Rs.333 for Pani Puri at Mumbai Airport? Entrepreneur’s post sparks outcry on social media

Real estate costs at CSIA Mumbai airport make food stalls expensive, but I never knew it was this pricey,” shared Kaushik Mukherjee, co-founder and COO of Sugar Cosmetics, on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday. 

Mukherjee’s post included a photo of three popular street food dishes – Pani Puri, Dahi Puri, and Sev Puri – each priced at ₹333 for a plate containing eight pieces.

Real estate is expensive for food stalls at the CSIA Mumbai airport – but I didn’t know THIS expensive 👀 pic.twitter.com/JRFMw3unLu

— Kaushik Mukherjee (@kaushikmkj) April 29, 2024

His observation struck a chord with many X (formerly Twitter) users, who expressed similar sentiments, lamenting the high prices of these beloved Indian street foods at airports. Airport food is notorious for its high prices, often leaving travellers with limited dining options.

Last year, a restaurant at Mumbai airport made headlines on X for selling dosa and buttermilk in the range of ₹600 to ₹620. The price increases if a customer adds coffee. The year before that, a journalist’s post about spending ₹490 for two samosas, a cup of tea, and a water bottle at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport sparked widespread online discussion.

“Two samosas, one chai, and one water bottle for ₹490 at Mumbai airport. Kafi ache din aa gae hain (good days have come),” remarked X user Farah Khan.

X user Kinjal Thakkar said he was reminded of a dialogue from Amir Khan-starrer “3 Idiots”.

“Paneer to kuch dino baad sonar ki dukan pe milega itti itti theliyo main (In a few days, paneer will be sold at the goldsmith’s in small packets,” he wrote, citing the famous dialogue.

Many airport users opt for lounges, where a lavish buffet spread is usually served, by paying a nominal fee as part of their credit or debit card lounge access.