Cost of home-cooked thali declined in March: Crisil

There was a decline in onion, potato and tomato prices by 5 per cent, 7 per cent and 8 per cent respectively compared to the previous month amid fresh arrivals of the crop which led to the drop in the cost of a thali.

The cost of a non-vegetarian thali declined owing to an estimated 7 per cent on-month drop in broiler chicken prices. An elevated supply in the North, coupled with slower demand amid a bird flu scare in the South, led to the dip in broiler prices.

As far as the comparison with the cost of March last year, the cost of a home-cooked vegetarian thali declined 3 per cent , while that of a non-vegetarian thali remained flat on-year in March.

The on-year decline in the cost of a vegetarian thali was due to a sharp dip in the prices of tomato

Year-on-year tomato prices declined 34 per cent to Rs 21/kg in March 2025 from Rs 32/ kg in March 2024.

Arrival of tomato crop across the country rose 29 per cent. The increase was particularly in the southern states, which had a robust Rabi crop due to increased acreage and better yield on-year amid healthy reservoir levels

However, a 2 per cent, 6 per cent and 19 per cent on-year jump in the prices of potato, onion and vegetable oil, respectively, prevented a further decline in the cost of a vegetarian thali.

The average cost of preparing a thali at home is calculated based on input prices prevailing in North, South, East and West India. The monthly change reflects the impact on the common man’s expenditure.

Crisil Intelligence director Pushan Sharma said, “Vegetable prices remained subdued in March, with those of onion, potato and tomato declining on-month due to fresh arrivals. However, we expect prices to bottom out and start picking up in April, as witnessed last year in case of potato and tomato. Onion prices are likely to be supported by strong export momentum, while potato prices are expected to trend upward as cold storage stocks enter the market. Tomato prices, too, are expected to see a moderate increase due to lower Rabi arrivals.”