News Broadcasting
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town!
MUMBAI: Christmas traditions are practiced in many different ways. For some, it’s reading Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” or Clement Clarke Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas”. While others enjoy watching “The Nutcracker” ballet or “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” on television.
Yet, others maybe prefer tracking Santa’s Christmas Eve journey, compliments of the North American Aerospace Command, Verizon and the rest of the NORAD Tracks Santa team. For the 11th consecutive year Verizon employees will again join more than 1,250 Christmas Eve volunteers – including military personnel, their families and friends, and other corporate contributors – in answering calls and e-mails to the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline and operations center.
To enable children around the world track Santa’s progress, Verizon is providing the toll-free hotline – 1877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723). The hotline will be in operation from 4:00 a.m. on Dec. 24 until 3:00 a.m. (Mountain Standard Time) on Dec. 25. (Callers outside North America can reach the hotline by dialing the local Colorado Springs number at 719-556-5211 using the applicable country code. International calling charges may apply.)
In addition, Verizon is providing call-handling technology, as well as its 4G LTE wireless network to help volunteers respond to e-mails and track Santa’s progress online.
Beginning at 12:01 a.m. MST on Dec. 24, children can visit the NORAD Tracks Santa website to see real-time information, including radar maps and streaming “SantaCam” video. Information will be available in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, and Chinese.
Also starting on Dec. 24, children can send an e-mail to noradtrackssanta@outlook.com to find Santa’s whereabouts. For children (and adults) who are more tech savvy, a free downloadable NORAD Tracks Santa mobile app (iOS, Android, Windows) is available. Santa can also be tracked via Facebook, Google+, Twitter (@noradsanta) and YouTube.
“The holiday season is a powerful reminder of the importance of giving back,” said Michael Maiorana, senior vice president of public sector markets, Verizon Enterprise Solutions. “For over a decade, Verizon has been a part of the NORAD Tracks Santa team, donating a range of services that brings Santa alive to children around the globe by enabling them to speak with Santa’s helpers and track his travels online and via their mobile devices. This is a part of our Christmas tradition.”
In 2012, more than 114,000 phone calls and nearly 7,000 e-mails were received and answered. The NORAD Tracks Santa website had over 22.3 million unique visitors from 235 countries and territories during December 2012.
NORAD, the binational U.S.-Canadian military organization responsible for defending the aerospace of both countries, has tracked Santa for the past 58 years. The NORAD Tracks Santa tradition began in 1955 after a misprinted advertisement directed children to call the Continental Air Defense Command (NORAD’s predecessor organization) instead of a retailer’s special Santa hotline.
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.
