Six new urea units with 12.7 lakh MT capacity each set up under new investment policy to boost fertilizer production

New Delhi [India], December 10 (ANI): The recommendations of the Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers regarding the reduction of GST on micronutrients and raw materials were taken to the 53rd GST Council which has referred the matter to the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Rate Rationalisation for a holistic view, a release said.

As per the release, Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Anupriya Patel in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday said that under the New Investment Policy (NIP), to facilitate fresh investment in the urea sector and to make India self-sufficient, 6 new urea units have been set up with a production capacity of 12.7 Lakh MT each.

Further, an exclusive policy for the revival of the Talcher unit of FCIL through JVC of nominated PSUs namely Talcher Fertilizers Limited (TFL) by setting up a new Greenfield urea plant of 12.7 LMTPA at the coal gasification route has also been approved.

In addition, the Government also notified the New Urea Policy (NUP) – 2015 on 25th May 2015 for the existing 25 gas-based urea units with one of the objectives of maximizing indigenous urea production. These steps together have facilitated an increase in Urea production from a level of 225 LMT per annum during 2014-15 to a record Urea Production at 314.09 LMT during 2023-24.

In the case of Phosphatic & Potassic fertilizers (P&K), the companies are free to import /produce fertilizer raw materials, intermediaries and finished fertilizers as per their business dynamics.

Based on the requests, the new manufacturing units or increase in manufacturing capacity of existing units have been recognized/taken on record under the NBS subsidy scheme, to boost manufacturing and make the country self-reliant in fertilizer production.

Further, to promote Potash derived from Molasses (PDM) which is 100 per cent indigenously manufactured fertilizer, it has been notified under the nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime w.e.f 13.10.2021.

Also, freight Subsidy on SSP, which is an indigenously manufactured fertilizer, has been made applicable since Kharif 2022 to help in the promotion of SSP usage for providing Phosphatic or “P” nutrients to the soil. These steps have facilitated an increase in the production of P&K fertilizers from 159.54 LMT in 2014-15 to 182.85 LMT in 2023-24, the release said.