Before Raksha Bandhan 2026, Delhi’s sweet market faces rising cost pressure due to expensive sugar. The sudden increase has affected production expenses for sweet makers. Some traders increased prices, while others maintained old rates to avoid burdening customers during the festival. Businesses said milk, paneer, dry fruits, vegetable fat, ghee, and other ingredients already carried higher costs.
Sugar prices created a major challenge for sweet businesses. Earlier, wholesale sugar prices stayed near ₹4,900 per quintal. However, rates increased from ₹6,600 and reached nearly ₹7,000 per quintal on Tuesday. Therefore, traders said the sudden jump directly affected sweet production costs. Although demand remains during festivals, sellers are divided over price changes.
Janakpuri Shops Increase Prices After Sugar Cost Surge
Rahul Aggarwal, owner of Aggarwal Sweet Centre in Janakpuri, raised concerns over increasing expenses. He said commercial gas cylinders, flour, vegetable fat, and pure desi ghee already increased production costs. After sugar prices climbed, his shop increased sweet rates by around ₹20 per kilogram.
Currently, kaju barfi costs ₹1,000 per kilogram, while kaju roll costs ₹1,100. Kaju chocolate barfi, kaju kesar, and kaju rose varieties cost around ₹1,200 per kilogram. Chocolate roll and special sweets cost nearly ₹600 per kilogram. Lachha dry fruit laddoo costs ₹740, while dry fruit laddoo costs around ₹1,200 per kilogram. Dalda motichoor laddoo costs ₹300, whereas desi ghee laddoo and patisa cost around ₹500 per kilogram.
Rasmalai costs ₹45 per piece, while rabri rasmalai costs ₹55 per piece. Meanwhile, rasgulla costs ₹25 and rajbhog costs ₹35 per piece. Chocolate barfi and special kalakand cost nearly ₹600 per kilogram. Milk cake and doda barfi cost around ₹520 per kilogram. Chana barfi costs ₹640, pistachio barfi costs ₹580, and plain barfi costs ₹560 per kilogram. White peda costs ₹580, while red peda costs ₹540 per kilogram. Malai chaap, pakeeza, chhena toast, and anarkali cost around ₹520 per kilogram. Shahi tukda and malai toast cost nearly ₹600 per kilogram.
Several Traders Hold Prices Despite Rising Expenses
A wholesale and retail sweet trader from Uttam Nagar said his organisation has not increased prices yet. He said the business built customer trust through quality and fair pricing for more than 35 years. According to him, increasing rates during Raksha Bandhan would not be appropriate.
The trader explained that commercial cylinder price increases earlier pushed product rates up by around 8 to 10 percent. Later, businesses considered reducing prices after market improvement. However, sugar prices increased again before any major reduction.
Currently, the trader plans to maintain prices until the festival ends. After 10 to 15 days, the business will review market conditions. Vegetable fat sweets remain available between ₹250 and ₹300 per kilogram. Pure desi ghee sweets cost around ₹500 to ₹600 per kilogram.
Bikaner Mithai Wala owner Dinesh Aggarwal also decided against increasing prices. He said sudden changes during Raksha Bandhan could affect customer trust. The business will absorb some increased sugar costs for now and review future decisions later.
Customers Cut Orders As Festival Budgets Tighten
Trader Sahil, who manages wholesale and retail sweet sales in western Delhi, increased prices by 10 to 12 percent. He said production costs increased before sweets reached customers. Therefore, businesses passed some expenses to buyers.
However, traders will understand the real sales impact after the festival. Meanwhile, local shop owner Suresh Sharma decided to keep prices unchanged until Raksha Bandhan. He said his shop prepares sweets internally and will avoid price changes during the festival. If sugar prices remain high later, higher costs may force future increases.
Sweet sellers reported around a 10 percent decline in Raksha Bandhan pre-orders. They estimate current business activity between 80 and 85 percent compared with normal sales. Customers still prefer kaju katli, dry sweets, barfi, and sonpapdi. However, rising rates have forced buyers to reconsider their budgets.
Earlier, customers bought sweets worth ₹500 within the same budget. Now, similar purchases require around ₹650 to ₹700. Rising expenses have affected both buyers and traders. Many sellers are reducing profits to maintain festival sales.
Chocolate Packs Become Alternative Festival Gifts
Some customers are choosing chocolate gift packs instead of traditional sweets due to higher prices. Shopkeepers said Cadbury Celebrations, Dairy Milk, KitKat, and Ferrero Rocher packs are gaining attention. However, traditional sweet demand continues during Raksha Bandhan.
Customer Nisha told to a media house that higher sugar prices explain increased sweet rates. She said festival expenses directly affect family budgets. According to her, sweets remain necessary during the brother-sister celebration despite higher prices.
Another customer, Gagan Sharma, criticised the sudden sugar price rise. He blamed the government and demanded action against food department officials. He also urged strict steps against traders involved in hoarding.
Sweet Market Future Depends On Post-Festival Situation
Delhi’s sweet market currently shows two different trends. Some sellers increased prices due to higher costs, while others maintained old rates for customer trust. The future direction will depend on sugar prices and post-Raksha Bandhan sales trends. If raw material costs remain high, traders expect further price increases after the festival
