India’s agricultural journey has been closely linked to advances in farm inputs. From high-yielding seeds and irrigation to mechanisation, crop protection and fertilisers, technological progress has enabled agriculture to keep pace with rising requirements for food, feed, fibre and fuel. Mineral fertilisers alone are estimated to contribute 40–50% of the increase in crop yields. However, Indian agriculture is now confronting a different set of challenges: declining soil organic carbon, nutrient imbalance, low fertiliser and water-use efficiency, depletion of micronutrients, resource stress and the growing impact of climate change.
The answer is not to move away from conventional fertilisers, which remain essential to food security, but to supplement and complement them with new-age fertilisers and better agronomic practices. India already has a wide range of innovative products notified under the Fertiliser Control Order, including water soluble, micronutrient, bio fortified, customised, and organic fertilisers, bio-stimulants and nano-fertilisers. The opportunity now is to improve their adoption through greater awareness, appropriate agronomic advice, and a supportive policy ecosystem.
