India is set to achieve self-sufficiency in urea production by the end of 2025, aiming to completely halt urea imports. This development comes as domestic production has significantly increased, narrowing the demand-supply gap.
Mansukh Mandaviya, the Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers, underscored the crucial role of fertilisers in Indian agriculture, highlighting the country’s six-decade-long reliance on chemical fertilisers to enhance crop yields.
The government is now actively promoting alternative fertilisers such as nanoliquid urea and nanoliquid di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) to improve crop and soil health. Mandaviya outlined the strategy of the Modi government to achieve self-sufficiency, which includes reviving closed urea plants and enhancing domestic production capacities.
Currently, India’s annual urea requirement stands at approximately 350 lakh tonnes, while domestic production has risen to 310 lakh tonnes from 225 lakh tonnes in 2014-15. After the commissioning of a new plant, the goal is to reach an annual production of around 325 lakh tonnes.
This will involve replacing 20-25 lakh tonnes of conventional urea with nanoliquid urea. Mandaviya expressed confidence that by 2025, India will no longer depend on urea imports, leading to a reduction in the import bill to zero.
Furthermore, Mandaviya highlighted the government’s efforts to ensure fertiliser availability and manage prices for farmers. This includes the recent allocation of a fertiliser subsidy amounting to Rs 1.64 lakh crore for the fiscal year 2024-25.
