Homecooked food gets cheaper! Per-plate thali price levels drop as inflation cools: Report

The prices of home-cooked thalis in India eased significantly in October, with vegetarian thalis falling 17% and non-vegetarian thalis dropping 12% year-on-year, according to Crisil Intelligence’s latest Roti Rice Rate (RRR) report. The main drivers behind the decline were sharply lower prices for vegetables and pulses.Among vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes, and onions saw the steepest declines. Potato prices fell 31%, supported by a 3-4% rise in Rabi season production for 2024-2025. Tomato prices were down 40% due to higher supply from western and southern markets, while onions plummeted 51%, reflecting ample stock from the previous Rabi season and subdued exports. “Traders have been offloading the Rabi season stocks in anticipation of fresh Kharif arrivals in November,” the report said, as cited by ANI.Pulse prices also softened, dropping 17% as imports surged. Bengal gram imports rose nine-fold last fiscal, yellow peas by 85%, and black gram by 31%, easing pressure on thali costs.However, not all ingredients became cheaper. Vegetable oil prices jumped 11% on the back of festival season demand, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder prices rose 6% year-on-year, preventing further reductions in overall thali costs.Non-vegetarian thalis recorded a smaller decline, as broiler prices fell only 6% year-on-year. “Broilers account for about half of the thali cost. Lower prices of vegetables and pulses, however, helped bring down the overall cost,” the report noted.On a month-on-month basis, thali costs edged down marginally, 1% for vegetarian and 3% for non-vegetarian, with onion and tomato prices falling 3% and 8% respectively. Broiler prices also eased 4% month-on-month amid oversupply, contributing to the smaller reduction in non-vegetarian thali costs.India’s retail inflation remained muted, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) showing a headline rate of 1.54% in September 2025, the lowest since June 2017. The slowdown was largely driven by favourable base effects and price reductions in vegetables, oil and fats, fruits, pulses, cereals and products, eggs, and fuel and light.Retail inflation data for October is expected later this week.