Watch | Tackling the helium crisis in India

Rich source: Of the natural gas emanating from the boiling water in a tank in Bakreswar, 1.8% was helium. (Source: scanrail)

Helium is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, inert and a noble gas. The gas has been used in several applications apart from balloons. The United States is the most important exporter of helium across the world. But it is now planning to switch off export of helium from 2021. While Qatar is another possible exporter, acute political and diplomatic wrangles have made the country unreliable. This has created a crisis of obtaining helium in India.