Fertiliser Subsidy

Fertiliser companies asked to source collectively from global markets

Traders said a beginning in this regards were made last week when IPL issued a tender to import 1.6 million tonnes of DAP and TSP (Triple Super Phosphate) on behalf of the industry

West Asia crisis: India expects FY27 fertiliser subsidy bill to rise 20%

The jump in subsidies is expected as the country plans to import 6.4 million tonnes of urea and 1.9 million tonnes of other fertilisers this kharif season at high prices

West Asia war: Govt expects annual fertiliser subsidy bill to rise by 20%

Rising import costs are likely to increase India's fertiliser subsidies to companies for selling crop nutrients to farmers below market prices

Best of BS Opinion: Govt must build consensus for Constitutional amendments

From the setback to the women's quota Bill and rising fertiliser subsidies to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, here is a curated selection of Business Standard's top Opinion pieces today

Fixing fertiliser subsidy: Pricing reform, targeted farmer support needed

Rising fertiliser subsidy exposes distortions in urea pricing, fuelling overuse and fiscal strain, highlighting need for direct farmer support and subsidy reform

Fertiliser subsidy beats FY26 Revised Estimates, experts seek policy shift

India's fertiliser subsidy has exceeded FY26 Revised Estimates, prompting experts to call for policy reforms, including rational pricing, curbs on overuse, and bringing urea under the NBS regime

Fertiliser subsidies in FY26 topped RE even before West Asia war

India's fertiliser subsidy breached FY26 estimates before the West Asia crisis, with rising imports and consumption set to push the bill higher

Centre hikes non-urea fertiliser subsidy 10-21% amid West Asia crisis

Government raises non-urea fertiliser subsidy by up to 21 per cent for kharif 2026 to shield farmers from rising global prices and supply disruptions linked to West Asia tensions

Subsidies or science? India's farm future hinges on scaling up R&D

Economist Ashok Gulati of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (Icrier) said government spending on agriculture R&D is "not even peanuts" by global standards

Use West Asia crisis to push fertiliser reforms in India: ICRIER paper

With over 68.6% of India's fertiliser value chain dependent on imports, geopolitical tensions pose rising risks to supply security, underscoring the need for urgent sector reforms, ICRIER paper said

Iran war: Fiscal pressures on govt may mount next FY, say experts

A prolonged West Asia conflict could strain India's fiscal position through higher fertiliser subsidies, rising import costs and weaker revenue growth

Agriculture Minister renews push for DBT of fertiliser subsidy to farmers

Shivraj Singh Chouhan says it would give them the freedom to choose which fertilisers to buy and in what quantities

Agri Minister Shivraj Chouhan pitches for DBT of fertiliser subsidy

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday pitched for transferring the central government's Rs 1.7 lakh crore annual fertiliser subsidy to farmers' bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), saying it would give them the freedom to choose which fertilisers to buy and in what quantities. Addressing the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) campus here, Chouhan said a bag of urea that actually costs Rs 2,400 reaches farmers at just Rs 265-270 because of the subsidy the central government absorbs. "If such a large subsidy is transferred directly to farmers' accounts through DBT, farmers will be able to decide which fertilisers to purchase and in what quantities. This system will ensure that the actual beneficiary of the subsidy is the farmer who applies the fertiliser to the fields," he said. Currently, fertiliser subsidies in India are primarily transferred to companies rather than directly to farmers. Though the ...

Time has come for national debate on DBT in fertilisers, says Chouhan

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan calls for a national debate on direct benefit transfer in fertilisers to curb diversion and ensure subsidies reach farmers

Budget 2026: Food subsidy seen rising 12% in FY26 on higher procurement

VB G RAM G gets Rs 95,692 crore in Fy-27; MGNREGA Rs 30,000 to clear pending dues and smoothen transition

Govt conducting pilots with Agristack to link land, fertiliser use, crops

Agriculture Secretary Rajat Kumar Mishra said that in Haryana, an experiment was conducted to connect land, fertiliser usage and crops grown using Agristack, and it showed remarkable results

Best of BS Opinion: India must find its way as it enters a new world order

From India's role in a changing global order to fertiliser reform, export ambitions and the EV supply chain, today's Best of BS Opinion brings together key editorials and columns.

Digital intervention: Fiscal efficiency can work together with soil revival

Linking urea sales to digital farmer IDs could curb leakages and fiscal waste-but only a phased, inclusive rollout can protect farmers and revive soil health

Centre likely to use digital farmer IDs to rationalise urea sales

Move could be another attempt to rein in burgeoning fertiliser subsidy

Budget 2026-27: Fertiliser industry seeks duty cuts, subsidy reforms

The Fertiliser Association of India has suggested rationalisation of customs duties on key raw materials, incentives for downstream projects, and bringing urea under the nutrient-based subsidy framework in Union Budget 2026-27. The FAI has demanded exemption or reduction of basic customs duty on inputs such as ammonia, phosphoric acid, sulphuric acid, rock phosphate and sulphur. It has also sought relief from Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess, and resolution of issues arising from inverted GST duty structures leading to accumulation of unutilised input tax credit. On the direct tax front, the industry has recommended restoration of weighted deductions for R&D and farmer education, incentives for downstream fertiliser projects, accelerated depreciation for energy-efficient equipment, and easing of compliance and litigation burdens. The FAI has emphasised the need to promote balanced fertilisation to protect soil health, noting that disparities between urea and P&K