Parliament Question: Alternative Sources of Export of Fertilizers

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF FERTILIZERS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2211 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 31.07.2026 Alternative Sources of Export of Fertilizers 2211 Shri Balashowry Vallabhaneni: Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state: (a) whether it is true that Russia is a major exporter of Ammonia and Sulphur to India, if so, the details thereof; (b) whether the damage to the pipeline connecting Togliantti in Russia to the Black Sea port of Odesa in Ukraine disrupted supplies and led to a sharp increase in the price of imported Sulphur to US$ 550 per ton from US$ 250 per ton; and (c) if so, the manner in which the Government is likely to find alternative source of the said fertilizers? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL) (a) Russia is not a major exporter of Ammonia to India. However, Russia exported small quantities of Sulphur to India. Out of 21.4 LMT Sulphur imported in India during 2025-26, 1.47 LMT (6.8%) was imported from Russia. (b) The pipeline connecting Togliatti in Russia to the Black Sea port of Odesa in Ukraine is an ammonia pipeline. It transported liquid ammonia before its regular operations were suspended in February 2022. The pipeline sustained damage due to conflict-related incidents in the Kharkiv region is June 2023 and the Donetsk region in October 2025. Because the infrastructure of the Togliatti-Odesa pipeline is exclusively dedicated to the transport of liquid ammonia, its disruption had no direct impact on global or domestic sulphur supplies. India primarily imports its sulphur from Middle Eastern countries. The increase in the import price of sulphur resulted mainly due to supply chain disruptionsarising from the West Asia crisis, alongside a corresponding escalation in global freight rates, maritime insurance premiums, and logistics bottlenecks. (c) The Government has implemented Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme w.e.f. 01.04.2010 for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) Fertilizers. Under the Scheme, P&K fertilizers are covered under Open General License (OGL) and companies are free to import/ manufacture these fertilizers/raw materials including Ammonia and Sulphur as per their business dynamics. To ensure adequate availability of sulphur, Department of Fertilizers vide OM dated 30.03.2026 & 17.06.2026 has requested Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) to advise/direct all PSU refineries i.e. IOCL, BPCL, HPCL, MRPL, CPCL and NRL, to prioritize supply of sulphur to the fertilizer sector to meet its critical requirements. To reduce dependence on imported ammonia, the Government is encouraging domestic production and procurement of Green Ammonia under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) scheme focuses on demand aggregation and procurement of Green Ammonia for the fertilizer sector, under which a provision has been made for procurement of approximately 7 LMT per annum of Green Ammonia by the Fertilizer companies for production of DAP/NPK fertilizers. Green Ammonia Supply Agreements (GASA) has been signed on 30th March 2026 between fertilizers companies and Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) for 10 years. The supply of Green Ammonia to fertilizer Companies will begin after 3 years from the date of signing of GASA. As per the signed agreement, differential amount between the cost of Green Ammonia and Grey Ammonia will be borne by the Department of Fertilizers. ****