The cost of home-cooked vegetarian thali remained flat in March, while the price of non-vegetarian thali fell by about 1%, mainly due to lower broiler prices, according to the latest Crisil Roti Rice Rate (RRR) report.
The report calculates the average cost of preparing a thali based on prevailing input prices in North, South, East and West India. The monthly price movement reflects its impact on household spending. The monitored ingredients include cereals, pulses, broilers, vegetables, spices, edible oil and cooking gas.
“Vegetarian thali costs remained stable in March as lower prices of onions, potatoes and pulses offset increases in tomato, edible oil and fuel costs. Tomato prices rose due to delayed transplanting in key regions, while onion prices fell due to oversupply and weak demand weighing on potato prices,” said Pushan Sharma, Director, Crisil Intelligence.
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Tomato prices rose by 33% year-on-year. ₹28 per kg in March, from ₹21 per kg in March 2025. The increase was due to delayed transplanting in key producing states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, which affected crop growth, yields and early market arrivals.
In contrast, onion prices fell 25% year-on-year due to oversupply from overlapping late arrivals of the kharif and rabi harvests coupled with weak export demand. This surplus led to distress sales, especially given the limited shelf life of late kharif onions. Potato prices also fell by 13% year-on-year, mainly due to weak demand from the hotel, restaurant and hospitality (HORECA) sector and continued liquidation of stocks.
Legume prices fell 6% year-on-year, supported by higher opening stocks in the current fiscal. Tur stocks for the July-June marketing year are estimated to be 20% higher, while Bengal gram stocks for the January-December marketing year are about 10% higher, putting downward pressure on prices.
Meanwhile, non-vegetarian thali costs fell by about 1%, driven by an estimated 2% year-on-year decline in broiler chicken prices, which account for nearly 50% of total costs, and a high base. The decline was further supported by lower prices of onions, potatoes and pulses.
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Month-on-month, costs of vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis declined by 3% and 2% respectively in March. Tomato and potato prices fell by 6% each, while onion prices fell by 14%, driven by higher market arrivals and weak exports as well as domestic demand, which contributed to the overall decline. Non-vegetarian thali costs gradually eased due to an estimated 2% month-on-month decline in broiler chicken prices as demand softened during Navratri, when many consumers avoid non-vegetarian food.
The cost of edible oil and LPG is increasing
Vegetable oil prices rose 6% year-on-year due to global supply shortages. The cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders also increased by 14% year-on-year, which partially offset the overall decrease in catering costs.
According to Sharma, the conflict in West Asia has driven oil prices higher, which in turn has pushed up edible oil prices amid growing demand from the biofuels segment. Global palm and sunflower oil prices rose during the month, spilling over into domestic markets. At the same time, importers became cautious due to high prices, limiting purchases and weighing ending stocks.
Sharma said, “In the near term, geopolitical uncertainties are expected to keep vegetable oil prices high. Onion prices are expected to remain under pressure in the near term due to high inflows and sluggish export demand.”
However, with an estimated 10% drop in production and reported damage to the summer crop (which is key for lean season supplies), onion prices are expected to recover gradually in the coming months. A revival in exports or intervention by the National Federation for Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Development (NAFED) could further support prices, Sharma added.
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