iWorld
Snapchat partners four IPL teams
MUMBAI: IPL 2018 fans better get ready as four of your favourite teams are coming to Snapchat. The social media platform has announced its partnership with four IPL teams–the Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils and the Rajasthan Royals. The teams have joined Snapchat for Official Stories on 9 April 2018
Snapchat has also released new creative tools for fans to support their teams and join the fun, such as custom stickers, filters and lenses. The lenses transform you into a helmeted player, with the team anthem playing in the background, and are available automatically in each team’s state or by scanning a Snapcode in Snapchat.
“We love finding new ways to make Snapchat a great place for fans,” said Snapchat vice president of partnerships Ben Schwerin. “We are so excited for Snapchatters to be able to catch behind the scenes action by their favourite players, cheer their teams and share in the IPL 2018 frenzy with their friends and family!”
This is Snapchat’s first partnership with India’s largest sporting event. The company is excited to give every cricket fanatic the opportunity to celebrate and support their teams better, on and off the field, through these new Official Stories. Snaps created by these official team accounts will be featured in the Discover section of Snapchat, and will provide glimpses of the action that you won’t be able to find elsewhere.
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iWorld
Tech firms tweak office operations amid LPG shortage concerns
Infosys, HCLTech and Cognizant adjust cafeteria services and work policies.
MUMBAI: When geopolitics turns up the heat, even office cafeterias start feeling the burn. Several technology companies in India are adjusting workplace operations and food services as concerns over a nationwide shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) grow following escalating tensions in West Asia. Major IT firms including Cognizant, Infosys and HCLTech have begun rolling out contingency measures to reduce dependence on office cafeterias that rely heavily on commercial LPG.
The disruption stems from rising geopolitical tensions involving Iran after military action by the United States and Israel reportedly led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route for oil and gas supplies. The closure has disrupted the movement of LPG and liquefied natural gas across international markets, triggering concerns about supply constraints and price volatility.
According to a report by The Times of India, Cognizant has advised employees to bring their own meals to office where possible to reduce reliance on office cafeterias dependent on LPG based cooking.
The company has reportedly told staff that it is preparing for potential disruptions driven by supply prioritisation, price fluctuations and pressure on vendor networks.
As part of contingency planning, Cognizant is identifying alternative food vendors that do not rely on LPG. These include kitchens using induction based or solar powered cooking systems.
The company is also exploring partnerships with cloud kitchens that operate on electric or solar power to ensure uninterrupted food supply in case conventional cooking gas availability worsens.
Additionally, Cognizant is evaluating the possibility of expanding work from home or hybrid arrangements for non critical roles, partly to reduce commuting exposure if fuel prices rise sharply due to global energy disruptions.
Meanwhile, HCLTech allowed employees at its Chennai office to work from home on March 12 and March 13 after cafeteria vendors were unable to operate because of the LPG shortage.
Several food service vendors at the campus reportedly suspended operations as they struggled to secure cooking gas supplies, prompting the company to permit staff to work remotely for the two days.
Infosys has also issued internal advisories across multiple locations, including its campuses in Bengaluru and Chennai.
The company informed employees in Bengaluru that cafeteria services would continue but with reduced menu options due to concerns around commercial LPG availability.
As part of the temporary adjustments, live food counters have been suspended, and employees have been encouraged to bring home cooked food while the situation evolves.
While LPG shortages in India remain a developing situation, the measures taken by these technology firms highlight how global geopolitical disruptions can ripple through unexpected corners of the economy, even the humble office lunch.
For companies with large campuses and thousands of employees relying on daily cafeteria services, cooking fuel shortages can quickly turn into an operational challenge. Until global supply chains stabilise, many workplaces may find themselves rethinking everything from food sourcing to flexible work policies.
