Engaging India is an online column analysing the issues, trends and forces behind the business and politics shaping India and its impact on the world. Engaging India appears Thursday mornings exclusively on FT.com India, a dedicated online section on India, and is written by Jo Johnson, the Financial Times’ South Asia bureau chief; Amy Yee, New Delhi correspondent; and Joe Leahy, Mumbai correspondent.

Things break frequently in India, often in mystifying ways. My air conditioner melted down, nearly suffocating me with fumes. Electrical appliances frequently sputter sparks from their plugs. A new scarf with low-quality dyes can turn one’s neck embarrassingly purple. And in a most bizarre display, a glass tumbler once broke cleanly in half after I filled it with regular, room-temperature water.