18 Sept 2025
Highlighting the remarkable growth of India’s sugar industry, Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi stated that over the past ten years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sugarcane cultivation has expanded by 18 percent, sugarcane production by 40 percent, yield by 19 percent, and sugar production by 58 percent. The Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane has increased from Rs 210 per quintal in 2013-14 to Rs 355 per quintal for the 2025-26 sugar season.
Joshi emphasized that 99.9 percent of dues were cleared for sugarcane farmers in the 2023-24 season, with over 90 percent of dues settled for the 2024-25 season, ensuring a balance between farmer interests and stable sugar retail prices.
Addressing the 83rd Centennial Annual Convention of the Sugar Technologists’ Association of India (STAI), Joshi highlighted the sector’s transformation from a traditional commodity market into a vibrant energy-driven industry. “India’s sugar industry has evolved, turning farmers from ‘Annadata’ (grain providers) to ‘Urjadata’ (energy providers),” he noted.
The government’s initiatives under the National Policy on Biofuels 2018, amended in 2022, have been pivotal in this transformation. Sugarcane juice, sugarcane syrup, B-heavy and C-heavy molasses are now used for ethanol production, and an interest subvention scheme has enhanced ethanol capacity. Additionally, a Financial Assistance Scheme for Cooperative Sugar Mills has enabled the conversion of existing ethanol plants to multi-feedstock operations, reducing surplus sugar stocks while boosting the biofuel sector.
India remains the world’s second-largest sugar producer, contributing about 20 percent of global production, and the largest consumer, with nearly 15 percent of global sugar consumption. The sector sustains over 55 million farmers and 500,000 workers through direct and indirect employment. Research institutions have also developed high-yield sugarcane varieties, further strengthening production.
The sugar industry has significantly supported allied sectors, especially ethanol production, increasing blending rates from 1.5 percent in 2013 to nearly 20 percent by 2025. This growth is supported by capacity expansion, feedstock diversification, and progressive policy measures under the Ethanol Blending Programme.
Joshi urged the industry to focus on sustainability, including zero liquid discharge, water efficiency, and green energy, while leveraging R&D and digital technologies to evolve sugar mills into multi-product, energy-efficient biorefineries. “Together, we aim to build a resilient, diversified, and globally competitive sugar sector, contributing to our vision of a developed India by 2047,” he concluded.