India has developed its first indigenous process to manufacture water-soluble fertilisers, marking a breakthrough after seven years of research. Backed by the Ministry of Mines under the Make in India push, the technology could cut the country’s heavy reliance on imports—95% of which came from abroad, with nearly 80% sourced from China.
The initiative was led by Rajiv Chakraborty, President of the Soluble Fertilizer Industry Association (SFIA), who steered the project despite years of setbacks. His team created a unified production system that can manufacture multiple types of soluble fertilisers in one workflow, with zero effluent and no emissions—making it both versatile and environmentally sustainable.
The process has cleared multiple levels of government scrutiny, and a pilot plant is already running. Commercial-scale output is expected within two years through joint ventures with major fertiliser companies.
Once scaled up, the technology could not only cut imports but also turn India into an exporter of specialty fertilisers. This would stabilise prices, strengthen supply chains, reduce subsidy burdens, and benefit millions of farmers while boosting national resilience in agriculture.
