With sugar prices spiking to Rs 65 a kilo in parts of the country, sugar and sweets could soon become unaffordable for the common Indian in Amrit Kaal. Ironically, this surge in sugar prices comes in a year when India has recorded 500 million metric tonnes (MMT) of sugarcane production in 2025–26, roughly 43% higher than national production in 2015–16.
Policymakers even allowed sugar exports in 2025, citing large sugarcane production. But does higher sugarcane production necessarily lead to more sugar? If so, why are prices rising? What is the elephant in the room – the ethanol push, hoarding, untimely exports, inaccurate estimates or a mismanaged sugar policy?
