India’s onion crisis sparks violence, memes and a nightmare for Narendra Modi
- As prices rise, politicians have been giving onions away in garlands and as wedding gifts, while they’re also being used to market smartphones
- Many economists argue that the price of onions, sometimes seen as a key marker of economic stability, can be an omen for a government’s fortunes
When Saravana Kumar sold 20 smartphones within two days in the tiny town of Pattukottai it was a major cause for celebration – and confirmation of a maverick marketing strategy.
Kumar would usually struggle to sell two handsets a day, but this time those smartphones were flying off the shelves and all because of the free gifts he was giving away with each model.
Those gifts were not headphones, or covers, or cashback coupons, but something his low-key shop wouldn’t usually even keep in stock: a kilogram of onions.
Onion prices in the country have soared tenfold this year, sparking a nationwide outcry, questions in parliament, a spate of bizarre onion-related crime and dozens of viral memes as the outraged citizens of the world’s second most populous nation find themselves unable to afford their staple food.