Daily essentials and food products will be cheaper from Monday (September 22, 2025), as leading FMCG companies have slashed prices, extending GST cut benefits to consumers.

The move is expected to lead to a spike in consumption and a surge in sales during the upcoming festival season, which starts with the Navratra celebrations.

FMCG companies have extended benefits of GST 2.0 with immediate reduction on price without any disruption, along with some discounts for festivals as they expect to enter a new growth phase after facing a few challenging quarters that saw persistent food inflation and slow pace of urban consumption.

Companies operating in the space of FMCG products have issued revised price lists with new MRPs on their products, including soaps, shampoo, baby diapers, toothpaste, razors, and after-shave lotions, effective from Monday (September 22, 2025).

Besides, firms operating in the food verticals have also slashed prices on products as snacks as namkeen and bhujia to sweets, coffee, tea, butter, ghee, ice-cream, chocolates, etc.

The makers have dispatched products with revised MRP tags to inventories of distributors, warehouses of e-coms and shelves of traditional kirana stores, absorbing the tax gap.

Moreover, existing stocks in the market have been aligned with revised new goods & service tax (GST) structure through special trade discounts and QPS schemes.

Leading FMCG firms such as Dabur, ITC, Procter & Gamble, Emami, Nestle, RCPL, Amul and HUL have come up with new price lists that have been communicated to their respective distributors and consumers through their respective websites or through advertisement in local dailies.

Home-grown firm Dabur has reduced the prices of Real Juice (pack of 1 Ltr) from ₹130 to ₹122 and Chyawanprakash (900 gm) from ₹475 to ₹440. It has also reduced the price of its Dabur Red and Meswak brand toothpastes (200 gm) to ₹135 from ₹153. Prices of digestive pills Hajmola (120 tab) have also been slashed to ₹65 from ₹70.

Nestle India has not only increased price of its instant noodles Maggi from 500 gm to 600 gm but also reduced the price from ₹120 to ₹116.

Similarly, it has also extended the price of Nescafé Classic (45gm) to ₹235, slashing the price of ₹30 and ₹95 on Nescafé Gold to ₹755.

ITC has slashed the price of Savlon (100 ml) to ₹374 from ₹400. It has reduced prices of cow ghee (1 litre) to ₹1,010 from ₹1,080 and Sunfeast Marie Light (956 gm pack) to ₹150 from ₹170.

Food & beverages major PepsiCo’s distributor Varun Beverages has slashed the prices of Tropica Apple Juice (1 litre) to ₹105 from ₹115, mango juice slice (1.2 litre) from ₹70 to ₹65 and Aquafina water bottle (1 litre) to ₹18 from ₹20. Prices of aerated-based drinks remain unchanged as they would continue to face 40% duty under GST 2.0.

GST 2.0 has two slabs of 5% and 18% as against the current four slabs of 5, 12, 18 and 28%. Most daily essentials have been placed in the lower 5%, barring detergent and cosmetics, which remain under the earlier 18% slab.

FMCG products such as hair oil, soap, face powders, shampoos, toothbrushes, and toothpaste, along with all food items, will come under the lower slab of 5% from the present 18%.

Confectionery major Ferrero has reduced its popular chocolate spread Nutella by ₹50 to ₹399 for a pack of 350 gm and ₹100 on its chocolate Ferrero Rocher to ₹879 for 300 gm.

Similarly, dairy and food brand Amul has also slashed the prices of products, including ghee, butter, ice cream, and snacks. It has reduced butter prices (100 gm) from ₹62 to ₹58 and ghee (1 litre) to ₹610 from ₹650.

Amul’s paneer (200g) will cost ₹95 from ₹99, and the range of its ice cream will start from ₹9 to ₹550, down from the earlier ₹10 to ₹600.

A recent study report released by industry body FICCI estimates that GST 2.0 will result in a short-term revenue loss but this can be compensated by the broader consumption boost, improved compliance, and wider coverage over time.

The country’s fastest-growing FMCG firm, Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL) had slashed price of its cow ghee (1 litre) by ₹50 to 750 and its Glimmer and Get real Soaps (pack of 5) from ₹135 to ₹120.

