Three years after the launch of PM-PRANAM to cut chemical fertiliser use and import dependence, not a rupee has been released to states.
This is despite documented savings and approved guidelines.
RTI replies reveal an unfinished disbursal mechanism, redacted meeting minutes and withheld Cabinet records.
India’s reliance on West Asian fertiliser imports has come under scrutiny amid the West Asia conflict. The country imports nearly 10 million tonnes (mt) of urea, 6.5 mt of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and its entire muriate of potash (MOP) demand, with Gulf nations dominating supplies.
Dependence extends to inputs: Fertiliser plants rely on natural gas — much of it imported from Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman — and key raw materials like rock phosphate and potash are also sourced. Even ammonia imports are Gulf-dependent.
In 2023, the Government of India announced Pradhaan Mantri Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth (PM-PRANAM), a scheme to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers and imports.
Launched in June 2023 for three years (FY24–FY26), the scheme aims to incentivise states to cut chemical fertiliser use. But as of March 2026, while states have reduced fertiliser use and manufacturing companies report over 14,000 awareness camps, the Centre has released no funds so far.
In fact, the government was yet to finalise a distribution mechanism after 28 months of the three-year scheme, according to an October 2025 reply to a Right to Information (RTI) application by this author.
During this period, the PM-PRANAM Steering Committee met twice — on August 1, 2023, and July 10, 2024, according to the the RTI reply. Copies of the meeting minutes were sought, but the Department of Fertilisers provided only partial records, with several portions redacted.
However, the procedure for calculating incentives for states had already been worked out based on the draft guidelines, showed the minutes of the July 10, 2024 meeting. As per these, 14 states collectively saved an estimated Rs 3,156.92 crore in fertiliser subsidies in FY24 due to reduced use of urea, DAP, MOP and NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). The savings were to be shared equally between the Centre and states, at Rs 1,578.46 crore each.
The Secretary (Fertilisers) praised the states — particularly Karnataka, West Bengal and Maharashtra — stating that the savings were significant and comparable to the agriculture budgets of some states.
The July 10, 2024 meeting concluded with the approval of the SOP and the computation of savings by the Department of Fertilisers.
But as of March 2026, no funds had been disbursed to the states. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers, in its report tabled on March 13, 2026, flagged that no disbursements have been made, raising concerns over the scheme’s implementation despite its approval for 2023-26. “The Committee is deeply concerned to note that the PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness Generation, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth (PM-PRANAM)… has effectively been a non-starter in terms of financial disbursement. As of the time of examination, not a single rupee has been released as incentive to any State or UT under this scheme,” the report stated.
An RTI filed on September 7, 2025, seeking the Cabinet note, minutes of Cabinet meetings and file notings related to the PM-PRANAM scheme was denied by the Department of Fertilisers, which cited Section 8(1)(i) of the RTI Act. The department withheld the information despite the provision stating that such records should be disclosed once a decision has been taken.
Cabinet notes typically likely contain key details such as projected reductions in fertiliser use and the financial implications of a scheme, which are crucial for assessing its effectiveness. The denial of this information limits an independent evaluation of PM-PRANAM.
Further, under the scheme’s draft guidelines, a Steering Committee chaired by the Secretary (Fertilisers) is mandated to finalise operational aspects, including the disbursal mechanism, and submit recommendations to the Union minister for chemicals and fertilisers. However, in an RTI dated September 26, 2025, seeking copies of these recommendations submitted to the minister and recommendations accepted by the minister, the department did not provide any information.
As per the scheme guidelines, the Government of India was to award top-performing states to encourage healthy competition in reducing the consumption of chemical fertilisers. However, in its RTI reply, the Department of Fertilisers stated that “no such information is available with this department”.
As per an RTI reply, 14 states and Union territories reported a combined reduction of 1.4 million tonnes in the consumption of chemical fertilisers during 2023-24. This should result in an estimated subsidy of Rs 3,156.92 crore, making the states eligible for incentives under the PM-PRANAM scheme.
For 2024-25, according to a Parliamentary Standing Committee report, three regions — Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands — have been found eligible for incentives, having collectively reduced fertiliser consumption by 41,842 tonnes.
The overuse of chemical fertilisers has been a key concern for policymakers for years. Addressing the 17th Indian Cooperative Congress in 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that “chemical-free farming, natural farming is the priority of the government”. He highlighted that the PM-PRANAM scheme was approved to encourage farmers to shift towards alternative and organic fertilisers.
In his 2025 Independence Day address from the Red Fort, Modi flagged the structural challenge of import dependence, stating that “just like we are dependent on the world for energy… we have to depend on the world for fertilisers as well”. He cautioned against the indiscriminate use of fertilisers, noting the harm caused to “Mother Earth", and urged the country to develop domestic capacities and reduce reliance on external sources while promoting more responsible and balanced fertiliser use.
At a time when geopolitical disruptions like the West Asia war are exposing the risks of India’s heavy reliance on imported fertilisers and inputs, the lack of progress on a scheme aimed at reducing such dependence becomes even more significant. Bridging this gap between intent and action will be critical if India is to move towards a more sustainable, self-reliant and resilient agricultural system.
Suchak Patel in an independent journalist. Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth.