In April, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis saw an average price increase of 2% year-on-year, primarily due to escalating costs of key ingredients. Tomato prices skyrocketed by 38% to ₹29 per kg, driven by a 3-4% decline in production linked to reduced acreage in southern states. Additionally, vegetable oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder prices rose by 7% each, influenced by ongoing global supply disruptions. Despite these increases, the impact on thali costs was somewhat mitigated by lower prices for onions and potatoes, which fell by 16% and 14%, respectively. Onions benefitted from excess supply, while potato prices dropped due to a 2-3% increase in rabi output. However, future price pressures are anticipated for onions and potatoes as production is expected to decline. For non-vegetarian thalis, a 2% rise in broiler prices, which constitute 50% of the thali cost, further contributed to the overall increase, attributed to higher bird mortality during the summer heatwave. Monthly comparisons show that while the cost of vegetarian thalis remained stable, non-vegetarian thalis saw a 1% increase.