India imports fertilizer from which countries in Q1 2026?

India fertilizer import statistics: Q1 2026 overview

• Russia leads India import fertilizer from which countries in Q1 2026 at US$401.57 million (27.30%), with China (US$227.02 million, 15.43%) and Turkmenistan (US$149.71 million, 10.18%) filling the second and third positions, drawn from TradeInt's HS 310 dataset.
• Urea (HS 310210) dominates India's fertilizer import basket at US$795.29 million (54.06%), followed by potassium chloride (MOP, HS 310420) at US$252.22 million (17.15%) and NPK mixtures (HS 310520) at US$150.76 million (10.25%).
• Indian Potash Limited leads the buyer ranking at 29.51% share, followed by IFFCO (18.57%) and Narmada Bio Chem (9.42%), accounting 57.50% of buyer-side import volumes combined.

India imports the most fertilizer from which countries?

Russia led at US$401.57 million (27.30%), followed by China at US$227.02 million (15.43%) and Turkmenistan at US$149.71 million (10.18%). In total, India imported US$1.47 billion in fertilizers across HS 310 during Q1 2026 (January-February data), from TradeInt's India customs records.

Oman, Qatar, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain round out the top 10. India fertilizer imports from Middle East origins (Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain) together contribute over 30%, while India fertilizer imports from Russia and India fertilizer imports from China combined cover over 42% of the market share.

Where does India import most fertilizer from?

1. Russia, US$401.57 million (27.30%). The top supplier across NPK mixtures, urea, and potash, covering all three major nutrient categories.
2. China, US$227.02 million (15.43%). Led by urea and ammonium sulfate, with DAP and other chemical compounds filling smaller positions.
3. Turkmenistan, US$149.71 million (10.18%). Central Asia's potash and urea corridor to India, with potassium chloride making up the majority.
4. Oman, US$94.99 million (6.46%). A proximity-based Gulf supplier shipping primarily urea under long-term bilateral agreements.
5. Qatar, US$87.93 million (5.98%). A Gulf urea source ensuring a steady nitrogenous fertilizer supply under state agreements.

TradeInt is a global trade data platform providing access to over 10 billion verified import and export records. Its coverage spans over 200 countries and more than 80 customs data sources.

This article provides an overview of India’s fertilizer imports. Use TradeInt to explore more detailed trade records and continue tracking this market as new data becomes available. Search India fertilizer import records →

Learn about TradeIntCheck Pricing

Top 1: Russia at US$401.57 million - India's largest fertilizer supplier

Russia supplied US$401.57 million in fertilizers to India during Q1 2026, according to official TradeInt's global trade data, with NPK mixtures as the fertilizer type that leads at US$145.71 million (36.28%), followed by urea at US$125.72 million (31.31%) and potassium chloride at US$83.41 million (20.77%).

What type of fertilizer does India import from Russia?

1. HS 310520 - NPK mixtures: US$145.71 million (36.28%). Compound fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in balanced formulations.
2. HS 310210 - Urea: US$125.72 million (31.31%). The primary nitrogenous farm fertilizer, whether or not in aqueous solution.
3. HS 310420 - Potassium chloride (MOP): US$83.41 million (20.77%). Muriate of Potash for soil enrichment across Indian farming states.
4. HS 310540 - Monoammonium phosphate (MAP): US$31.16 million (7.76%). Starter phosphorus and nitrogen crop nutrition.
5. HS 310230 - Ammonium nitrate: US$14.55 million (3.62%). Chemical compounds for specialised farming soil nitrogen enrichment.

In 2025, India imports fertilizer from Russia increased by 41% to 6.5 million tonnes, reaching 45% to over 27.4 million tonnes YoY growth.

As of 2026, India was actively discussing increased Russian fertilizer intake as Middle East supply chains tightened and Chinese export controls limited near-term availability.

What makes Russia lead India's fertilizer market:

• Full NPK coverage: Russia is the only top-5 origin shipping meaningful volumes across all three nutrient categories (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), reducing India's need to coordinate multiple suppliers.
• Upstream integration: Indian PSUs (RCF, NFL, IPL) signed a deal with Russia's Uralchem to build a 1.7 million tonne per year urea plant in Samara, the first overseas production project by Indian fertilizer firms.
• Hormuz-free shipping: Russian-origin volumes travel routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz, avoiding the freight and insurance escalation affecting Gulf-origin shipments in 2026.

Top 2: China at US$227.02 million

From TradeInt's Indian fertilizer import search results, China shipped US$227.02 million of fertilizers to India in Q1 2026, led by urea at US$175.70 million (77.08%) and ammonium sulfate at US$28.39 million (12.45%). Among the top fertilizer imports, DAP added US$7.16 million and other chemical compounds filled smaller positions.

