News of a possible power crisis soon in several Indian states must have many people nervously checking for an item that was once imperative in Indian homes. The Flashlight or electric torch was meant to be kept in a fixed place so you could fumble and find it when the power went off at night, but of course someone always moved it. Which lead to multiple Flashlights being bought. Kids were given their own small one - it was a thrill to realise you had this power at your disposal. There might be a big boxy one with a powerful beam and a handle, sleek small ones acquired from friends in the military or airlines with surprising power for their size and a massive metal one which could be a weapon against burglars: first dazzle, then hit them with it. But multiple torches also meant a major outlay on batteries, which were always inconveniently running out. As the power situation improved in metros, or people installed inverters and generators, flashlights were quietly forgotten. And then we discovered the flashlight function on phones, which seemed to be the final blow. Why buy a dedicated flashlight when the device you had with you all the time could do the job? This was an example of an innovation that came from users, since no manufacturer seems to have thought that phones would be used for such a basic function. But users discovered that the LED device meant to help take photos could be tweaked to stay on longer, serving as a flashlight. Smartphones routinely include a touchscreen button to turn on the light now and no dark space in cities seems free of them. Whether in dim restaurants to read the menu, at music concerts to wave with the music, on roads where the streetlighting is low or in cinema halls just to be annoying, phone flashlights always seem to be switching on. And yet there is a world still illuminated by flashlights. "Darkness means something different outside big cities," says Rajeev Varindani, whose company Lightmen LED Flashlights imports leading brands like Fenix. Farmers still need flashlights, he explains, to use at night to frighten away animals from their fields, or to turn on pumps when water only comes at night. "The range of a phone flashlight is too small," he says. "A snake on the path will be on you before you see it. And there is always the risk of the battery draining fast." Flashlights are mandatory for certain professions, like pilots and aircraft engineers. Peering into the innards of an aircraft engine requires more powerful and precise illumination than a phone flashlight can provide. Security services are another big user of dedicated flashlights, including high end models that easily provide well over 1000 lumens in lighting power (most phones provide only 50), and are built to withstand hard impact and are waterproof. Many flashlights now come with other features, like different coloured lighting or UV lighting, which can be used for purposes like authenticating IDs or large currency notes. Flashlights come with wide searchlight beams made of multiple lights, or beams that provide a tightly focussed spotlight. There are models to mount on bikes or to attach to your head. Some designs allow the head to be angled and the base can be placed like a table lamp. And in a throwback to that burglar busting torch Varindani says a flashlight design with spikes is recommended for women to carry as protection against assailants: "first you blind them with the light and then use the spikes as defence. The spikes would also be useful in situations like being trapped in a bus and you need something to break the glass to free yourself." He explains that flashlights are an essential part of the Everyday Carry (EDC) movement, which has become popular on the Internet as people trade tips on the best combinations of portable, yet tough gadgets to carry to deal with possible emergency situations. In a world which seems beset by crises, a good flashlight can seem essential. Varindani estimates that the market in India is still around 80% dominated by battery powered flashlights, but says that this will change fast. Rechargeable flashlights reduce dependence on batteries and are environmentally preferable. Last year the government of India drafted the Battery Waste Management Rules 2020 which makes significant changes to how batteries must be disposed, now clearly putting responsibility on manufacturers and dealers. The earlier rules allowed exemptions for small manufacturers and certain kinds of batteries, but these loopholes have now been closed. This will make batteries both more expensive and harder to get, and will have a major impact on flashlights. But by pushing the market to convert to rechargeable, much as phones have familiarised users with the benefits of LED lights, the flashlight business looks set to keep shining.