Quick-commerce platforms Zepto, Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart have placed quantity limits on sugar purchases as prices climb ahead of the festive season. Restrictions vary by platform and product. Swiggy Instamart capped some listings at two 1-kg packs per order, while Zepto has flagged limited availability on certain products. The limits have extended to offline retail as well, with DMart and Reliance reportedly capping purchases at around 2 to 3 kg per customer in some stores.
The restrictions come as sugar prices have risen sharply. Retail prices stood at approximately ₹52.3 per kg last week, up 13% year on year. The government earlier this month allowed the import of 10 lakh tonnes of raw sugar, the first such move in a decade, after opening stocks for the next season fell to a nine-year low. Production for the current season dropped to 296 lakh tonnes, with 31 lakh tonnes diverted to ethanol production under India’s blending programme.
The government has also revised its duty-free import rules, giving importers up to two months from the date of filing the Bill of Entry to process raw sugar into refined sugar and sell it domestically. The original notification had required all processing and sales to be completed by October 31. The revised timeline provides refiners greater flexibility but does not change the fact that imported sugar will take time to move through the supply chain and reach consumers.
The timing is significant. The festive season brings a sharp increase in household demand for sugar as families prepare sweets, desserts and traditional foods, while sweet shops, bakeries and food businesses ramp up procurement. Consumers are now facing a double pressure: higher prices and quantity limits at the same time.
The sugar shortage has moved from policy papers to kitchen shelves. The ethanol programme diverted sugarcane from sugar production. Output fell to a six-year low. The government was late opening imports. Retail prices rose 13%. And the shortage has reached the point where apps and stores are rationing sugar before the country’s biggest consumption season.
Source: India Today