Leading FMCG major Procter & Gamble has reduced the prices of products under brands Vicks, Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Pampers (diapers), Gillette, Old Spice and Oral-B, among others.

As per the list, Vicks Action 500 Advance and Vicks Inhaler prices have been reduced from ₹69 to ₹64, as the GST rate has gone down from 12% to 5%t.

Home-grown FMCG firm Emami has reduced prices on Boroplus Antiseptic Cream, Navratna Ayurvedic Oil and talc, Zandu balm, etc.

Leading FMCG major HUL has also announced reducing prices of its consumer product range, including Dove shampoo, Horlicks, Kissan Jam, Bru Coffee, Lux and Lifebuoy Soaps, effective September 22.

Published – September 21, 2025 06:39 pm IST

While harvesting requires manual labour, small planters are proposing mechanisation of processes like drying beans and irrigation, which will help reduce dependency on labourers.
| Photo Credit: File photo

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Karnataka’s big coffee planters, reeling under years of labour shortage, are enjoying a welcome respite this harvest season as migrant workers arrived in sufficient numbers to meet the demand even as coffee prices have hit a record high this year, offering a financial cushion to growers after years of challenges.

For the past five years, coffee plantations in Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, and Hassan districts have grappled with a labour crisis during the crucial November-to-March harvest period. Planters heavily rely on migrant workers, primarily from Assam and West Bengal, with smaller contingents from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and north Karnataka. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns, and state and general elections in those States disrupted the arrival of these workers, exacerbating the shortage.

“We’ve seen a good inflow of labourers from Assam and West Bengal, unlike in recent years,” said Kaibulira Harish Appaiah, former president of the Kodagu Growers’ Association and executive committee member of the Kodagu Planters’ Association.

“All the elections in these States are over. There is no pandemic. This has ensured that workers can travel to Karnataka without disruptions. Coupled with record-high coffee prices, growers are hopeful that this will help recover from the losses incurred over the last 15 years, and help them reinvest in their estates,” he added.

However, workers from Tamil Nadu and north Karnataka have dwindled, opting for construction jobs in urban areas, such as Bengaluru. “These sectors offer regular work and comparable wages, pulling workers away from coffee estates,” said Mr Appaiah.

Kiran Hegde, a planter from Sakleshpur in Hassan, said, “Coffee harvesting is physically demanding and requires precision, which is why we rely on trained workers. The return of migrant workers has brought some relief, but it’s been a tough few years for all of us. If these high prices sustain, it might just give us the breathing room we desperately need.”

Varun Raj, a coffee grower from Mudigere in Chikkamagaluru, said, “We’re finally seeing hope. With global prices rising and labourers returning, it feels like we’re catching a break. However, this is just the beginning — we need sustained efforts to address these challenges for the future. Again next year we don’t know whether the labourers will come and if the price of the coffee will be high.”

Struggle for small growers

While large coffee estates have sufficient labour, small growers are still struggling.

“It usually takes a month to harvest my five-acre plantation with adequate workers. This year, we’ve only managed to cover 30% so far. Despite the high prices, small growers like me cannot afford the increased wages being offered by the larger estates. If we don’t harvest soon, the overripe cherries will drop, causing significant losses,” said Ramesh Uthappa, a planter from Birunani village in Kodagu.

Labour-intensive harvesting requires skilled hands, as the delicate process involves picking ripe cherries without damaging the plant. Workers, often earning double their usual wages, are incentivised to make the long journey to Karnataka.

Planters urge support for coffee mechanisation

Coffee growers rued the lack of support from the State and Central governments as well as the Coffee Board.

M.T. Poovaiah, a coffee planter from South Kodagu, said, “Labour shortages have become a major challenge. Local labourers are no longer available, and we have to rely on workers from Kerala, who come here, work for the day, and return home. We bear their transportation costs and hefty labour charges, which result in significant losses. Around 80% of the profit we earn from coffee goes back into maintaining our estates throughout the year. This includes expenses for harvesting, fertilizers, irrigation, and other essential work.”

Small coffee planters are urging the government to support mechanisation and automation to address labour shortages.

