Quick Take | The other costs of war
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.