Indian sugar up on buying by stockists, output.

 MUMBAI, Jan 19 (Reuters) - India sugar futures opened higher on Monday on active spot buying by stockists, who are expecting a drop in the output as well as good demand from beverage makers in next few months, analysts said.

At 10:13 a.m., the February futures contract NSMG9 on the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange was up 0.60 percent at 2,012 rupees per 100 kg.

Millers in the western state of Maharashtra have produced 2.7 million tonnes of sugar in the current season until Jan. 13, down 6.9 percent from the same period a year ago, a senior official said on last week. See [ID:nBOM414325]

India's output could dip to below 19 million tonnes in 2008/09 againt 26.3 million tonnes a year ago, according to industry estimates.

However, hopes the government may ease rules on duty-free imports of raw sugar for the domestic use capped the gains, they said.