Salt therapy for a variety of ailments is still in its early days in India

Salt Therapy is effective in increasing one's lung capacity, so it's good for athletes too, said Deepthi Babu, founder, Salt World

The first order of business in Deepthi Babu’s health spa in Bengaluru is to slip on disposable footcovers and a shower cap. The next is to find yourself a spot among the comfy chairs next to a magazine stand or the shelf stacked with toys.

About 15 minutes into our conversation, as if pre-programmed to maximise embarrassment, my nose turns leaky. Tissues are one of the two things stockpiled here; the other is salt for halotherapy. In Greek, “halo” is a prefix meaning salt, and a leaky nose, I’m assured, is all part of the long game when salt turns