India's Fertiliser Future: PM Modi Calls for Self-Reliance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urges India to become self-reliant in fertiliser production, advocating for domestic innovation and reduced import dependency. Addressing the nation, he highlights the need for sustainable practices to protect soil health and emphasizes collaborative efforts between industry, government, and youth to strengthen India's agricultural sector.

During his Independence Day address from the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the urgency for India to achieve self-reliance in the fertiliser sector. While drawing parallels with the nation's energy independence quest, he highlighted India's import dependency for a sizable portion of its fertiliser requirements.

Modi appealed to farmers for cautious and scientific fertiliser use to safeguard soil health, warning against its reckless application which impairs the environment. He rallied the youth, industrial, and private sectors to collaborate in forging substantial domestic fertiliser reserves and innovate indigenous production methods to meet India's needs.

The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers reaffirmed its dedication to collaborating with stakeholders to fortify domestic capacity and encourage sustainable farming. With a decade-long upsurge, India's fertiliser production rose to 503.35 Lakh Metric Tonnes in 2023-24, covering a large portion of the 601 LMT consumption, while imports supplied 177 LMT.