Household budgets are facing fresh pressure as prices of everyday essentials rise across categories. Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has raised prices of select detergent and soap products by up to 20%, while Amul and Mother Dairy have increased milk prices by up to ₹4 per litre. Ghee and butter prices have also gone up across dairy brands.
HUL has raised prices across its detergent and soap portfolio in October and November. A 130-gram Surf Excel bar and a 250-gram Rin bar now cost ₹30 each, compared with ₹25 earlier, marking a 20% increase.
| Product | Earlier price | New price | Hike |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surf Excel bar (130g) | ₹25 | ₹30 | 20% |
| Rin bar (250g) | ₹25 | ₹30 | 20% |
| Wheel powder (2kg) | ₹138 | ₹170 | 23.2% |
A 2-kg pack of Wheel detergent powder is now priced at ₹170, up from ₹138 a few months ago — an increase of around 23%. Dove and Pears soaps have also become more expensive.
Meanwhile, Amul and Mother Dairy have raised milk prices by ₹2 to ₹4 per litre, effective Thursday, November 12. For a household consuming one litre of milk every day, this translates into an additional monthly expense of ₹60 to ₹120.
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Ghee and butter prices have also increased. Amul has raised the price of its one-litre ghee pouch by ₹50 to ₹680, while its 500-gram butter pack now costs ₹325, up ₹15.
| Brand / Product | Earlier price | New price | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amul ghee (1L) | ₹630 | ₹680 | ₹50 |
| Amul butter (500g) | ₹310 | ₹325 | ₹15 |
| Nandini ghee (1L) | ₹715 | ₹850 | ₹135 |
| Nandini salted butter (500g) | ₹310 | ₹380 | ₹70 |
In Karnataka, Nandini has increased the price of its one-litre ghee pack by ₹135 to ₹850. Its 500-gram salted butter pack is now priced at ₹380, following a ₹70 increase. Aavin has also revised ghee and butter prices in Tamil Nadu.
Why are prices of everyday essentials rising?
Higher milk procurement and cattle feed costs are pushing up dairy prices. Across the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, companies are also facing elevated input costs.
Palm oil, a key ingredient in products such as soaps and biscuits, has risen around 21% this year. Sugar prices are up 18%, while freight costs have increased 15%. A weaker rupee and higher packaging costs are adding to the pressure.
Companies are increasingly passing on these costs to consumers. Britannia Industries has already implemented a 3.5% price increase and indicated that further hikes are in the pipeline.
Some companies are also using shrinkflation, particularly in lower-priced biscuit packs. Instead of increasing the maximum retail price (MRP), manufacturers reduce the quantity in packs priced at ₹5 and ₹10, leaving consumers with less product for the same amount.
With companies signalling further price increases after the festive season, consumers could continue to face pressure on household budgets in the coming months.