Best gifts for dad under ₹1,000

Half a kilo is enough for the family, the neighbours who drop in and the colleague who calls to wish him. It's very ghee-heavy, so only go for it if he has no sugar or cholesterol limits. Bonus: Mummy will reuse that tin for years.

For the dad who loves something sweet after dinner and sulks through every family function. It's sweetened with dates, not refined sugar. Dates are still sugar, though, so a diabetic dad should stop at a square or two. Hide one bar in his office bag as a little second surprise.

It has a steel interior and auto shut-off, so when he wanders off to fetch the newspaper, it switches itself off. Great for the dad who makes his own early chai or needs warm water for his morning tablets. If there's already a kettle at home he trusts, leave it.

You get fifty sachets across five flavours, plus a mug made from leftover coffee grounds. He'll enjoy explaining that mug to his colleagues. At one sachet a day, it lasts him nearly two months at his desk. It is instant, though, so don't give it to a filter coffee purist.

Does he still lather up with a brush? Or did, until the old one went bald and he switched to foam from a can? The rosewood handle feels solid in the hand, and the soft bristles whip up a thick lather from whatever cream or soap he already uses. If he only uses a trimmer, this isn't for him.

Six chai blends, six bags each, so he can try a different one every evening and tell you which is "almost as good as the tapri's". Tea bags make sense for a dad who makes one cup for himself. If the whole family drinks chai, loose tea goes further.

Book him a haircut, shave and head massage at a good men's salon near home, and pay in advance on UPI so he can't argue at the counter. He's probably gone to the same barber for decades and would never book the massage for himself. Prices vary a lot by city, so call first and check what the package includes.

If his lower back aches after a desk job or a long commute on a two-wheeler, book one home visit from a physiotherapist through a local clinic. One session that checks how he sits and leaves him with four exercises for his chair will help longer than any belt or balm. Confirm the fee on the phone, since it varies by city. And if the pain runs down his leg, it's a doctor he needs, not a physio.

It's light enough to wear around his neck while he reads, and it's also a charging cable and a phone lanyard. Think everyday stiffness from screens and driving, not an injury or a slipped disc. Charge it before you wrap it, so it works the moment he opens the box.

Is he on BP tablets, with a check at the clinic only every few months? Get him this. It's automatic with a big display, and it costs less than the best-known brands while being perfectly fine for daily readings at home. Take it along to his next doctor visit once and compare its reading with the clinic's machine.

Four 20 ml bottles in a box that calls him the number one dad. He'll pretend it's silly and keep it anyway. The small bottles help him work out which scent he likes, so next year you know exactly which big bottle to buy. If he has never worn perfume in his life, though, give this a miss.

Eight assorted mini bars for the 4 pm hunger that usually ends in a samosa from the canteen. Mini is the right size here, since he wants a bite with his tea, not a meal replacement. Tell him they live in the drawer. Leave them on the car's dashboard and they'll melt by May.

Mid-calf office socks with small motifs, subtle enough for a meeting. Most dads wear socks until the heel goes thin, so three new pairs will be on his feet the same week. Check his shoe size before you order.

Every family has one: the dad who films every wedding, mundan and annual day on his phone, then runs out of battery before the pheras. Ten thousand mAh gives most phones at least one full extra charge. Charge it fully and show him which cable goes where before you hand it over.

If he touches the dashboard before every single drive, he'll love this small framed brass idol. Put it on a flat spot where it won't block his view or the airbag. And if the family prays to a different deity, look for a dashboard idol of that one.