Parliament Question: Domestic Production of High Value Chemicals

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICALS AND PETROCHEMICALS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No - 3305 ANSWERED ON- 08/08/2025 DOMESTIC PRODUCTION OF HIGH VALUE CHEMICALS

3305. SHRI BAJRANG MANOHAR SONWANE:

SHRI SHRIRANG APPA CHANDU BARNE:

SMT. BHARTI PARDHI:

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:

(a) the current value and quantum of chemical and petrochemical imports in the country;

(b) whether any specific high-import value chemical and petrochemicals have been identified for priority domestic production in under the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiative;

(c) if so, the details thereof and the incentives or policy adjustments to encourage domestic manufacturing of the said identified chemicals and petrochemical to reduce dependency on import;

(d) the progress made towards making Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) benchmarks mandatory for chemicals to ensure quality and prevent unfair trade practices along with the steps taken by the Government to facilitate the said progress; and

(e) the steps being taken by the Government to make the country self reliant in this sector? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a): In the year 2024-25, the country imported total of 57.38 million metric tonnes of Chemicals and Petrochemicals valued at Rs. 6,31,939.64 Crores.

(b) to (e): To promote domestic manufacturing and reduce dependency on imports, the

Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals has undertaken the following policy measures :

Plastic Parks: The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals has implemented the Scheme for Setting up of Plastic Parks. The Scheme promotes setting up of need-based Plastic Parks with requisite state-of-the-art infrastructure and enabling common facilities. The objective isto consolidate and synergize the capacities of downstream plastic processing industry to help increase investment, production and export in the sector as well as generate employment. 10 Plastic Parks have been approved so far and the same are at different levels of implementation.

Centres of Excellence: With the objective of promoting research and development efforts in the chemical and petrochemical sector to develop new molecules and technologies, the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals has formulated a scheme for setting up of Centres of Excellence. The objective of the scheme is to provide grants-in-aid to educational and research institutions to improve existing technology and promote development of new applications of polymers, chemicals and plastics. The emphasis of the Scheme is on modernization and upgradation of existing manufacturing processes as well as improving the quality of products. So far, 18 Centres of Excellence have been approved under the Scheme.

Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Regions (PCPIRs): Government of India has notified the PCPIR Policy, 2007 to attract investment and for the generation of employment in the Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Regions (PCPIRs).

PCPIRs promote the Chemical and Petrochemical sectors in an integrated and environmentally friendly manner on a large scale. PCPIRs are conceptualised in a cluster-based approach with common infrastructure and support services to provide a competitive environment conducive for setting up businesses. At present, three Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Regions have been notified in the States of Andhra Pradesh

(Vishakhapatnam), Gujarat (Dahej) and Odisha (Paradeep). These PCPIRs have attracted investment of Rs. 3.4 lakh Crores and have generated employment to 3.7 lakh persons.

Further, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals has undertaken steps to make the BIS Standards mandatory through issuance of Quality Control Orders under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 so that both domestic manufacturers and overseas suppliers meet BIS parameters in public interest or for protection of human, animal or plant health, safety of the environment, or prevention of unfair trade practices, or national security. So far, QCOs for 72 chemicals and petrochemicals have been notified in the Gazette by Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals.

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