Thali gets cheaper as veggie, chicken prices drop: Crisil

The average cost of a home-cooked vegetarian thali fell by 8% year-on-year in June, due to a sharp drop in vegetable prices, Crisil said in a report on Tuesday. Similarly, the cost of a non-vegetarian thali declined by 6% thanks to lower broiler chicken prices, which account for nearly half of a thali's cost. The rating agency however expects thali costs to rise in the coming months due to an increase in vegetable prices, triggered by seasonal changes. Heavy monsoon rains in Himachal Pradesh have damaged harvest-ready vegetables like tomatoes, impacting prices, in the past several days.

"The cost of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis declined on-year in June, driven by softening vegetable prices. Tomato prices, in particular, saw a sharp on-year decline," said Pushan Sharma, director, Crisil Intelligence.