The cost of a vegetable thali declined to Rs 31.2 per plate in August 2024 from Rs 34 in August 2023.
A vegetarian thali became cheaper by 8 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in August 2024 mainly on account of ease in the prices of tomato, fuel and vegetable oil.
A vegetarian thali became cheaper by 8 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in August 2024 mainly on account of ease in the prices of tomato, fuel and vegetable oil. The cost of non-veg thali in August 2024 also declined 12 per cent YoY due to a fall in broiler prices, according to the monthly ‘Roti Rice Rate’ report released by Crisil’s ‘Market Intelligence and Analysis’ on Friday.
The Cost Of A Veg Thali
The cost of a vegetable thali, which comprises roti, vegetables (onions, tomatoes and potatoes), rice, dal, curd and salad, declined to Rs 31.2 per plate in August 2024 from Rs 34 in August 2023, the Crisil report said.
“The decline in vegetarian thali cost is largely due to tomato prices, which are expected to decline further with fresh supplies from western and southern states coming into the market,” Pushan Sharma, director (research), CRISIL Market Intelligence and Analytics, said.
The report said prices of tomato, which accounted for about 14 per cent of the veg thali cost in August, declined 51 per cent on-year (from Rs 102 per kg in August 2023 to Rs 50 per kg in August 2024) due to fresh arrivals from southern and western states.
A 27 per cent drop in fuel cost — to Rs 803 for a 14.2 kg LPG cylinder in Delhi in March 2024 from Rs 1,103 in August 2023 –contributed to the decline. Moreover, prices of vegetable oil, chilli and cumin, which together account for less than 5% of the veg thali cost, eased 6%, 30% and 58% on-year, respectively, it added.
On a monthly basis, the cost of a veg thali fell by 4 per cent, driven by tomato prices, which fell 23 per cent on-month from Rs 66 per kg in July 2024 to around Rs 50 per kg in August 2024.
The Cost Of A Non-Veg Thali
In the case of non-veg thali, which comprises all the same ingredients but dal gets replaced by chicken, the price declined to Rs 59.3 in August 2024 as compared with Rs 67.5 a year ago.
The decline in non-veg thali on a yearly basis was due to a 13 per cent on-year drop in broiler prices, which has a 50 per cent weightage in the overall price.
On a monthly basis, the cost of a non-veg thali also fell due to an estimated 1-3 per cent decline in broiler prices due to the Shravan month in August, when non-veg consumption drops.
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. The data also reveals the ingredients (cereals, pulses, broilers, vegetables, spices, edible oil and cooking gas) driving the change in the cost of the thali.
