Fertilizer Industry in India

Fertilizer manufacturing is an industry that has supported our agricultural growth. Fertilizer is an organic or inorganic material which delivers chemical fundamentals required for plant growth. Fertilizer segment produces raw materials for agriculture which is a chief occupation of the country. This is one of the sectors that India has given great importance to since the first five-year plan. Food shortage was the biggest challenge faced India at the time of independence. The only solution to this situation was to develop agriculture. Considering the role of fertilizers in agricultural growth, significant consideration was given to it in industrial policies. Fertilizer manufacturing had started in India since 1906. The first fertilizer manufacturing plant in India was started at Ranipet in Tamil Nadu. It is also the first Super Phosphate chemical plant in India. F.A.C.T., which was started in 1947 at Udyogamandal near Aluva in Kerala, was one of the earlier formed large fertilizer manufacturing plants in India. It was also the first nitrogen fertilizer manufacturing plant in India. In 1951, another large fertilizer manufacturing plant was started in the public sector at Sindri (Jharkhand). Sindri is one of the largest producer of nitrogenous fertilizers in the world. Fertilizer Corporation of India (FCI) Ltd was established in 1961 with its headquarters at Noida. After this, private companies and cooperatives like the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative started fertilizer manufacturing plants. Today, there are private fertilizer manufacturing plants in places like Kanpur, Goa, Visakhapatnam, Mangalore, and Varanasi. Recently, the use of natural gas for fertilizer production has reduced costs and increased production. India is aiming to start large-scale fertilizer manufacturing plants using natural gas. National Fertilizer Ltd, Tata Chemicals Ltd, Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Ltd. are the fertilizer companies with the highest sales.

Leading Fertilizer Companies with Highest Sales

• Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO)

Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) is a multi-state cooperative society involved in the manufacture and marketing of fertilizer. The company was established in 1967 and is today the biggest co-operative in the world by turnover on GDP per capita. The headquarters of IFFCO is located at New Delhi, India.

• Chambal Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited

Chambal Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd (CFCL) is a subsidiary of KK Birla Group. It is an Indian agrochemicals manufacturing company headquartered at Kota in Rajasthan. Chambal Fertilizers was established in the year 1985. The main activity of Chambal Fertilizers is the manufacture of nitrogenous fertiliser

• Coromandel International Limited

Coromandel International Limited is an Indian agrochemicals company which makes agricultural brands for innovation and manufacturing of fertiliser for crop protection. The company makes fertilizers, pesticides and specialty nutrients. The company was established in the early 1960s. The corporate headquarters is located at Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

• Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO)

Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) is a premier Cooperative Society engaged in the manufacture and distribution of fertilizers. KRIBHCO was founded in 1980. It is a national level multistate cooperative society directly under the central ministry of cooperative, government of idia. 

• Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Limited (RCF)

Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Ltd. (RCF) is an central public sector undertaking directly under the administrative control of Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India. The company produces chemical and fertilizers. It is headquartered in Mumbai. Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited was incorporated in 1978 consequent to the reorganisation of Fertilizer Corporation of India.

• Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd

Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited (GSFC) is an Indian chemicals and fertilizers manufacturer under the ownership of Government of Gujarat. GSFC was established in 1962. Its headquarters is in Vadodara. 

• Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (GNFC) 

Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals (GNFC) is an Indian chemicals and fertilizers manufacturer jointly promoted by the Gujarat Government and the Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals (GSFC). GNFC was established in 1976. Its headquarters is in Bharuch, Gujarat. It is one of the worlds largest single-stream ammonia-urea fertilizer complexes.

• Deepak Fertilizers and Petrochemical Corporation Ltd (DFPCL)

Deepak Fertilizers and Petrochemical Corporation Ltd (DFPCL) is one among the country's leading producers of fertilisers and industrial chemicals. They produces  agricultural chemicals, crop nutrients and fertilisers. The company was established in 1979. The headquarters of company is located at Mundhwa, Pune.

• Paradeep Phosphates Ltd.

Paradeep Phosphates Limited is one among the country's leading manufacturers and distributors of phosphatic fertilizers and urea. It is established in 1981. It is one of India's largest private sector company in the production of phosphatic fertilizer.

• Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd.

The Fertilizers And Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT) was established in the year 1943 as the first large-scale fertilizer plant in the country. The company is located at Udyogamandal, Kochi. FACT started the commercial production of fertilizers in 1947. It was also the first nitrogen fertilizer manufacturing plant in India.

• Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd. 

Mangalore Chemicals & Fertilizers Limited is the leading manufacturer of chemical fertilizers in Karnataka. It was established in 1974. The headquarters of this company is located at Bangalore and its factory unit is in Panambur, north of Mangalore.

• National Fertilizers Limited (NFL)

National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) is a central public sector undertaking under the ownership of government of india. It is the largest government owned Urea fertilizer manuacturer in India. The company was established in 1974. NFL has five gas based ammonia-urea plants throughout the country. The headquarters is located at Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Urea, Ammonia, Organic fertilizers and industrial chemicals are the products of National Fertilizers Limited.

• Madras Fertilizers Ltd.

Madras Fertilizers Limited (MFL) is a central public sector undertaking established in 1966. It is a joint venture between the Government of India and Amoco. They manufactures ammonia, urea and complex fertilizers. The headquarters is located in Manali, Chennai. 

• Tata Chemicals Limited 

Tata Chemicals Limited is an Indian multinational corporation engaged in the manufacture of chemicals and crop protection. The company is headquartered in Mumbai and has functions across the country and abroad.

• Nagarjuna Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd.

Nagarjuna Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited is one among the country's leading producers of fertilizers and industrial chemicals. It's headquarters is at Hyderabad, India. Their services includes plant nutrition, irrigation, farm services and plant management.