Indian Horticulture Sector: Productivity-Led Growth Charts a Course to Vision 2030
India's horticulture sector has quietly overtaken foodgrain in output, and its latest numbers confirm that growth is now coming from the field rather than from new land. The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare's (DA&FW) Second Advance Estimates (SAE) for 2025-26 place total horticulture production at 3,777.76 lakh tonnes, a 1.9% rise over the 2024-25 final figure of 3,707.38 lakh tonnes. The area under cultivation edged up only 0.05% to 301.51 lakh hectares. Nearly the entire production gain, in other words, came from higher yield per hectare rather than expansion.
India Bans Sugar Exports Until September 2026: What DGFT's Notification Means for Global Markets
India has moved decisively to restrict Indian sugar from global markets. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), through Notification No. 16/2026-27 dated 13 May 2026, has escalated the export status of raw, white, and refined sugar from Restricted to Prohibited with immediate effect. The ban runs until 30 September 2026, or until further notice, whichever is earlier.
Balancing India’s Fertilizer Sovereignty Amidst the Middle East Energy Crisis
A "double-edged" geopolitical reality where India's quest for self-reliance is being confronted by foreign volatility has made 2026 a turning point for global agricultural supply chains. India has strengthened its domestic output, but the energy corridors that power the country's fertilizer facilities have been rocked by the abrupt development of war in West Asia.
GST 2.0 in Practice: Assessing India’s GST Reduction On Staple and Processed Food Products
The 56th meeting of the GST Council, convened on September 3, 2025, in New Delhi, approved the next-generation GST reforms with a multi-sectoral and multi-thematic focus on improving the lives of all citizens and ensuring ease of doing business for all, including small traders and businessmen. The approved reforms embody the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and represent a strategic, principled, and citizen-centric evolution of a landmark tax framework, which will enhance the quality of life of every citizen.
GCC Sugar-Based Excise Tax Reform: Implications and Opportunities for Indian Businesses
The Financial and Economic Cooperation Committee at the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) in October 2025 approved changes to how excise
tax is applied to sweetened beverages. In line with these changes, the Board of
Directors of the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) has updated
the Implementing Regulations of the Excise Tax Law, which are in effect from
January 6, 2026.