The Hindu Crossword 8289 Solutions - by Vinod & Rajagopal

Across
1 Reducing fat in the bakery (10) SHORTENING (Direct)
7 A group of people in a competition (4) RACE (Dbl Def)
9 Logs left by Brown (6) LUMBER (left=L, brown=UMBER => L+UMBER)
10 Stashing away a billboard (8) HOARDING (Dbl Def)
11 Support for spouse Al abandoned (8) ESPOUSAL (spouse Al abandoned = ana. SPOUSE+AL)
12 Old Primates imitate human (6) APEMEN (imitate=APE, human=MEN => APE+MEN)
13 Desperate note in French-African party (7) FRANTIC (note=TI, French=FR, African party=ANC=>note in French-African party = FR+AN(TI)C))
16 Apply a coat to metal — to aid one's improvement (7) ANODISE (aid one's improvement = ana. AID+ONES)
17 Leader of pianists, I deserved to be copied (7) PIRATED (Leader of pianists=P, I=I, deserved=RATED => P+I+RATED)
19 Attendant on flight poured water into empty sideboard (7) STEWARD (poured water=TEWAR, empty SideboarD=SD=>poured water into empty sideboard = S(TEWAR)D)
22 How to embrace everyone and venerate (6) HALLOW (How=HOW, everyone=ALL=>How to embrace everyone = H(ALL)OW)
23 Ornament that could get fiery in South Africa (8) NECKLACE (??)
26 Hypertension, for instance: I'd cure it somehow with this (8) DIURETIC (I'd cure it somehow = ana. ID+CURE+IT)
27 Weapon included in unfair gunnery practice (3,3) AIR GUN (Container => unfAIR GUNnery)
28 Soon to be incognito (4) ANON
29 Ceasing to work may fatigue people put in to soak (10) RETIREMENT (fatigure=TIRE, people=MEN, soak=RET=>fatigue people put in to soak = RE(TIRE+MEN)T)

Down
2 Time that belongs to us, they say (5) HOURS (that belongs to us=OURS=>that belongs to us, they say = homonym of OURS)
3 Apply polish below and prepare for painting (3,4) RUB DOWN (Apply polish=RUB, below=DOWN)
4 Money, a bad ruse to suppress love (5) EUROS (bad ruse=EURS, love=O=>bad ruse to suppress love = EUR(O)S)
5 Breathe in (6) INHALE (Direct)
6 Indian state gets time to be contrary (2,7) GO AGAINST (Indian state=GOA, gets=GAINS, time=T=>Indian state gets time = GOA+GAINS+T)
7 Person with a revolutionary top? (7) REDHEAD (revolutionary=RED, top=HEAD)
8 He makes admissions, or may hear them (9) CONFESSOR (Dbl Def)
14 A trio in UN, odd cause of collapse (9) RUINATION (A trio in UN, odd = ana. A+TRIO+IN+UN)
15 Cold drink in its solid and liquid forms, containing a drop of daiquiri (4,5) ICED WATER (solid and liquid forms=ICE WATER, drop of daiquiri=D=>solid and liquid forms, containing a drop of daiquiri = ICE(D) WATER)
18 Broadcast in progress about the French controller of lateral balance (7) AILERON (Broadcast=AIR, in progress=ON, the French=LE=>Broadcast in progress about the French = AIR+ON about LE = AI(LE)RON)
20 Gulp down butter and find tungsten (7) WOLFRAM (Gulp=WOLF, butter=RAM => WOLF+RAM)
21 Dam in Tamil Country with a crazy aunt in charge (6) ANICUT (crazy aunt in charge = ana. AUNT+IC(in charge))
24 Seat in a rich airline lounge (5) CHAIR (Container => riCH AIRline)
25 Turn milk into butter (5) CHURN (Direct)