What type of fertilizer India imports from China?

1. HS 310210 - Urea: US$175.70 million (77.08%). The dominant Chinese product line to India, scaling up after 2025 export controls eased.
2. HS 310221 - Ammonium sulfate: US$28.39 million (12.45%). Mineral crystals are used for high-sulfur soil correction treatments.
3. HS 310530 - DAP: US$7.16 million (3.14%). Diammonium phosphate, a water-soluble phosphatic crop nutrient.
4. HS 310559 - Alternative mineral fertilizers: US$6.50 million (2.85%). Fertilizers contain both nitrates and phosphate compounds.
5. HS 310560 - Double salts/mixtures: US$3.11 million (1.36%). Calcium nitrate with ammonium nitrate components.

India fertilizer imports from China surged in FY26. Chinese fertilizer shipments to India jumped 173% to 5.02 million tonnes in FY26, after China eased earlier export controls that had restricted urea availability through most of 2025.

The easing came ahead of India's rabi sowing season, when domestic urea demand peaks across northern and central farming states. Chinese suppliers scaled shipments quickly once restrictions were lifted, making China the second-largest single-country source behind Russia for the period.

Key drivers behind India fertilizer imports from China:

• Export controls lifted: China restricted urea exports through most of 2025 to protect domestic supply. Once those limits eased in late 2025, Chinese shipments to India scaled up quickly ahead of the rabi sowing season.
• Urea makes up 77% of the lane: Most of what China ships to India is urea. Ammonium sulfate and DAP fill the rest, but this is largely a single-product corridor.
• Timed for peak demand: Q1 deliveries land during India's rabi season, when nitrogen demand is at its highest across northern and central farming states.

Top 3: Turkmenistan at US$149.71 million

Turkmenistan delivered US$149.71 million of fertilizers to India in Q1 2026, with potassium chloride (MOP) leading at US$104.16 million (69.57%) and urea at US$44.01 million (29.40%). Miscellaneous compound fertilizers completed the lane, from TradeInt's dataset.

What type of fertilizer does India import from Turkmenistan?

1. HS 310420 - Potassium chloride (MOP): US$104.16 million (69.57%). Muriate of Potash for soil enrichment, Turkmenistan's defining export to India.
2. HS 310210 - Urea: US$44.01 million (29.40%). Nitrogenous farm fertilizer fills India's seasonal demand.
3. HS 310590 - Miscellaneous compound fertilizers: US$1.54 million (1.03%). Other mineral or chemical compounds are not elsewhere classified.

Turkmenistan has been expanding its fertiliser trade with India steadily. In recent months of 2026, the two countries have been discussing fertiliser production cooperation, with Turkmenistan looking to deepen its role as a potash-based fertiliser supplier to India beyond simple commodity trade.

While Russia and China lead on urea and NPK, Turkmenistan is the only top-5 origin where potassium chloride makes up the majority of the flow, providing India with a dedicated MOP corridor from Central Asia.

Top 4: Oman at US$94.99 million

From TradeInt's Q1 2026 trade statistics, Oman supplied India with US$94.99 million of fertilisers, entirely focusing on urea (HS 310210). The concentration reflects OMIFCO's output and bilateral urea offtake agreements between Indian PSUs and Oman Oil Company.

Oman India Fertiliser Company (OMIFCO), one of the top fertiliser companies in Oman, is seeking to raise US$678 million in a Muscat IPO, signalling continued investment in the bilateral urea supply chain.

Furthermore, Oman stated it is open to diverting more OMIFCO production share to India, with the joint venture plant positioned as a dedicated supply source for Indian urea procurement.

What the Oman-India urea trade flow reveals:

• OMIFCO anchor: The Indian-Omani joint venture provides long-term offtake commitments unmatched by any other Gulf origin.
• IPO investment signal: The planned IPO from top Oman-India fertilizer company shows that both sides see the bilateral urea lane as a long-term growth asset.
• Short freight route: Sohar and Sur ports sit close to India's west coast, keeping landed costs lower than Russian or African alternatives.

✔ India Import & Export Trade Data

TradeInt is a global trade data platform covering 200+ countries and 80+ customs sources.Learn about TradeInt →

Top 5: Qatar at US$87.93 million

Qatar shipped US$87.93 million of fertilizers to India in Q1 2026. Similar to Oman, Qatar-India fertilizer exports focus entirely on urea (HS 310210), operated as a single-product urea lane and anchored by QAFCO production and channelled through merchant intermediaries.

