(Photo | AFP)
Quick Take

Quick Take | The other costs of war

Transportation of essential healthcare products is taking a huge hit the West Asian War-related blockades of major sea shipping routes

Issac James Manayath

It's not just the supply chains of car fuel, cooking gas and fertilisers that the West Asia war is rattling. Among the diverse sectors feeling the heat are bottled water, medical equipment and space exploration. The rising cost of PET polymer, made from crude oil and used for making plastic bottles and caps, is pushing packaged water companies in India to raise prices by 5-15 percent just as summer is setting in. At the same time, the supply of helium, a byproduct of natural gas extraction that helps cool MRI magnets and pressurise propellant tanks, is suffering a similar disruption. It affects healthcare and the space missions of Isro. India needs assurance that the supply chains of these critical inputs are being diversified and de-risked, too.

Odisha Literary Festival 2026 begins; 'Literature offers emotional, spiritual comfort', says Arif Mohammad Khan

Death toll in Nepal floods rises to 1,344 as rescue efforts continue; Indian team advances at Chilime Tunnel

Ladakh Apex Body warns of intensified agitation ahead of September 9 talks with MHA

Seven engineering students among eight killed as TN car rams parked truck in Keralam's Thrissur

UN endorses new world map that depicts Africa's size more accurately; US slams move