Kaushik Mukherjee, the co-founder and COO of Sugar Cosmetics, recently took to social media to express his astonishment after coming across the exorbitant price of Rs 333 for a plate of paani puri at a Mumbai airport. Sharing a post with a picture featuring three popular Indian street food dishes - dahi puri, paani puri, and sev puri, all priced at Rs 333 per plate with 8 pieces each, Mukherjee highlighted the steep costs faced by food stalls at the Mumbai airport, drawing attention to the unusually high prices for these beloved delicacies.
The post quickly gained traction, receiving over 42,000 views as users resonated with Mukherjee's shock over the pricing of airport food. Comments poured in from users like Pradeep Krishnakumar, who humorously remarked on the soaring value of the last Sukhi Puri on the plate. Furthermore, another user quoted a famous dialogue from the Bollywood movie "3 Idiots" to emphasize the increasingly exorbitant prices of basic food items, painting a picture of future scenarios where even basic items like paneer could be sold at exorbitant rates.
The discussion surrounding the high prices of food at airports is not new, as travelers often find themselves faced with limited dining options due to the inflated costs. Instances of overpriced airport food have made headlines before, such as a restaurant at the Mumbai airport charging between ₹600 to ₹620 for dosa and buttermilk, with even higher prices for additional items like coffee. Another incident that went viral involved a journalist paying ₹490 for two samosas, a cup of tea, and a water bottle at Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, sparking conversations about the affordability and accessibility of food options in airport settings.