Veg thali cost surges 28% in July amid soaring food prices

Soaring prices of vegetables, especially tomatoes, onions, and potatoes, have placed a heavy burden on the poor, who spend the bulk of their income on food

- Puja Das

According to a Crisil study, the cost of a typical vegetarian thali, commonly consumed across several parts of India, has surged by a third in just a month.

The cost of preparing a vegetarian thali at home surged by 28% in July from the preceding month due to the jump in prices of vegetables and spices. The cost of a non-vegetarian thali rose by a relatively moderate 11%, Crisil said.

The cost of a vegetable thali rose to ₹33.7 in July from ₹26.3 in June and ₹26.5 in July last year. On the other hand, the cost of a non-vegetarian thali spiked to ₹66.8 in July from ₹60 in June and ₹61.3 last July, the report found.

"The cost of a thali rose sequentially for the third month in a row in July and inched up year-on-year for the first time this fiscal, mainly due to soaring tomato prices," rating agency Crisil said in a report. A vegetarian thali comprises roti, vegetables such as onion, tomato and potato, rice, dal, curd, and salad. For a non-vegetarian thali, chicken was considered instead of dal.