What Happened
- M.L. Jat, Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of ICAR, flagged that India consumes nearly 33 million tonnes of fertilisers annually with a substantial portion imported — making reducing import dependence a strategic priority.
- Jat called for launching a Mission Mode Programme on Integrated Nutrient Supply and Management (INSAM) to replace at least 25% of mineral fertiliser use with organic manures over three years.
- He advocated leveraging precision nutrient management, AI, and sensor-based systems to optimise fertiliser application.
- Crop diversification towards pulses and oilseeds, recycling organic waste through the Waste-to-Wealth initiative, and expanding biological nutrient sources were highlighted as parallel pathways.
- India's fertiliser subsidy burden touched nearly Rs 1.71 lakh crore in FY25, driven heavily by import costs of urea, DAP, and MOP.
- The statement comes in the context of the 2026 Hormuz crisis disrupting Gulf-origin fertiliser supply chains.
Static Topic Bridges
India's Fertiliser Sector and Import Dependence
India is the world's second-largest consumer of fertilisers after China. The three major fertilisers — Urea (nitrogen), DAP/Diammonium Phosphate (phosphorus), and MOP/Muriate of Potash (potassium) — form the backbone of crop nutrition. India produces about 87% of its urea requirement domestically but imports nearly 60% of its DAP and 100% of its MOP requirement. Potash, by geological accident, has no commercially viable domestic reserves in India — all MOP is imported from Canada, Russia, Belarus, and Jordan.
- Urea is the most heavily subsidised fertiliser; it is sold to farmers at a government-fixed Maximum Retail Price (MRP) well below production cost.
- DAP is partly subsidised under the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) regime (applicable to P&K fertilisers).
- Urea is excluded from NBS and covered under a separate direct subsidy to manufacturers/importers.
- India's total fertiliser subsidy budget for FY26 was approximately Rs 1.64 lakh crore.
- Major domestic urea producers: IFFCO, NFL, KRIBHCO, RCF, GNFC.
Connection to this news: With the Hormuz crisis disrupting Gulf shipping lanes — a key corridor for fertiliser imports — DARE Secretary Jat's call for import reduction is both a long-term structural agenda and an immediate supply security concern.
PM-PRANAM and Fertiliser Policy Reforms
PM-PRANAM (PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth) was launched in 2023 to incentivise states to reduce chemical fertiliser use. Under the scheme, 50% of the fertiliser subsidy saved by a state (compared to a 3-year average baseline) is passed to the state as a grant — 70% for surface infrastructure and 30% for asset creation. Despite approval of guidelines, not a single rupee had been disbursed to states as of early 2026, limiting real-world impact.
- 14 states collectively saved an estimated Rs 3,157 crore in fertiliser subsidies in FY24 under PM-PRANAM.
- The scheme aims to promote alternate fertilisers: nano urea (liquid), nano DAP, biofertilisers, and city compost.
- IFFCO's Nano Urea (liquid) was the first nano fertiliser approved by the Fertiliser Control Order, 2023 — a bottle replaces one bag of conventional urea.
- The Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme underpins PM-PRANAM by enabling targeted application based on actual soil nutrient status.
Connection to this news: DARE Secretary Jat's push for an INSAM Mission Mode Programme aligns with but goes beyond PM-PRANAM, aiming for a deeper structural shift in India's fertiliser use philosophy.
DARE and ICAR: India's Agricultural Research Architecture
The Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) functions under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and serves as the administrative body for the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). ICAR, established in 1929, is the world's largest network of agricultural research, education, and extension institutions. It oversees 113 institutes and 73 agricultural universities, and is responsible for varietal development, technology transfer, and agronomic research.
- ICAR's mandate includes crop improvement (HYV seeds), soil science, pest management, and post-harvest technology.
- Green Revolution was driven by ICAR-developed high-yielding varieties in collaboration with CIMMYT (wheat) and IRRI (rice).
- ICAR-IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute), New Delhi, is India's premier agricultural research institute — known as the "granary of India's green revolution."
- National Agricultural Research System (NARS) includes ICAR + State Agricultural Universities (SAUs).
Connection to this news: ICAR's role in developing alternate fertilisers, nano formulations, and biostimulants is central to the DARE Secretary's vision of reducing chemical fertiliser dependency while maintaining crop yields.
Key Facts & Data
- India's annual fertiliser consumption: ~33 million tonnes
- Fertiliser subsidy budget FY25: ~Rs 1.71 lakh crore
- Urea self-sufficiency: ~87% domestic production
- DAP imports: ~60% of demand; MOP imports: 100% of demand
- INSAM Mission target: Replace 25% mineral fertilisers with organic manures in 3 years
- PM-PRANAM: 14 states saved Rs 3,157 crore in FY24; yet zero funds disbursed to states
- Nano Urea: 1 bottle (500 ml) = 1 bag (50 kg) of conventional urea