Non-veg thali turns costly in April as broiler chicken prices rise

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₹27.4, while non-vegetarian thali became pricier by 3% to ₹56.3 a plate, rating agency Crisil said in its latest monthly report on Wednesday. Year-on-year, though, the cost of a vegetarian meal increased 8%, while that of non-vegetarian thali declined 4%. “Since November 2023, the prices of vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis have been diverging.

The vegetarian thali has become costlier on-year, while the non-vegetarian thali is cheaper," said Pushan Sharma, director- research, Crisil Market Intelligence and Analytics. “This is mainly because of declining broiler prices, while the prices of vegetables such as onions, potatoes and tomatoes have risen on a low base." A typical vegetarian meal—as per Crisil—includes roti, vegetables (onion, tomato and potato), rice, dal, curd and salad. The non-vegetarian version replaces dal with broiler chicken.

Despite fluctuating commodity prices, the share of ingredients used for arriving at the prices remains constant. The average cost of preparing a thali at home is calculated based on input prices prevailing in north, south, east and west India. The monthly change reflects the impact on the common man’s expenditure.

The data also reveals the ingredients such as cereals, pulses, broilers, vegetables, spices, edible oil and cooking gas driving the change in the cost of meals. The cost of vegetarian thalis was flat last month as prices of onion declined 4% amid new arrivals and as fuel cost reduced 3%, while tomato and potato prices inched up, Crisil said. The rise in non-vegetarian meal prices was mainly due to a 4% on-month increase in broiler chicken prices, which account for half of the thali's cost.