New Delhi: ICAR Director General M L Jat stated on Tuesday that a comprehensive strategy involving short-, medium-, and long-term tactics is required to lessen India's reliance on fertiliser imports. He called for increased use of artificial intelligence, precision nutrient management, and sensor-based systems to maximise fertiliser use.Speaking to reporters following a brainstorming session organised by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) here to create a roadmap for attaining "Atmanirbharta" (self-reliance) in fertilisers, Jat stated that while fertilisers were crucial in increasing production during the Green Revolution, the current problem is their indiscriminate application and decreasing efficiency.
According to him, supporting balanced and need-based fertiliser use, bolstering programs like the Soil Health Card program, and raising farmer knowledge are all crucial first steps.
According to Jat, expanding the use of biological sources, recycling organic waste through the Waste-to-Wealth program, and diversifying crops to include oilseeds and pulses will all help lessen reliance on chemical fertilisers.Attendees from relevant government agencies, academic institutions, the fertiliser industry, and farmers all emphasised the importance of self-reliance in the crucial sector.
According to an official release, participants recommended using a multifaceted approach with short-, medium-, and long-term research and development objectives supported by enabling policies.
According to them, the roadmap should prioritise enhancing fertiliser research for the creation of intelligent substitute fertilisers, making use of underutilised native minerals like glauconite, phosphate rocks, mica, and polyhalite, using more biologicals, utilising the potential of soil microbiome, improving composting methods, breeding crops for increased nutrient-use efficiency (NUE), and recycling residue.

Additionally, it was stressed that within the next three years, at least 25% of the existing use of mineral fertilisers should be replaced with organic manures through the implementation of a Mission Mode Program to support Integrated Nutrient Supply and Management (INSAM).
In order to facilitate the widespread adoption of proven methods, participants asked for active year-round technology transfer using digital tools like the AI platform Bharat VISTAAR. They pointed out that inadequate extension services typically encourage higher fertiliser use rather than its effective application.Representatives came to the conclusion that current fertiliser policies require a paradigm shift. Specifically, they agreed that urea should be included in nutrient-based subsidies, that fertiliser subsidies should be repurposed as an incentive for adopting good agricultural practices (GAP), that subsidies should be linked to the Soil Health Card, and that direct cash transfers of subsidies to farmers should be investigated.
In 2024–2025, India's fertiliser subsidy burden reached around Rs 1.71 lakh crore, mostly due to the country's strong reliance on imports, particularly for potassium and phosphorus, which led to significant foreign exchange outflows.In 2024–2025, the total amount of fertiliser consumed was 32.93 million tonnes, with an intensity of 151 kg per hectare. Experts observed that the average fertiliser usage ratio of 9.3:3.5:1 is still significantly tilted toward nitrogen.
Only a small portion of applied nutrients—roughly 30 to 50 percent of nitrogen, 15 to 25 percent of phosphorus, and 50 to 60 percent of potassium—are currently used by crops; the other nutrients are lost through leaching, runoff, volatilisation, or soil fixation.
The audience was informed that almost 80% of the natural gas required to create urea is imported, highlighting reliance on imports even for fertilisers made domestically.Experts warned that there are significant dangers to food security due to supply chain interruptions, export restrictions, and geopolitical crises that directly impact fertiliser prices and availability.
They added that in order to maintain agricultural and food security, the recent crisis brought on by wars in West Asia should be viewed as a wake-up call to reconsider and realign policies and research and development goals rather than as a temporary supply chain problem.
By 2047, India hopes to have achieved Atmanirbhar Bharat, and the agriculture sector is believed to be crucial to this goal.