The Indian thali is getting cheaper, and this time, the drop is hard to ignore. Crisil’s Roti Rice Rate (RRR) for October shows that the cost of a home-cooked vegetarian plate fell 17 per cent year-on-year, while a non-veg thali dropped 12 per cent -- one of the sharpest cool-offs in recent months. If India’s inflation dashboard begins in the kitchen, this is a meaningful print.

Crisil Intelligence director Pushan Sharma attributes the decline primarily to cheaper vegetables and pulses. Tomato prices softened thanks to stronger arrivals from western and southern markets. Potato prices cooled on a high base effect. Onion prices dropped as Rabi 2024-25 stocks hit the market ahead of Kharif arrivals in November. Pulses, too, saw corrections, helped by higher imports of Bengal gram, yellow

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