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Informist, Friday, Mar. 6, 2026

 

--Crisil arm: Cost of non-vegetarian thali down 3% YoY at INR 55.6 in Feb 

--Crisil arm: Cost of vegetarian thali flat on year at INR 27.1 in Feb 

 

MUMBAI – The cost of a home-cooked non-vegetarian meal fell 3% on year in February, while the cost of a vegetarian meal was steady on year, according to CRISIL Intelligence. The fall in the price of non-vegetarian meals was due to an estimated 7% on-year decline in broiler prices, which account for around 50% of the cost, on a high base, it said in a report. 

 

The cost of a non-vegetarian thali was INR 55.6 in February. Lower prices of onion, potato and pulses also contributed to the decline while elevated tomato prices limited the fall in the cost of non-vegetarian meals, it said. 

 

In February, the price of a vegetarian meal was flat on a yearly basis. "Despite a decline in the prices of onion, potato and pulses, the cost of a veg thali remained stable as tomato prices rose sharply," the report said. The cost of a vegetarian thali was INR 27.1 in February. 

 

Tomato prices rose 43% on year to INR 33 per kg in February from INR 23 a kg a year ago as mandi arrivals between November and January fell 32% on year due to delayed transplantation affecting crop yield and tightening supplies, the report said. On the other hand, onion prices fell 24% on year due to an influx of late kharif onions. Due to limited shelf life onions were disposed to the market immediately amid subdued exports, which also led to the fall in rates, it said.

 

Potato prices fell 13% on year as the crop has entered the peak harvest phase, which coincides with continued liquidation of cold storage stock from the previous rabi season, accordng to the report. Meanwhile, pulse prices declined 9% on year on account of higher opening stocks in the current fiscal year. Tur inventories for the Jul-Jun marketing year are estimated to be 20% higher, while bengal gram stocks for the Jan-Dec marketing year are 10% higher this season, exerting downward pressure on prices, it said.

 

Vegetable oil prices rose 4% on year due to tighter supply of soybean oil in the global market. "However, a 6% on-year increase in the prices of liquefied petroleum gas cylinders limited the decline in the overall cost of thalis," according to the release.

 

On a monthly basis, the cost of vegetarial and non-vegetarian thalis declined 5% and 1%, respectively, in February, it said. Tomato, potato and onion prices dipped 29%, 6% and 4%, respectively, due to higher arrivals. This led to a fall in cost of vegetarian meals on a monthly basis. The cost of a non-vegetarian thali fell at a slower pace because of an estimated 2% on-month rise in broiler prices due to higher feed costs, strong seasonal demand and firm supply.

 

Crisil calculates the average cost of preparing a thali based on input prices prevailing in north, south, east, and west India.  End

 

Reported by Taniva Singha Roy

Edited by Avishek Dutta

 

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