Festival discounts from e-commerce and quick-commerce companies have failed to conceal the harsh reality of skyrocketing prices for essential commodities, which are eroding the purchasing power of consumers. For a supply-deficit state like Assam, recurring price shocks in essential commodities severely strain household finance. While there is no alternative to the state attaining self-sufficiency in the production of essential commodities for prices to stabilise, curbing illegal taxation and extortion along the transportation routes within and outside the region can provide immediate relief to consumers. Limited or fixed monthly incomes compel low- and middle-income households to plan household budgets for spending on education, healthcare, and travel in addition to purchasing essential commodities. Any increase in expenditure in one or more budget heads disrupts the delicate balance of household budgets, leaving families with little choice but to curtail spending on other necessities. Apart from regular use in household kitchens, the demand for mustard oil increases during the Diwali festival, as many families use it for lighting earthen lamps to preserve the tradition of celebrating the festival of light. Despite the growing popularity of inexpensive Chinese decorative lights, the tradition of lighting earthen lamps pushes up the demand for mustard oil. As the retail prices of most brands of mustard oil have touched or surpassed a high of Rs 200 a litre, it has adversely affected demand for earthen lamps, with many households preferring to purchase Chinese decorative lights to illuminate their houses during the festival days. The increase in mustard oil prices negatively impacts artisan families involved in pottery, as they rely heavily on the seasonal sale of earthen lamps for their household income. Even if people want to support the artisan families that uphold the traditional pottery craft, rising mustard oil prices create a barrier to such efforts. A viable solution for the potter families to overcome the fall in seasonal demand is using an electric potter’s wheel to reduce the per-unit cost of production and increase daily yield to augment daily income. Distribution of more electric potter’s wheels can help the artisans meet the upfront cost involved in replacing the manual potter’s wheel with an electric one. Nevertheless, prices of mustard oil will continue to influence consumer purchasing decisions, as the prices of earthen lamps are a small fraction of the overall cost of lighting traditional earthen lamps. The seasonal demand for mustard oil during the festival of light also goes up with both household and commercial kitchens preparing various fried snacks as part of the festival tradition. Assam merely increasing mustard seed production is not going to have any moderating effect on prices of mustard oil unless the state simultaneously increases processing capacity through the establishment of more oil mills. This situation calls for the youths of the state to leverage various incentives offered by the government for establishing MSMEs to set up mustard oil mills in close proximity to the state to leverage various incentives offered by the government for establishing MSMEs to set up mustard oil mills in close proximity to major mustard seed-growing areas. Unfortunately, despite the central government announcing significant subsidies for the establishment of food processing units and earmarking budgetary allocations, actual budgetary expenditure in the Northeast region has remained persistently low, pointing to a significant gap among potential entrepreneurs. Individual success stories in the sector need to be showcased to potential entrepreneurs so that food processing is pushed in a big way in the state. Exposure visits to commercially successful food processing units can motivate them to make enquiries about government assistance and investment opportunities in the sector. Food processing adds value to farm products and fetches more income. Besides, it also significantly reduces post-harvest wastage of food products and increases the availability of locally produced food in the market. The availability of more brands and locally produced essential commodities can make prices competitive and compel traders to rationalise prices and reduce excessive margins. Boosting local production of essential commodities will also have a moderating impact on price volatility due to price shocks at source markets located outside the state and the region. Many wholesalers and retailers often attribute the exorbitant prices of essential commodities to spikes in prices at source markets. Due to insufficient supplies from farm fields and local production units to meet market demand, consumers are forced to ration essential commodities in order to manage their budgets and cope with the increasing cost of living. Apart from mustard oil, rises in prices of onions, eggs, and rice have added to the financial burden of consumers. The government would do well to inform consumers if recurring price hikes of essential commodities are driven by genuine supply-chain constraints, to reveal whether traders are taking undue advantage of consumers in the absence of adequate market competition. The government can significantly reduce excessive pricing, particularly during festival periods, by implementing stricter oversight. The long-term protection from recurrent price spikes lies in the state gradually attaining self-sufficiency in the production of essential commodities.