India is hosting the 41st Session of the International Sugar Council, ISC, beginning in New Delhi on Tuesday. Briefing media persons, the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Prof. K.V. Thomas said, the three day meet, will provide an opportunity to Indian Sugar sector to apprise itself of the latest developments in sugar industry across the world. He said, it will also be an occasion to showcase the Indian sugar sector before the world.

Delegates from 32 countries and the European Union have confirmed their participation at the session being held under the Chairmanship of Dr. B.C. Gupta, Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution, Government of India.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Minister for Agriculture & Cooperation and Food Processing Industry , Sharad Pawar, and Shri K.V. Thomas, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution will address Tuesday's opening session.

The scientific advances in sugarcane development and utilization, cooperatives as a model for the sugar industry and new trends in the global market will be discussed. Addressing the media Executive Director of ISO, Dr. Peter Baron said that India by its sheer size of its sugar industry is one of the powers in the world sugar economy. He said, over the last ten years India was on an average the world’s biggest consumer of sugar and the second largest single producer.