Parliament Question: Higher prices of food items in comparison to the general market

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 2567 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 16th March 2026 HIGHER PRICES OF FOOD ITEMS IN COMPARISON TO THE GENERAL MARKET 2567. DR. BHIM SINGH Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) whether Government is aware of the fact that not only bottled drinking water but also other food items being sold at various airports in the country are at higher prices/different MRPs than in the general market and if so, the details of the agencies/contractors responsible therefor; and (b) whether any concrete policies, monitoring mechanisms or price control guidelines have been implemented to ensure availability of food and beverages at reasonable prices, prevention of MRP violations at airports and complaint redressal in the interest of passengers, if so, the details thereof? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a): As per the amendment made to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, which came into force w.e.f. 01.01.2018, no manufacturer, packer, or importer shall declare different Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs) on an identical pre-packaged commodity by adopting restrictive or unfair trade practices. Food & Beverage (F&B) outlets at airports are operated by various concessionaires, who determine the pricing of non pre-packaged F&B items based on factors such as product cost and other overheads. (b): Through a combined framework of transparent bidding, contractual pricing commitments, EPoS-based monitoring, regular inspections, and a defined complaint-handling mechanism, AAI ensures that food and beverage services at its airports are provided in a regulated and passenger-friendly manner, with provisions for enforcement and grievance redressal in case of violations.Further, an initiative has been undertaken to introduce low-cost outlets such as UDAN Yatri Cafes at airports. These outlets provide basic food and beverage items, including tea, coffee, snacks, sweets etc., at affordable prices. The facility of UDAN Yatri Cafe has been introduced at Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bhubaneswar, Vijayawada, Hollongi, RGIA (Hyderabad), Surat, Coimbatore, Mangalore, CSMIA (Mumbai), Thiruvananthapuram airports. The introduction of UDAN Yatri Cafes or similar low-cost food outlets at other airports is at the discretion of the respective airport operators. ******