The price of a vegetarian thali in India rose by 28 per cent in July as compared to June, CRISIL's monthly indicator of food place cost released on Monday showed. 25 per cent of this can be attributed to the inflation in tomatoes. From Rs 33 per kilogram in June, its price rose 233 per cent to Rs 110 per kilogram in July.
This is the third time in a row that the prices of vegetarian thali have risen sequentially. In 2023-24, this is the first time the price of thali has risen year-on-year (YoY).
The price of non-vegetarian thali too rose but by a smaller 11 per cent month-on-month.
CRISIL calculates the average cost of preparing a thali at home based on input prices prevailing in north, south, east, and west India. The monthly change reflects the impact on the common person's expenditure. The data also reveals the ingredients, including cereals, pulses, broilers, vegetables, spices, edible oil, and cooking gas, driving changes in the cost of a thali.
A veg thali comprises roti, vegetables (onion, tomato, and potato), rice, dal, curd, and salad. For a non-vegetarian thali, chicken has been considered instead of dal.
"The prices of onion and potato increased 16 per cent and 9 per cent month-on-month, respectively, contributing further to the increase in cost," the agency said in its indicator.
It also said that the prices of chilli and cumin also rose. Their prices rose 69 per cent and 16 per cent sequentially, respectively, in July. "However, given the lower quantities of these ingredients used in a thali, their cost contribution remains lower than some of the vegetable crops," CRISIL said.
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The cost of a non-vegetarian thali rose at a slower pace as the price of broilers, comprising more than 50 per cent of the cost, likely declined 3-5 per cent in July.
"A 2 per cent on-month decline in the price of vegetable oil provided some respite from the increase," the indicator said.
Source: CRISIL