Every year Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, is celebrated with a bang during Diwali. Quite literally: the “Lakshmi bomb”, a forefinger-sized firecracker, is among the most popular items on the menu. This year may be different. After outlawing the sale of firecrackers in Delhi last October, today India’s Supreme Court will hear a plea to extend the ban across the country. Last week the court, citing the annual crisis of air pollution, contended that fireworks were “not necessary to bring people together” during Diwali. The $870m industry argues that if it is to be shut down, so should all others that contaminate the air, including carmakers. If the court snuffs out the fun, could there be other ways to have a blast? A government-backed research institute in Punjab thinks so: it has created a prototype of an eco-friendly, reusable firecracker that will emit light and sound without the fuss of noxious gases.