Refiners to sell 2.5 lakh tonnes of white sugar in domestic market: Shree Renuka Sugars MD & CEO

New Delhi: Indian sugar refiners plan to sell around 2.5 lakh tonnes of white sugar in the domestic market, Shree Renuka Sugars Managing Director and Chief Executive Susheel Kumar said on Wednesday, as the government pushes to boost supplies and rein in prices.

"We have offered to sell around 2.5 lakh tonne of ALS sugar in the domestic market," Kumar told reporters on the sidelines of an event organised by the Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA).

India has two standalone sugar refineries, including Shree Renuka Sugars, that import raw sugar under the advance licensing scheme (ALS) to convert into refined sugar for export.


Last month, the government ordered these refiners to sell the ALS-refined sugar domestically instead, as part of efforts to increase supply ahead of the festival season.

Domestic sugar prices have fallen following the government's measures, with the ex-mill price at around Rs 43-44 per kg, Kumar said. That is below the landing cost of imported sugar, estimated around Rs 50 per kg.

Among other steps to control prices, the government has allowed duty-free imports of 10 lakh tonnes of sugar, tightened stockholding limits for bulk users and dealers, and earlier banned sugar exports.

The government has accused mills of "jacking up" prices, saying the country has ample stocks, even as it lowered its production estimate for the 2025-26 marketing year (October-September) to 306 lakh tonnes from an earlier forecast of 343 lakh tonnes. Annual domestic demand is estimated at 280-285 lakh tonnes.