Rakhi 2026: Sugar Nears Rs 7,000 Per Quintal, Check How Much More You May Pay For Sweets In Delhi

With Raksha Bandhan just a day away, sweet shops across Delhi are facing a familiar festive dilemma: whether to pass rising input costs on to customers or absorb them to protect sales.

A sharp increase in wholesale sugar prices has added to the pressure on sweet makers, who are already dealing with higher costs for milk, cheese, dry fruits, vegetable oil, ghee and commercial cooking gas. While some Delhi traders have raised prices, others are keeping rates unchanged until the festival to avoid putting additional pressure on customers.

Traders told ABP Live that the impact of the higher costs is already being felt in festive orders, with some reporting weaker pre-bookings compared with usual levels.

According to sweetmeat traders, wholesale sugar that was available at around Rs 4,900 per quintal until recently has risen to between Rs 6,600 and nearly Rs 7,000 per quintal.

The sudden increase has added directly to the cost of making sweets at a time when demand typically rises ahead of Raksha Bandhan.

For sweet shops, however, passing the entire increase on to customers is not straightforward. Traders said consumers are already dealing with higher household expenses, making them cautious about festive purchases.

Rahul Agarwal, owner of Agarwal Sweet Center in Janakpuri, West Delhi, said the rise in sugar prices had come on top of increases in several other costs.

He told ABP Live that commercial LPG cylinders, refined flour, vegetable oil and desi ghee had also become more expensive. His shop has consequently increased sweet prices by around Rs 20 per kg.

At the Janakpuri outlet, kaju barfi is currently priced at Rs 1,000 per kg, while kaju roll costs Rs 1,100 per kg. Varieties such as kaju chocolate barfi, kaju kesar and kaju rose are priced at around Rs 1,200 per kg.

Chocolate rolls and some speciality sweets are available at around Rs 600 per kg, while lachha dry-fruit laddus cost Rs 740 per kg and dry-fruit laddus can cost up to Rs 1,200 per kg. Dalda motichoor laddus are priced at Rs 300 per kg, while desi ghee laddus and patisa are around Rs 500 per kg.

Among the milk-based offerings, rasmalai is priced at Rs 45 per piece and rabri rasmalai at Rs 55. Rasgulla costs Rs 25 per piece and rajbhog Rs 35.

Chocolate barfi and special kalakand are priced at around Rs 600 per kg, while milk cake and doda barfi cost Rs 520. Chana barfi is Rs 640, pista barfi Rs 580 and plain barfi Rs 560 per kg.

Not all traders have followed the same approach.

A wholesale and retail sweets trader in Uttam Nagar, West Delhi, who did not wish to be identified, told ABP Live that his business had decided against another price increase for now.

The trader said the business has spent more than 35 years building customer trust around quality and reasonable pricing. Raising rates immediately before Raksha Bandhan, he said, would not be appropriate.