Highlighting this need, Mr Poovaiah added, “To tackle labour shortage problems, mechanisation and automation must be adopted in coffee plantations, and the government, especially the Coffee Board, should assist us. While harvesting still requires manual labour, mechanisation can be applied to processes like drying beans and irrigation, which will help reduce dependency on workers in these areas.”

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has advised moderation in tea and coffee consumption, the two beloved beverages deeply woven into Indian culture. The medical body recently introduced 17 new dietary guidelines in partnership with the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), aiming to encourage healthier eating habits across India. These guidelines stress the significance of a varied diet and active lifestyle.  

While recognising their cultural importance, the medical experts also warned against excessive intake of tea and coffee due to potential health concerns.

ICMR researchers explained that tea and coffee “contain caffeine, which stimulates the central nervous system and induces physiological dependence”.

The guidelines also shed light on the caffeine content of popular beverages, noting that a 150ml cup of brewed coffee contains 80 – 120 mg of caffeine, instant coffee has 50 – 65mg, and tea contains 30 – 65mg. 

The ICMR advises a daily intake of just 300mg of caffeine.

The medical body also advised avoiding tea or coffee for at least an hour before and after meals because they contain tannins, which can reduce iron absorption in the body. Tannins tie to iron in the stomach, making it harder for the body to absorb iron properly. This may lead to iron deficiency and health problems like anaemia. Excessive coffee consumption can also cause high blood pressure and cardiac irregularities, it said.

Drinking tea without milk, though, has various benefits such as improved blood circulation and a reduced risk of conditions like coronary artery disease and stomach cancer, the guidelines said. 

They also recommended a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and seafood, while limiting oil, sugar, and salt intake. 

Coffee seeds were brought to India by Arab traders
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

How did the word coffee come about? Coffee came from Ethiopia, where they called it qahve. Late Dr K.T. Achaya, in his book ‘A Historical Dictionary of Indian Food’ (Oxford University Press, 1998) mentioned that coffee seeds were brought to India by Arab traders for use by the gentry. Arabs introduced coffee plantations in South India and Sri Lanka. And a Sufi, Baba Budan, grew coffee plants around Chikamagaluru, Karnataka. Starting in 1830, British pioneers planted coffee estates in two varieties of coffee plants — Coffee arabica at high altitudes, and Coffee robusta in lower reaches. (Arabica, because Arab traders traded qahve to Europe; Robusta, as this variety from West Africa is more resistant to disease). As I had mentioned in my earlier articles on coffee (December 8, 2019 and May 28, 2023 on South Indian filter coffee), coffee is a health drink particularly when mixed with hot milk. Many Americans drink black coffee with no added milk.

 In the city called Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, the residents who are fond of coffee, call their coffee Kumbakonam Degree Coffee. They claim that this is unmatched by any other rival in taste. They further say that this coffee is pure Arabica, and not mixed with chicory, which is usual when we buy coffee beans or powder in department stores and coffee shops. Likewise, the Coffee shop in Secunderabad from where I buy my coffee, offers pure Arabica, as well as Arabica mixed with chicory for those who want it that way. 

What then is chicory? It too is a variety of coffee, and India is the third largest producer of chicory. In our country, it is grown in the Far Eastern states (Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim). While some claim that chicory might be nutritionally better than Arabica, due to its lower content of caffeine, a molecule that stimulates the central nervous system, there is no conclusive evidence for it. 

Andhra Pradesh is famous for its special coffee grown in the hilly region of Araku Valley, which they claim is the best coffee not only in India but also abroad. It is pure Arabica. Very good Arabica is also grown around the Shevaroy hills of Tamil Nadu and the Manjarabad Fort, Karnataka. Many youngsters in big cities across India buy and drink Starbucks coffee, and also at Café Coffee Day. Starbucks uses pure Arabica alone, while it is not clear whether Café Coffee Day uses pure Arabica or a mixture.

Better brews

Why is this fuss about these various major varieties of coffee? The answer comes from a recent genetic study of coffee beans, by the Italian geneticist Dr Michele Morgante, who has published a paper in January 2024 in Nature Communications that several cultivated Arabica coffees can offer better brews. The Hindu briefly mentioned this in its science page on January 27, 2024, and BBC News writes that these genetic changes promise better brews. It is thus time for Indian geneticists to sequence Indian coffees.