Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab hit the most by sugar price hike
Sugar prices have risen significantly across India, with Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab seeing the highest increases. The Union government is monitoring the situation and clarified that the price hike is not linked to ethanol production, citing a shift toward grain-based ethanol.
Why it matters
Rising food prices impact inflation and consumer purchasing power, making the government's management of commodity supplies a high-priority economic issue.
As about 18 States and Union Territories witnessed an increase of ₹10 to ₹18 for a kilogram of sugar within one year, the Union government said on Friday (August 21, 2026) it was closely monitoring the situation and had taken steps to stable the prices. On Friday (August 21), Odisha registered the highest price for sugar — ₹ 64.72 for a kilogram, which was ₹17.80 higher than the same date of 2025, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. Other than Odisha, consumers from Assam, Delhi, Goa, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Punjab, Tripura and West Bengal also paid more than ₹60 for a kilogram of sugar on Friday (August 21). The national average price was ₹58.23. Compared to the same date of last month, Madhya Pradesh witnessed an increase of ₹15.70 per kilogram, followed by Punjab, where the increase was ₹14.67 per kilogram of sugar.
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