India sugar refiners likely to divert 250,000 tons to domestic market, industry executive says (updated)

Shree Renuka Sugars

09/09/2026 12:33

Adds details, background
By Mayank Bhardwaj
NEW DELHI, Sept 9 - India's port-based sugar refineries are likely to divert about 250,000 metric tons of refined sugar to the domestic market, an industry executive said on Wednesday. 
India, the world's biggest sugar consumer, last month allowed duty-free imports of 1 million metric tons raw sugar to bring down record-high domestic prices.
The country has a handful of port-based refineries that import raw sugar duty-free, refine it and export the resulting white sugar. The government has also allowed these refiners to apply for the 1 million-ton quota, enabling them to sell domestically sugar refined from raw sugar they have already imported.
"After the recent change in the sugar trade policy, refineries have applied for quotas of around 250,000 tons for sale in the local markets," said Susheel Kumar, managing director and chief executive of Shree Renuka Sugars SRES.NS, which operates a port-based refinery.
Since the decision to allow duty-free imports, local sugar prices have stated falling, making it less lucrative for importers to bring in the sweetener from overseas markets.
Domestic prices have already started falling and are unlikely to rise as new-season supplies begin arriving soon, Kumar said.
New Delhi has asked sugar mills to begin crushing on October 15, nearly a month earlier than usual, to boost supplies during the peak festival season.

 (Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj, writing by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by YP Rajesh and Louise Heavens)
 ((shilpa.jamkhandikar@thomsonreuters.com))