The country’s domestic production of phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers, including di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and complex NPKs (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), rose to a record of around 1.57 million tonne (MT) in January 2026, the fertiliser ministry said on Friday.
This is the highest-ever monthly output achieved in the country which indicates a shift towards a self-reliant fertiliser economy, the ministry said.“Key to this production boom is the effective implementation of the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) policy. By ensuring the timely payment of subsidies, the government has provided essential financial stability to manufacturing companies,” according to the ministry.
FAI flags import surge
The government claims of significant rise in DAP and NPK productions comes after the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) data recently stated that the country’s urea imports surged 85% to close to 8 MT in the period while inward shipments of DAP rose 45% at 6 MT in April-December, FY26 on year.
NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) fertiliser imports rose by 121% during the April-December, 2025-26 to 3.29 MT. Overall imports of soil nutrients are projected to increase by over 41% to over 22.3 MT in FY26 due to a surge in domestic demand, according to industry estimates.
73% demand fertiliser demand met domestically
The fertiliser ministry recently stated that nearly 73% of the country’s requirement of soil nutrients was met through domestic production in 2025. The government supplies around 65 MT of highly subsidised fertilisers annually to farmers out of which around 25% to 30% is met through imports.
India imports 20% of its urea requirement, while two-thirds of DAP consumption is met via imports. Domestic manufacturing of DAP also depends on key raw materials ‘rock phosphate’ mostly imported from Senegal, Jordan, South Africa and Morocco. The country depends on imports of the muriate of potash.