Mumbai,Oct 08: The Fertiliser Association of India has been organising a training program on "Regulatory Pathways for Registration of Fertiliser Products in India" at Shirdi, Maharashtra. The program being organised from October 6 to 10, 2026, brings together fertiliser companies, agricultural scientists, and industry practitioners to address the growing need for faster and more informed product registration under the Fertiliser Control Order.
Speaking at the inauguration, Dr. Suresh Kumar Chaudhari, Director General, FAI, outlined the critical challenges facing India's fertiliser sector, with a sharp focus on the country's dependence on imported raw materials and rising energy costs. He emphasised that India depends on imports for rock phosphate, ammonia, phosphoric acid, sulphuric acid, sulphur, natural gas, and potash, placing the sector at significant risk from global supply disruptions. "We import finished potash entirely. Being a Soil Scientist and part of the fertiliser industry, we need to understand this situation very clearly and directly," said Dr. Chaudhari.
On energy prices and the green energy transition, Dr. Chaudhari noted that grey ammonia is cheaper than green ammonia. He appreciated the government policy support and incentives for use of green ammonia in fertiliser sector. The government is also promoting use of coal-based gasification plants for production of urea in the country. He added that incentives for carbon capture and utilisation in fertiliser sector worth Rs. 20,000 crore for the next 5 years are also part of the emerging roadmap for the country.
Dr. Chaudhari also highlighted that India's total fertiliser production stands at 52 million metric tonnes against a requirement of 72.6 million metric tonnes, with demand projected to reach almost 80 million metric tonnes by 2030. He stressed that global conflicts in West Asia, the Red Sea-Suez route, and the Russia-Ukraine region are directly and immediately impacting fertiliser supply chains and prices, unlike many other sectors which experience delayed effects.
On the issue of balanced nutrition, he noted that India's NPK ratio has deteriorated to 9.7:3.7:1 against the ideal 4:2:1, driven by higher urea use. He underlined that the urea policy and subsidy regime have kept nitrogen consumption disproportionately high while phosphatic and potassic fertilisers remain underused. There is a need to bring urea under ambit of nutrient based subsidy policy and bring new innovative fertiliser products in FCO on fast tract.
Congratulating FAI for organising this need-based program, Dr. Vilas K. Kharche, Vice Chancellor, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri noted its relevance from the farmers’ perspective and emphasised the importance of ensuring fertiliser quality in every respect. Therefore, the nutrient content mentioned on the bag matches what ultimately reaches the farm. He also highlighted the growing concern around sulphur deficiency in Maharashtra, stressing the need for customised fertiliser solutions that go beyond standard NPK recommendations.
Dr. B.D. Bhakare, Principal, Karmayogi Dulaji Sitaram Patil College of Agriculture, Nashik, pointed out that though fertiliser consumption in India remains well below global levels. However, balanced and science-based application of fertiliser is essential for improving farm productivity.
The five-day program aims to equip participants from member companies with practical guidance on how to navigate the regulatory process, estimate timelines for product approvals, and engage effectively with Central Fertiliser Committee.
