First 'Kanda Express' Arrives in Delhi with 453 Tonnes of Onions to Stabilize Prices

The first 'Kanda Express', a dedicated rail rake carrying approximately 453.65 tonnes of onions from Nashik in Maharashtra, arrived in New Delhi on Friday. According to Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare, the consignment was transported across 21 wagons as part of government efforts to increase supplies in the national capital and surrounding regions to rein in rising prices.

Data from the Consumer Affairs Ministry indicates that retail onion prices in Delhi rose to 62 per kg on Thursday, marking an 88 per cent increase from 33 per kg a year earlier. Meanwhile, the all-India average retail price stood at 46.58 per kg, with the wholesale rate recorded at 38.29 per kg on the same day.

The onions brought by the Kanda Express will be sold at a subsidised rate of 35 per kg in the Delhi-NCR region. Additionally, a portion of the stock will be dispatched to nearby cities including Chandigarh, Ludhiana, and Jammu. The release of this buffer stock is expected to lower retail onion prices in Delhi within a week.

The Centre currently maintains a buffer stock of approximately 1.21 lakh tonnes of onions under the Price Stabilisation Fund. Further logistical operations are underway, with a Kanda Express rake scheduled for loading toward Chennai on Friday, followed by subsequent dispatches to Madurai, Ernakulam, and Guwahati.

Despite the recent price surge, the Consumer Affairs Ministry noted that overall domestic availability remains adequate. India's estimated onion production for 2025-26 stands at 307.37 lakh tonnes, which is largely comparable to the 307.67 lakh tonnes produced in the previous year.

The Kanda Express initiative, initially launched in 2024-25 to enhance logistical efficiency for bulk agricultural transport, has experienced significant scaling. During the 2024-25 period, 14 railway rakes transported nearly 12,000 tonnes of onion buffer stock to five cities. This operation expanded in 2025-26 to 86 rakes, delivering roughly 88,000 tonnes of onions to 16 major cities across the country.

"Efficient supply chain logistics and the strategic deployment of buffer stocks are critical tools for managing commodity price volatility in domestic markets. The scaling of dedicated freight initiatives like the Kanda Express demonstrates how targeted infrastructure utilization can help balance regional supply deficits, stabilize retail pricing, and protect consumers from sudden inflationary spikes." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes