The Plinth

Wheelsets: The Risk That Could Derail India’s Rail Boom

India's Railway ambitions hinge on the wheelset, a small, unglamorous, but critically important component for railways.

By Dev Chandrasekhar
Published On 26 Feb 2026 6:00 AM IST

With India's Fertiliser Manufacturing Stuck In Policy Limbo, Imports Will Keep Rising

Since October 2019, multiple fertiliser plant applications have languished in the absence of a successor to NIP-2012. This has stalled manufacturing investment and will accelerate import dependence for years.

By Dev Chandrasekhar
Published On 12 Feb 2026 6:00 AM IST

Proven KG Basin to Iffy Andaman: A $10 Billion Gamble For Ultra-Deepwater Crude

With over 88% import dependency, India's state oil companies are investing massively in offshore drilling, balancing safe bets in proven basins against risky frontier exploration.

By Dev Chandrasekhar
Published On 5 Feb 2026 6:00 AM IST

India’s Cooking Gas Crisis Proves That Ingenuity Is Not A Strategy

As kitchens swap LPG for kerosene and electric coils, a supply disruption exposes India’s heavy reliance on the Strait of Hormuz and its fragile energy strategy.

By - Govindraj Ethiraj

Published on 16 March 2026 12:19 PM IST

India’s Real Energy Crisis Isn’t In The Gulf. It’s The Lack Of Political Will At Home

West Asia conflict exposes India’s energy vulnerabilities, highlighting need for policy reforms, coal use and reduced dependence on imported fuels.

By - TK Arun

Published on 13 March 2026 6:00 AM IST

No Shortage, Government Says. But Long Queues At Gas Agencies Tell A Different Story.

The West Asia conflict has disrupted LPG imports, fuelling panic buying in India and affecting availability for commercial users and low-income households. As the government introduces rationing, sales of induction cooktops are climbing. Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the rush to book cylinders is “driven by consumer anxiety rather than any actual supply shortage.”

By - Shubhangi Bhatia

Published on 13 March 2026 6:00 AM IST

How A Major Dollar Rise In Crude Oil Travels Through India’s Energy Chain

Every major rise in crude considerably widens the trade deficit, strains the fiscal position, and compresses downstream margins while handing upstream producers a gain the government promptly taxes away. The asymmetric arithmetic is most unkind to refiners.

By - Dev Chandrasekhar