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For a country that is among the world’s largest food producers and thus one of the biggest consumers of fertilisers, secure access to these inputs is vital. While India is broadly self-sufficient in food grains, it is not so in fertilisers and depends heavily on imports, whether for finished products or raw materials used to make them. Data with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows that India is the world’s second-largest fertiliser importer by both volume and value. The ongoing war between the US-Israel and Iran has exposed this vulnerability of India in ensuring a steady supply of these farm inputs for sustaining agricultural yields.
On March 10, the Union government invoked the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to regulate natural gas supply and protect priority sectors. Supplies to petrochemicals and fertiliser plants were capped at 70 per cent. Industry sources say fertiliser plants have since been operating below capacity and that fertiliser prices are set to increase. On March 14, Union information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said at a press conference that India had been preparing for the upcoming kharif season by procuring fertiliser stocks and advancing orders from mid-February. As of March 13, stocks of urea, diammonium phosphate (DAP) and nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) were significantly higher than in the same period last year. In a prolonged conflict, however, these stocks may not suffice.
In 2024–25, India produced 46.5 million tonnes of fertilisers, against a demand of 64.9 million tonnes, as per Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers. Urea accounts for the largest share of demand, followed by NPK fertilisers, DAP and potash. The gap between domestic production and demand is bridged through imports, which stood at 16 million tonnes in 2024-25.
A large share of the imports is tied to the Gulf. About 70 per cent of urea imports come from Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. For DAP, Saudi Arabia alone accounts for over 40 per cent. Much of this trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz, now effectively closed. “About 30–40 per cent of India’s nitrogen supply passes through the strait. Any disruption will push up prices, strain the subsidy bill and increase the burden on the government under the nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime,” says Rajneesh Pandey, Deputy General Manager (Marketing), Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO).
Though India does not import potash from the Gulf region, the country has no commercially viable reserves and is entirely reliant ...
This article was originally published as part of the special package "Attacks that will outlast the war" in the April 1-15, 2026 print edition of Down To Earth