India approves anhydrous ammonia fertilizer use to cut urea imports
Big news for Indian farming: the government just gave the green light to use anhydrous ammonia as fertilizer, aiming to lower dependence on imported urea.
Announced July 23, 2026, this move lets producers make ammonia fertilizers for three years.
Ammonia packs more nitrogen than urea (82% vs. 46%), which could help boost local supply, but it needs careful soil injection to avoid leaks.
Surplus ammonia, ICAR trials, NETRA plant
To make things safer and more sustainable, surplus ammonia from urea plants will be used in complex fertilizers.
ICAR tested green ammonia on rice crops during Rabi 2026 season: results show promise but need standardization.
Meanwhile, NETRA, the R&D arm of NTPC, is building a green urea plant in Andhra Pradesh using carbon capture technology.
All of this fits into India's plan to grow more self-reliant and cut down on costly imports.