A chocolate gateaux arranged at a patisserie in Mumbai. (Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg)
(Bloomberg) -- India has long been known for its love affair with sugar. Sweets play a major role in festivals and family celebrations and delicacies such as gulab jamun -- fried dough balls soaked in syrup -- and barfi -- made with condensed milk -- are popular gifts. Not only is the country the world’s biggest consumer of sugar, it’s also one of the top producers.