Price Surge Looms Over Bengaluru's Beloved Dishes Amid Rising Costs

Bengaluru is bracing for an increase in the cost of popular food items following the recent surge in prices for ghee, butter, and paneer. In light of these developments, both hotel and sweet shop owners are announcing plans to raise their prices for dishes containing these essential ingredients.

Veerendra Kamat, the secretary of the Bangalore Hotels Association, remarked, "With the recent hike in ghee, butter, and paneer prices occurring just today, we are compelled to adjust our menu prices accordingly. Before this increase, we had already seen a rise in milk and curd costs, which has led to a ₹3 to ₹5 increase in tea and coffee prices across all hotels in the city, regardless of size. Consequently, we will also be raising the prices of staple dishes such as ghee masala dosa, kesari bath, upma, pongal, ghee rice, bisibele bath, rotis, naans, parottas, and various sweets including halwa."

Kamat added that the typical price for a ghee masala dosa currently ranges from ₹120 to ₹130, which will now rise to ₹125 to ₹135. In some upscale establishments, the cost can reach as high as ₹200. Alongside this, other staple items like kesari bath, ghee rice, pongal, and bisibele bath will see a hike of approximately ₹5 each. He emphasized, "We cannot raise prices excessively, as it would result in patrons avoiding our establishments, harming business. Prices are influenced by various factors like location, customer footfall, and monthly profit calculations, meaning we cannot enforce a universal price standard across hotels."

In a related vein, Madhu Iyengar, general secretary of the Karnataka Bakeries, Sweets and Cafe Association (KBSCA), stated, "Initially, after the milk and curd prices increased, we were prepared to maintain prices for our sweets. However, the new ghee price increases have strained our budgets. Given that we are in the festival season—a time when we typically aim for higher sales—we have decided against raising prices of any sweets that use milk and ghee. Yet, we anticipate implementing a price increase of about 3% to 5% in December during the off-peak season."

Arjun P., a manager at a renowned sweet shop with multiple locations in the area, mentioned, "For example, our special Mysore Pak, prepared with ghee, is currently priced at ₹473 per 500 grams, while Kaju Katli is available for ₹700 per 500 grams. Mango barfi and doodh pedha are priced lower at roughly ₹419 for 500 grams, and Kesar peda matches the Mysore Pak at ₹473. We expect to adjust these prices upward by ₹5 to ₹10 in December or during the New Year festivities."

Households are also feeling the financial strain due to the sharp rise in prices, particularly during the festival of Deepavali. Prathiba Reddy, a resident of Ramamurthy Nagar, commented, "Many people are still reeling from the previous increases in milk and curd prices, and now the government has moved forward with raising the costs of ghee, paneer, and butter. During the festival season, I rely heavily on ghee for various dishes, whether for frying or incorporating into flour for snacks and sweets. The price of a one-liter sachet of Nandini ghee has surged by nearly ₹135."

Expressing concern over the rising costs of essential goods, Manjunath M., a gig economy worker, lamented, "Festivals have become difficult for people like me who earn under ₹20,000 a month while supporting a family of five. The increases in the prices of milk and ghee have significantly affected my budget as a working-class individual."