Inflation who? 10 things that got cheaper in India over the last 10 years

Prices are rising everywhere, but not for everything. Thanks to "Make in India," import duty cuts, and fierce market competition, several things in India actually cost less today than they did in 2016. Here are 10 surprising ones.

In 2016, 1GB of mobile data could cost Rs 250 or more. Today, you get 1.5GB every single day for under Rs 200 a month. Reliance Jio's arrival flipped the entire market upside down and made India the cheapest mobile data destination on the planet.

A good Android phone in 2016 meant spending serious money. Today, brands like Redmi, Realme, and Motorola, assembled right here in India, pack cameras, big batteries, and fast processors into phones that cost less than a pair of sneakers used to.

A decade ago, flying was a middle-class luxury. Today, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air often provide Rs 999 fares on short routes. More airports, more routes, and brutal competition mean air travel is genuinely within reach for far more Indians today. A point to note here, the West Asia crisis has lead to higher air fare but it's not out of reach for the middle class.

Government subsidies under the FAME scheme, plus reduced import duties on battery components, have pushed electric scooter prices down sharply. Brands like Ola Electric and Ather now offer models that pay for themselves quickly through fuel savings alone.

A 43-inch LED TV that cost Rs 50,000 or more in 2016 can now be yours for under Rs 25,000. Domestic manufacturing by brands like Thomson, Kodak, and even Samsung's India plants has driven prices down while screen quality has shot up dramatically.

Solar panels cost nearly double what they do today back in 2016. Falling global component prices, government subsidies, and local assembly have made rooftop solar a genuine money-saver for Indian homeowners rather than just an environmental statement.

Essential medicines for diabetes, heart disease, and cancer have come under government price control through the National List of Essential Medicines. Import duty reductions on critical cancer drugs have made treatments that were once financially devastating far more accessible to ordinary families.

Microwave ovens, air fryers, mixer grinders, and induction cooktops have all become significantly more affordable as Indian manufacturing scaled up. A microwave that cost Rs 8,000 in 2016 can now be bought for under Rs 4,000 with better features and energy efficiency.

In 2016, a decent cable TV package plus a DVD player was your only real option. Today, JioCinema offers premium content free of charge, while Disney+ Hotstar and Amazon Prime cost a fraction of what cable used to. India now has some of the lowest streaming subscription prices in the world.

While overall inflation has pushed up prices across most categories, competition, domestic manufacturing, and smart government policy have quietly made these 10 areas more affordable. Your rupee, in these spaces at least, stretches further than it ever has.