India onion wholesale prices jump 51.5% year-on-year to ₹2,012 per quintal
The average wholesale onion price across Indian mandis reached ₹2,012.69 per quintal on 26 July 2026, up 51.5% from a year earlier. Prices are back above ₹2,000 but remain below the record levels seen in July 2024.
Onion prices climb back above ₹2,000 per quintal
Wholesale onion prices in India stayed firm through late July. On 26 July 2026 the average mandi price reached ₹2,012.69 per quintal, 51.5% higher than the same period a year earlier, according to Indian market data. The move stands out because onion is a staple vegetable that carries heavy weight in the country's food price index, and a swing of this size feeds directly into headline food inflation.
The 51.5% annual gain is one of the sharper year-on-year moves seen in the commodity, and it puts the benchmark back above the psychologically important ₹2,000 mark. For traders and processors, price levels in the mandis set the floor for downstream costs across a supply chain that runs from growers in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh to consumers nationwide.
Still below the 2024 peak
Despite the steep annual increase, current prices remain below the record levels recorded in July 2024. That gap matters for interpreting the move: the year-on-year jump reflects a low base a year ago as much as any fresh spike, and the market is elevated rather than at extremes. For buyers, the distinction shapes hedging and procurement decisions over the coming weeks.
Onion prices in India are highly seasonal and sensitive to the timing of the kharif and rabi crops, storage losses and monsoon conditions. Firm wholesale rates in late July typically reflect the drawdown of stored rabi-season supply ahead of the next harvest, when carryover stocks thin out and any disruption is quickly priced in.
What the market is watching next
The onion is one of India's most politically sensitive commodities, and sustained price strength tends to draw attention from policymakers as well as traders. Market participants will be watching whether prices at these levels prompt any shift in trade policy, given India's role as a major onion exporter and the government's record of adjusting export rules to manage domestic supply and prices.
- Average mandi price of ₹2,012.69 per quintal on 26 July 2026.
- Up 51.5% versus the same period in 2025.
- Still below the record levels of July 2024.
For now, the data point confirms a firm but not extreme market. The direction from here will depend on the pace of new arrivals, weather through the monsoon and any policy response, all of which feed into how growers, traders and exporters position for the second half of the year.
