Six Villages for 2006 and the only one where construction has been finished. While the Final Draw takes place in Leipzig, the children will be moving into the Dong Hoi facilities.
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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.
