Cost of Home-Cooked Thali Declines in January
The cost of a home-cooked vegetarian thali dropped by 9% in January 2025 compared to December 2024, while the price of a non-vegetarian thali declined by 4%, according to data compiled by Crisil Ratings.
New Delhi: The cost of a home-cooked vegetarian thali dropped by 9% in January 2025 compared to December 2024, while the price of a non-vegetarian thali declined by 4%, according to data compiled by Crisil Ratings.
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The decrease in thali prices was largely driven by a significant 34% fall in tomato prices, thanks to the fresh arrival of the rabi crop in the market. Other contributing factors included a 16% drop in potato prices and a 21% fall in onion prices compared to the previous month.
However, the cost of a non-vegetarian thali dropped at a slower pace due to a 1% rise in broiler (chicken) prices month-on-month, as reported by Crisil.
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Year-on-Year Price Changes
On a year-on-year basis, there was a 2% increase in the price of a vegetarian thali in January 2025, while the cost of a non-vegetarian thali surged by 17%. The rise in the non-veg thali price was mainly attributed to the 33% jump in broiler (chicken) prices compared to January 2024, with chicken accounting for approximately 50% of the cost of a non-veg thali. This surge in prices was a result of a low base in the previous year when chicken prices had dropped due to excess production.
Potato prices also saw a notable rise of 35%, reaching Rs 31 per kg in January 2025 compared to Rs 23 per kg in January 2024. Additionally, prices of pulses and cooking oil saw an increase year-on-year.
Offset by Lower LPG Prices
Despite the rise in the cost of some ingredients, the 11% year-on-year drop in the cost of LPG fuel helped offset some of the price increases. The price of a 14.2 kg LPG cylinder in Delhi fell from Rs 903 in January 2024 to Rs 803 in January 2025.
India’s Retail Inflation Eases
India’s retail inflation rate, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), fell to a 4-month low of 5.22% in December 2024, as prices of vegetables, pulses, and sugar eased. This provided some relief to household budgets. Retail inflation had peaked at 6.21% in October 2024 but declined to 5.48% in November.
The easing inflation reflects a steady decline following the peak in October, driven largely by a drop in food item prices.
