Sugar market in India - statistics & facts
The sugarcane and sugar sector in India ranks second in terms of agro-based industries, after cotton. India ranks first globally in sugar production. It produced about 34 million metric tons of sugar in 2023/2024. It is not only responsible for the livelihood of sugarcane farmers in rural areas but also provides employment to about 500 thousand workers in the sugar mills. Additionally, the gross value added from the sugar crop was about 806 billion Indian rupees in. Apart from being the leading sugar producer, India was also the third-largest exporter of sugar in the world.
Jaggery (Gur) is a traditional sweetener produced from sugarcane in rural regions of India. It is a good source of vitamins and minerals and is most commonly used in tea and Indian desserts. Khandsari (khand) on the other hand is an unrefined raw sugar that is a regional specialty and is a healthier alternative compared to white sugar.
Sugar production
India is projected to produce about 34 million metric tons of sugar in the market year 2023/2024. The northern state of Uttar Pradesh was the leading sugarcane producer followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka. Sugar in India is basically produced from the sugarcane crop. First, the process involves crushing the sugar crop and the juice is extracted and separated from the plant residue. Following that, the juice is later boiled until it forms a thick syrup and undergoes a crystallization process. Eventually, the raw sugar crystals are centrifuged to remove any juice or syrup. There are about responsible for sugar production across the country.Sugar consumption
It is not surprising that India is one of the major sugar-consuming nations. Consumption of ice cream, baked goods, confectionery, mithai (Indian sweets), and processed food and beverage items, all of which use sugar as a main ingredient, has significantly increased, which has helped to restore consumer product demand. Therefore, the overall sugar consumption volume was 31 million metric tons in 2023/2024. As a result of this, India is also ranked second with the highest number of diabetics worldwide.Sugar varieties
Sugar, gur, or khandsari are all products made from sugarcane in different Indian provinces. However, there are four major categories of sugar products produced worldwide which are brown sugar, granulated sugar, liquid sugar, and invert sugar. Historically, the main source of sugar in our diet has been unrefined sugar.Jaggery (Gur) is a traditional sweetener produced from sugarcane in rural regions of India. It is a good source of vitamins and minerals and is most commonly used in tea and Indian desserts. Khandsari (khand) on the other hand is an unrefined raw sugar that is a regional specialty and is a healthier alternative compared to white sugar.
