Discuss how promoting alternatives such as SSP and Ammonium Sulphate, together with domestic sulphur production, can reduce India's import dependence in fertilisers.

India imports a large share of the fertiliser it uses, and DAP is the most import-dependent major product [2]. The Rabi 2026-27 Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) outlay of about ₹62,370 crore is over 64% higher than the previous Rabi [1]. That jump shows how much global prices drive the subsidy bill. Moving demand towards fertilisers that can be made in India is a structural fix for this.

Why import dependence is costly

• NBS rates are revised in line with international prices. DAP is held at ₹1,350 per bag, so the government absorbs every global price shock [1].
• The fixed price for DAP, the product most exposed to imports, has now been extended to imported MAP as well [1][2].

How the alternatives reduce imports

• SSP in place of DAP: many domestic units make SSP. A freight subsidy makes it an affordable substitute, and it supplies both P and S [1].
• Ammonium Sulphate in place of Urea: it is promoted as an alternative to urea [1]. It supplies N along with S, and much of it comes from domestic industrial by-product streams.
• Domestic sulphur package: only domestic makers of Sulphur and Sulphuric Acid qualify. They get 20% of actual procurement cost, subject to a floor price [1]. Sulphuric acid is a key input for SSP and phosphoric acid, so this builds local capacity for intermediates.
• Sulphur as a nutrient: S is subsidised at ₹10.42/kg [1]. This rewards sulphur-bearing products and corrects soil sulphur deficiency while widening the range of nutrient sources.

Limitations

• SSP has a lower nutrient content than DAP, which raises the cost of bags and transport per unit of P.
• Rock phosphate is still largely imported, so SSP partly moves the dependence upstream.
• Potash has no substitute in this basket. K gets only ₹2.38/kg [1].
• Urea's fixed low price reduces the appeal of Ammonium Sulphate.

Way forward

• Use Soil Health Card data to recommend sulphur-bearing products for specific farms.
• Extend the domestic-only support model to phosphoric acid and rock phosphate exploration.
• Scale up Nano DAP, and bring urea into a nutrient-based pricing logic.

Together, SSP, Ammonium Sulphate and domestic sulphur spread India's nutrient sources across more products, many of them made at home. Combined with upstream capacity and pricing reform, they can turn a subsidy bill tied to imports into an investment in self-reliance. That serves both Atmanirbhar Bharat and SDG 2's goal of sustainable agriculture.