Vegetarian thali costs decline by 3% in March amid falling tomato prices

Vegetable prices remained subdued in March, with those of onion, potato and tomato declining month-on-month due to fresh arrivals

The cost of preparing a home-cooked thali declined in March, with the price of a vegetarian thali falling 3 per cent year-on-year, while the cost of a non-vegetarian thali remained unchanged. The shift reflects a sharp drop in vegetable prices — especially tomatoes — which contributed to the overall reduction, according to Crisil Intelligence.

 

“Vegetable prices remained subdued in March, with onion, potato, and tomato prices falling month-on-month (M-o-M) due to fresh arrivals. However, we expect prices to bottom out and begin rising in April, as seen last year in the case of potatoes and tomatoes. Onion prices are likely to be supported by strong export demand, while potato prices are expected to rise as cold storage stocks enter the market. Tomato prices, too, may see a moderate increase due to lower rabi arrivals,” said Pushan Sharma, director — research at Crisil Intelligence.

   

The drop in the vegetarian thali’s cost was driven primarily by a 34 per cent fall in tomato prices, which declined to ₹21/kilogram (kg) in March 2025 from ₹32/kg in March 2024. This was partly offset by price increases of 2 per cent for potatoes, 6 per cent for onions, and 19 per cent for vegetable oil. 

 

The non-vegetarian thali’s cost remained flat due to a 2 per cent rise in broiler prices, which make up about half the total cost. While the sharp fall in tomato prices helped prevent an increase, rising prices of other ingredients counterbalanced the decline.

 

On an M-o-M basis, the cost of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis declined in March 2025 by 2 per cent and roughly 5 per cent, respectively.