The ongoing conflict in West Asia has resulted in a significant increase in the prices of palm and soybean oils, prompting Indian consumers to shift towards mustard oil. Traditionally considered more expensive, mustard oil has seen a 25% increase in domestic sales during March and April compared to the previous year, with consumption rising by 1.5 lakh tonnes. Experts attribute this trend to the diversion of palm and soybean oils for biofuel production, which has inflated their prices internationally. Additionally, the depreciation of the Indian rupee has made imported cooking oils more expensive. For the first time, mustard oil prices are slightly lower than those of palm oil, encouraging consumers to choose mustard oil. This shift is further supported by record domestic production of mustard, which has led to increased availability of raw materials for crushing mills. Currently, the price difference between soybean oil and mustard oil has narrowed from ₹10-12/kg to ₹3-4/kg, while palm oil is now priced higher than mustard oil by approximately ₹2-3/kg.