In Pandemic Prices: Price Shocks from COVID-19 and Their Implications on Nutrition Security in India, TCI researchers assess the impact that India’s COVID-19 lockdown had on Indian food prices. They demonstrate that the lockdown disrupted the supply chains for some foods more than others, driving up prices and potentially changing Indian diets for the worse.

In the report, researchers analyze the weekly average price of cereal grains, vegetables, pulses, and eggs in 11 Indian cities from March 1 to May 31, 2020, comparing them to 2019 and the weeks before the lockdown was instituted. While cereal grain prices remained relatively stable, the price of vegetables, pulses, and eggs increased. Since the lockdown was lifted, vegetable and egg prices have stabilized, but the price of pulses remains elevated.