MUMBAI: Indian sugar mills produced 4.2 million tonnes of the sweetener between Oct. 1 and Dec. 15, about 47 percent higher year-on-year as more mills are operational this year, a producers' body said on Wednesday.

This year 442 mills in the country started crushing by Dec. 15, compared with 426 last year, the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said in a statement.

ISMA expects India's 2014/15 sugar output at 25 million tonnes to 25.5 million tonnes compared with 24.4 million tonnes in the previous year.

Copyright Reuters, 2014