Home-cooked thali costs up 5% YoY in June as tomato, onion and LPG prices climb

Crisil's June thali index shows veg meal cost rising 5% YoY to Rs 28.4 and non-veg 6% to Rs 58.2, driven by tomato (+31% to Rs 42/kg), veg oil (+10%), LPG (+10%), onion (+2%) and broiler (+7%), partly cushioned by cheaper potatoes (-14%). Rainfall ran 17% below LPA.

— Source publishedThu, 9 Jul, 2026, 08:05 IST·First seen Thu, 9 Jul, 2026, 09:23 IST·Source ET Retail

What happened

Crisil report shows June home-cooked thali costs rose 5% (veg) and 6% (non-veg) YoY on higher tomato, onion, vegetable oil, LPG and broiler prices, partly

Key facts

  • veg thali +5% YoY
  • non-veg thali +6% YoY
  • veg thali Rs 28.4
  • non-veg thali Rs 58.2
  • tomato +31% to Rs 42/kg
  • veg oil +10%
  • LPG +10%
  • onion +2%
  • potato -14%
  • broiler +7%
  • rainfall 17% below LPA

Why this matters

Structural staple-cost volatility strengthens the case for private-label sourcing, supply-chain integration, and hedging partnerships to insulate grocery margins from commodity swings.

What to watch

  • IMD monsoon progress vs LPA over July-August
  • Daily tomato/onion mandi arrivals and wholesale prices
  • Global edible oil (palm/soy) and crude/LPG price trajectory
  • July CPI food print and RBI policy tone
  • Crisil July thali index for trend confirmation
  • Monitor QSR and packaged-food players for gross-margin guidance revisions on edible oil and LPG
  • Track grocery retailers' private-label and staples mix shift as consumers trade down
  • Watch for RBI commentary linking food inflation to rate-cut timing
  • Assess cold-chain and tomato/onion sourcing resilience among modern-trade grocers