India: Bigger Chip Packs Cost Up to 44% More Per Gram Than ₹20 Packs
A check of online listings on 24–25 September found larger Lay's and Bingo chip packs cost 20–44% more per 100 g than ₹20 packs. Large pouches were the cheapest option.
Larger packs of potato chips in India often cost more per gram than small packs. The finding comes from a price check by the portal IndianPotato. The portal compared listings on the BigBasket and Blinkit platforms on 24–25 September.
Lay’s Magic Masala
The ₹20 pack holds 48 g. That equals ₹41.7 per 100 g.
The ₹48 pack holds 80–82 g, depending on the retailer. That equals ₹58.5–60 per 100 g. So the bigger pack costs 40–44% more per gram.
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Pouches were the cheapest option. A 90 g pouch costs ₹35, and a 167 g pouch costs ₹65. Both equal ₹38.9 per 100 g.
Bingo potato chips
The ₹20 packs of Bingo hold 42–48 g. That equals ₹41.7–47.6 per 100 g.
The ₹50 packs hold 78–87.5 g. That equals ₹57.1–64.1 per 100 g. The premium over ₹20 packs is 20–40%.
The potato inside
According to the portal, an 82 g pack contains chips made from about 330 g of raw potatoes. Contract farming prices are ₹12–18 per kg, depending on the variety. So the potato cost in a ₹48 pack is about ₹4–6.
Indian rules require packs to show a unit sale price. The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Amendment Rules, 2022 took effect on 1 October 2022.
The check covers two brands, a few pack sizes and two online platforms. Prices may differ in local shops and in other cities.
Why it matters
Pack pricing shapes how much chips consumers buy, and so how much potato processors need. Small ₹20 packs are the key entry point for buyers. Larger packs appear to carry a price premium per gram, not a bulk discount.
For potato growers, the numbers show a wide gap between farm value and retail value. Raw potatoes make up roughly a tenth of the price of a ₹48 pack. Growers negotiating contracts with processors may use this gap in talks about prices and quality bonuses.
Photo: Potato chips (illustrative). Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
