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India's Fertiliser Output Hits Record High
7 Feb
Summary
- Record monthly fertiliser output of 1.57 million tonne achieved in January 2026.
- Government policy and timely subsidy payments fueled production boom.
- Domestic production now meets nearly 73% of India's soil nutrient needs.
India achieved a landmark monthly production of approximately 1.57 million tonnes of phosphatic and potassic fertilisers, including DAP and complex NPKs, in January 2026. This record output signifies a substantial shift towards a self-reliant fertiliser economy for the nation.
The Ministry of Fertilisers highlighted that the successful implementation of the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) policy, coupled with punctual subsidy disbursements, has provided crucial financial backing to fertiliser manufacturing firms, driving this production surge.
Despite this domestic achievement, recent data from the Fertiliser Association of India indicates a significant rise in fertiliser imports. Urea imports climbed by 85% to nearly 8 MT, while DAP imports saw a 45% increase in April-December FY26. NPK fertiliser imports also surged by 121% during the same period.
Industry estimates project an overall increase in soil nutrient imports by over 41% to more than 22.3 MT in FY26, driven by escalating domestic demand. However, the government stated that nearly 73% of the country's soil nutrient demand was met through domestic production in 2025. While the government supplies around 65 MT of subsidised fertilisers annually, about 25-30% of this quantity is met through imports. India relies on imports for 20% of its urea and two-thirds of its DAP. Key raw materials for domestic DAP production, such as rock phosphate, are also largely imported, as is muriate of potash.
