Can India Stop Urea Imports by 2025? Here’s What the Data Says
New Delhi, October 2025 — India is moving steadily toward self-sufficiency in urea production, aiming to end imports by 2025. Over the past decade, domestic capacity has grown significantly due to the revival of closed fertilizer plants and new capacity additions.
However, while production continues to rise, fertilizer consumption has reached record levels. Consequently, India still depends on imports to bridge the seasonal gap — especially as the Talcher Fertilizer Project faces delays.
How Much Urea Does India Produce Today?
India’s urea production touched 306.67 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) in FY 2024–25, up from 227.15 LMT in 2013–14. This impressive 35% growth shows how policy reforms and investment have strengthened the domestic fertilizer sector.
Moreover, higher operational efficiency in the revived plants has further supported this rise.
What Is India’s Actual Urea Demand?
Currently, India’s annual urea requirement is estimated between 350 LMT and 360 LMT. Despite consistent growth in production, a supply gap of 40–50 LMT still exists. Therefore, India must import limited quantities each year to maintain adequate buffer stocks.
Why Are Imports Still Required?
Although import dependence is shrinking, complete elimination remains challenging. In FY 2024–25, urea imports fell by nearly 20% to 5.65 MMT, thanks to stronger domestic output.
Even so, imports remain essential for balancing regional shortages and ensuring timely supply during peak agricultural seasons. Additionally, sudden maintenance shutdowns or port delays can force short-term imports to stabilize prices.
How Fast Is Fertilizer Consumption Growing?
Fertilizer use in India has been expanding rapidly, supported by better irrigation, high-yield crops, and improved credit availability.
In FY 2024–25, total consumption rose 9.1%, reaching a record 70.70 MMT. This growth outpaced domestic production, which explains the continued need for strategic imports.
Product-wise performance shows clear trends:
| Product | Consumption Trend | Production Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Urea | +8.4% → 38.77 MMT | −2.4% to 30.64 MMT |
| DAP | −14.2% to 9.28 MMT | −12.2% to 3.77 MMT |
| NP/NPK | +28.4% to 14.21 MMT | +18.6% to 11.33 MMT |
| MOP | +33.9% to 2.20 MMT | ↑ Imports (+23.4%) |
| SSP | — | +16.8% to 5.18 MMT |
On a nutrient basis, nitrogen output dropped slightly (−0.7%), while phosphorus (P₂O₅) rose 4.5%, showing gradual improvement in balanced fertilizer production.
What’s the Status of the Talcher Fertilizer Project?
The Talcher Fertilizer Ltd. (TFL) project — India’s first coal-gasification-based urea plant — holds the key to complete self-sufficiency. Unfortunately, its progress has been slower than expected.
As of mid-2025, the project had achieved around 65% completion, with outside battery limit work exceeding 75%.
Originally targeted for 2024, its commissioning is now pushed to 2026, delaying about 12.7 LMT of additional capacity.
Can Technology Help India Bridge the Gap?
Yes. India is actively expanding the use of Nano Urea and Nano DAP. These innovative fertilizers enhance nutrient-use efficiency and reduce traditional urea dependence by 10–15%.
Consequently, they can help India stabilize domestic supply while promoting sustainable soil health.
Is India Urea Self-Sufficiency 2025?
Practically speaking, India will likely achieve near self-sufficiency by late 2025 rather than complete independence.
With Gorakhpur, Barauni, Sindri, and Ramagundam already operational, India can meet about 97–98% of its annual demand.
However, due to the Talcher delay and record fertilizer use, small volumes of imports will continue into 2026 for buffer and logistics purposes.
What Should Be the Next Steps?
Going forward, India must:
Fast-track Talcher’s completion to unlock full capacity.
Streamline fertilizer logistics, ensuring equitable state-wise supply.
Promote balanced fertilization, especially through nano and bio-based products.
Maintain limited imports for strategic reserves and price stability.
These steps will ensure that production growth translates into long-term sustainability.
FERTILIZERFIELD Outlook on India Urea Self-Sufficiency 2025
India’s fertilizer sector has entered a decisive phase of transformation.
On one hand, production has crossed 306 LMT, signaling major progress toward self-sufficiency.
On the other, rising demand and consumption trends highlight the need for continuous innovation, better logistics, and smarter policy coordination.
If Talcher becomes operational as planned and nano fertilizers achieve widespread adoption, India could achieve complete urea independence by 2026 — marking a new era for the nation’s fertilizer industry.
