In May 2025, the cost of home-cooked vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis declined by 6 per cent each year-on-year, according to a Crisil report. The decline was due to a sharp drop in the prices of key vegetables, led by the high-base effect.
According to Crisil analysis, tomato prices fell 29 per cent to Rs 23 per kg from Rs 33 per kg in May 2025 as concerns over yield had lifted prices last year.
Prices of onion and potato declined 15 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively, year-on-year in May as potato prices had shot up last year due to crop damage following blight infestations and unseasonal rainfall in West Bengal, while onion prices had increased due to lower rabi acreage and yield, as water availability in key growing states – Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka – was low.
Crisil found in its analysis that a 19 per cent year-on-year jump in vegetable oil prices due to a rise in import duty and a 6 per cent year-on-year rise in the price of liquefied petroleum gas cylinder prevented a further drop in thali cost in May.
Along with lower vegetable prices, an estimated 6 per cent year-on-year decline in the price of broiler chicken made non-vegetarian thalis cheaper.
“The decline in prices of broiler — which makes up about 50 per cent of the non-vegetarian thali cost — was due to oversupply and lower demand amid bird flu reported in parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka,” the Crisil report read.
On a month-on-month basis, the cost of a vegetarian thali remained stable, while that of non-vegetarian thali reduced 2 per cent in May 2025.
Potato and tomato prices rose 3 per cent and 10 per cent month-on-month, respectively, while onion prices dipped 10 per cent, thereby keeping the vegetarian thali cost unchanged month-on-month.
The Crisil report noted that an estimated 4 per cent month-on-month decline in broiler prices contributed towards the decrease in the non-vegetarian thali cost in May.
