If you love your crunchy namkeen, your pockets are about to feel lighter. Indore's iconic 'sev' and 'gathiya' have become more expensive by ₹10 to ₹20 per kg. The blame lies far away, rising fuel and packaging costs triggered by the West Asia conflict.

Anurag Bothra of the Namkeen-Mishthanhan Kreta Evam Vikreta Kalyan Sangh told PTI that packaging bag prices have nearly doubled, from ₹190 to ₹300 per kilogram. Plastic containers now cost twice as much, edible oil has also shot up.

Indore is India's namkeen capital, home to around 1,500 manufacturing units that generate hundreds of crores in annual revenue. Many of these units run entirely on commercial cooking gas, making them highly vulnerable to fuel price spikes. Industry experts warn that if global crude oil and gas markets don't stabilise soon, your favourite tea-time snack could get even pricier in the coming months.