Evolution of Fertilizer Industry in

India
Ayush Gupta
Arpan Gupta
Sathi Pavan Reddy
Consumption Rise in India
 British India

 The history of the Indian fertilizer industry dates back to 1906, when the first fertilizer factory opened at
Ranipet (Tamil Nadu).
First Fertilizer Plant of Independent India

The first fertilizer plant was set up at Sindri Jharkhand.

The factory was first in India to produce Ammonium Sulphate (1951), Urea (1959), Ammonium Nitrate-
Sulphate, commonly called the Double salt (1959) and was the first fertilizer factory to have its own captive
power plant in 1951 and to introduce planning, research and development facilities in 1951.
Country: India
 State: Jharkhand (Sindri).
Chronology
Timeline

 The Fertilizer and Chemicals Travancore of India Ltd. (FACT) at Kochi in Kerala and the Fertilizers
Corporation of India (FCI) in Sindri in Bihar (now Jharkhand) were the first large sized fertilizers plants set
up in the 40’s and 50’s with a view to establishing an industrial base to achieve self-sufficiency in food-
grains.

 Subsequently, green revolution in the late 60’s gave an impetus to the growth of fertilizer industry in India
and the 70’s and 80’s then witnessed a significant addition to the fertilizer production capacity.
Green Revolution

 The Green Revolution was a period that began in the 1960s during which agriculture in India was converted
into a modern industrial system by the adoption of technology, such as the use of high yielding variety
(HYV) seeds, mechanised farm tools, irrigation facilities, pesticides and fertilizers.

 M S Swaminathan is considered as the father of Green Revolution in India as he founded it. He was inspired
from the initiative of Norman Borlaug.
Features of Green Revolution

 Green Revolution at first focused on states with better infrastructure such as Tamil Nadu and Punjab.
 The HYV seeds were highly effective in regions that had rich irrigation facilities and were more successful
with the wheat crop.
 During the second phase, the high yielding variety seeds were given to other states, and crops other than
wheat were also included in the plan.
 To enhance farm productivity green revolution increased the availability and use of fertilizers, weedicides,
and pesticides to reduce any damage or loss to the crops.
Results of Green Revolution

 Foodgrains in India saw a great rise in output. The biggest beneficiary of the revolution was the Wheat
Grain. The production increased to 55 million tonnes in the early stage of the plan itself.

 With the introduction of the Green revolution, India reached its way to self-sufficiency and was less
dependent on imports.

 The Green Revolution in India majorly benefited the farmers of the country. Farmers not only survived but
also prospered during the revolution their income saw a significant rise which enabled them to shift from
sustenance farming to commercial farming.
Facts about Indian Fertilizers

 India is the 2nd largest consumer of Urea fertilizers after China.

 India also ranks 2nd in the production of nitrogenous fertilizers and 3rd in phosphatic fertilizers.

 Potash requirement is met through imports since we have limited reserves of potash.

 General productivity of the fertilizers industry is low. India is still not self-reliant in fertilizer production
(about 50% of fertilizers are imported).
How did this evolution happen?
Distribution of Fertilizers on different crops
Geographical Distribution of Plants
Location factors

 Most of the industries are raw material oriented i.e. located where raw material is available.

 Naphtha is the most important and preferred feedstock accounting for over 70% of the installed capacity of
nitrogen production. Naphtha is a by product of petroleum industry i.e. why many fertilizer industries near
oil refineries.

 Since the fertilizer industry is highly energy-intensive so many plants are located in areas where cheap
energy is available i.e. Nangal Plant.
Continued….

 Apart from raw material, the market is also an important factor to be accounted. In the location of these
industries i.e. in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh the location of this industry is guided by market pull.

 Ports offer an attractive location for the fertilizers industry that is why there are many port-based fertilizers
plants. Gas pipelines e.g. HBJ has correspondence with fertilizer plants. Many fertilizer industries are
located where there is a very high density of rail networks. Transportation is an important factor.
Production Vs Consumption
References

 https://www.fao.org/3/a0257e/A0257E03.htm#:~:text=The%20history%20of%20the%20Indian,used%20and
%20the%20feedstocks%20employed
.
 https://lotusarise.com/fertilizer-industry-in-india-upsc/
 https://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/green-revolution/
 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Revolution_in_India#:~:text=The%20Green%20Revolution%20was
%20a,irrigation%20facilities%2C%20pesticides%20and%20fertilizers
.
 https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/chemical-fertilizer-industry-in-india-1448701639-1
THANK YOU!