You may soon have to pay a lot less for onions in Delhi-NCR; what you need to know ahead of festive season

Onion prices are on the rise in Delhi-NCR, prompting the Centre to prepare a retail intervention aimed at providing relief to consumers. The government is likely to sell onions at a subsidised price of Rs 35 per kg through mobile vans across the region later this week.

The move comes as onion prices typically start climbing around August and September due to seasonal demand, weather conditions, supply-chain movements and increased demand during the festive period.

Onion prices in Delhi rise to Rs 55 per kg

Retail onion prices in Delhi have increased to around Rs 55 per kg, compared with Rs 35 per kg during the same period last year. To prevent prices from rising further, the government plans to make subsidised onions available at multiple locations across Delhi-NCR.


According to officials, the exact locations for the mobile vans are expected to be finalised over the next few days.

The Centre has used similar retail interventions in the past to improve availability and keep prices under check.

Centre launches Kanda Express to transport onions

Alongside the proposed retail sales, the Centre has also stepped up efforts to move onions from major producing regions to key consumption centres.

On Monday, the government began operating ‘Kanda Express’ trains to transport onions from Nashik in Maharashtra to Delhi, Chennai, Kochi, Madurai and Guwahati.

The immediate priority is to release bulk quantities of onions at major mandis, helping bring down wholesale prices. Officials expect this could eventually ease retail prices across Delhi-NCR.

Subsidised onions may be sold through mobile vans

The government is also planning retail sales through mobile vans at several locations in Delhi-NCR. The aim is to ensure consumers can buy onions at the subsidised rate of Rs 35 per kg, particularly as retail prices remain elevated.

Officials said the intervention could be expanded to other cities if required, particularly in areas where retail onion prices are higher than the national average.

Onion supply remains comfortable, says Centre

Despite the recent rise in retail prices, the government said onion availability remains comfortable and is sufficient to meet domestic demand in the coming months.

The Centre estimates onion production at around 307 lakh tonnes in 2025-26, broadly in line with the previous year's production of 308 lakh tonnes. In addition, buffer stocks are available for calibrated market intervention if prices require further action.


Inputs from TOI