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Onion prices up 59%, govt ramps up 'Kanda Express' supplies to cool market

The Centre is using dedicated railway rakes to move buffer onions from Nashik to major cities as retail prices surge and seasonal shortages loom

Among major cities, retail onion prices on Monday stood at ₹60/kg in Chennai (₹33 a year ago), ₹55/kg in Delhi (₹35) and ₹53/kg in Kolkata (Photo:PTI)

Sanjeeb Mukherjee Agencies 4 min read Last Updated : Aug 24 2026 | 9:18 PM IST

The Centre has started moving bulk onion stocks through dedicated railway rakes on the 'Kanda or Onion Express' from Nashik in Maharashtra to major consuming centres, as part of efforts to augment supplies and check the seasonal rise in prices, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said on Monday.

Stocks currently being loaded onto these rakes are expected to reach the identified centres by Wednesday, she said.

The Kanda Express initiative, 'aimed at enhancing logistical efficiency for large-scale onion movement', was launched in 2024-25 and has since been scaled up considerably. In 2024-25, 14 railway rakes carrying nearly 12,000 tonnes of onion buffer stock were dispatched to five cities.

In 2025-26, this expanded to 86 rakes carrying about 88,000 tonnes of onions to 16 major cities across the country.

"Initially, the onion will be supplied to five major consumption centres, namely Chennai, Madurai, Delhi, Ernakulam and Guwahati, with additional destinations to be included subsequently based on emerging market requirements," Khare told PTI.

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