The cost of a home-cooked vegetarian thali dropped by 2% and a non-vegetarian thali by 5% in March 2025 compared to February, according to a Crisil Intelligence report released on Monday.

The fall was primarily due to lower prices of key vegetables—tomato, potato, and onion—which declined by 8%, 7%, and 5%, respectively, amid fresh crop arrivals. In the case of non-vegetarian thalis, a 7% drop in broiler chicken prices contributed to the cost reduction. This dip was driven by ample supply in northern India and weakened demand in the South, partly due to a bird flu scare.

Compared to March 2024, the cost of a vegetarian thali fell 3%, driven mainly by a sharp 34% year-on-year drop in tomato prices—from Rs. 32/kg to Rs. 21/kg. This was due to a 29% rise in nationwide tomato arrivals, especially in the southern states, where better Rabi yield and healthy reservoir levels boosted production.

However, the decline was moderated by an on-year increase in the prices of onion (6%), potato (2%), and vegetable oil (19%).

Crisil calculates thali costs based on input prices from across four regions—North, South, East, and West India—reflecting changes in household food expenses.

Pushan Sharma, Director at Crisil Market Intelligence, noted that while vegetable prices remained subdued in March, they are likely to pick up from April. He added that onion prices may be buoyed by strong export demand and potato prices are expected to rise as cold storage stocks reach the market. Tomato prices could also see a moderate increase amid lower Rabi arrivals.

(With IANS inputs)