India fertilizer imports from Middle East origins like Qatar have been shaped by Strait of Hormuz conditions in 2026. According to ThePrint citing Bloomberg, the Strait of Hormuz's near-closure since the conflict outbreak sent global fertilizer costs soaring, with India paying US$935-US$959 per ton in April 2026, close to double pre-conflict levels.

However, the same ThePrint report notes that India's June 2026 urea tender drew offers between US$444.90 and US$617 per ton, less than half the April price, signalling easing supply pressure. Offers for the West Coast alone totalled 3.1 million tonnes against a 900,000-tonne target.

Market dynamics behind Qatar's fertilizer role in India:

• QAFCO production base: Qatar's Mesaieed ammonia and urea complex is one of the largest single-site fertilizer plants in the Gulf.
• Strait of Hormuz exposure: Qatar-origin shipments transit the Strait, making pricing sensitive to regional shipping conditions.
• Price normalisation signal: The drop from US$935-US$959 per ton in April to US$444-US$617 in June suggests the worst of the freight disruption may be easing.

How does India fertilizer import market perform in 2026?

TradeInt's trade trend monitor analyzed that India's fertilizer import value peaked at US$5.54 billion in Q3 2025 before softening into Q1 2026 at US$1.47 billion (January-February only). For FY26, Russia led at 6.8 million tonnes while China surged 173% to 5.02 million tonnes, according to India Ministry of Commerce data.

On pricing, urea costs hit US$935-US$959 per ton in April 2026 before dropping to US$444-US$617 in June as supply strain began to ease. As of June 2026, Indian fertilizer volume stands at about 19.8 million tonnes, covering roughly half of the projected kharif requirement.

How do India fertilizer imports change from 2025 to 2026?

• Q1 2025: US$1.63 billion (-57.76% QoQ). A deep structural drop as values slumped across early-year farming cycles.
• Q2 2025: US$1.85 billion (+13.03% QoQ). Moderate recovery anchored by steady monthly inventory buildup.
• Q3 2025: US$5.54 billion (+200.15% QoQ). The peak growth window, with huge imports matching intense seasonal cultivation cycles.
• Q4 2025: US$5.09 billion (-8.23% QoQ). High import baseline sustained despite standard sequential contraction.
• Q1 2026*: US$1.47 billion. Import momentum in early 2026 stayed strong, with buyers stepping up procurement ahead of the June-September monsoon sowing window.

✔ Lite ✔ Pro ✔ Premium ✔ Enterprise

TradeInt is a global trade data platform covering 200+ countries and 80+ customs sources.Learn about TradeInt →

Which fertilizer does India import the most?

Urea (HS 310210) leads India's fertilizer basket at US$795.29 million in Q1 2026, followed by potassium chloride/MOP (HS 310420) at US$252.22 million and NPK mixtures (HS 310520) at US$150.76 million, according to TradeInt's HS-level dataset.

Beyond the top 3, India's remaining fertilizer imports include MAP and ammonium sulfate for specialty soil nutrition, ammonium nitrate for nitrogen enrichment, specialized phosphatic formulations, alternative mineral compounds containing nitrates and phosphates, and double salts mixing calcium nitrate with ammonium nitrate.

Main fertilizer imports in India:

1. Urea (HS 310210): US$795.29 million. Sourced primarily from Russia, China, Oman, and Qatar.
2. Potassium chloride/MOP (HS 310420): US$252.22 million. Sourced mainly from Russia, Turkmenistan, and Belarus.
3. NPK mixtures (HS 310520): US$150.76 million. Compound fertilizers from Russia, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia.
4. DAP (HS 310530): US$140.88 million. Diammonium phosphate from Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and China.
5. MAP (HS 310540): US$33.74 million. Monoammonium phosphate, primarily from Russia.

Who are the top fertilizer buyers in India, and how to source trusted suppliers?

Among the list of fertilizer buyers in India verified on TradeInt, Indian Potash Limited leads India's fertilizer buyer ranking at 29.51% share in Q1 2026, followed by IFFCO (Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd) at 18.57% and Narmada Bio Chem Limited at 9.42%.

1. Indian Potash Limited: 29.51% share. Dominant state-backed importer managing national distribution of muriate of potash and urea.
2. Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO): 18.57% share. Massive multi-state cooperative manufacturing and marketing of extensive liquid nano and bulk fertilizers.
3. Narmada Bio Chem Limited: 9.42% share. Prominent domestic manufacturer delivering innovative organic, bio, and chemical fertilizer varieties.
4. Coromandel International Limited: 9.26% share. Leading private-sector player in manufacturing phosphatic crop nutrients and crop protection.
5. National Fertilizers Ltd: 4.19% share. State-owned enterprise ranked as India's premier manufacturer of chemical nitrogenous fertilizers.

Finding the right trade partner takes more than a contact list; it takes shipment-level data showing who is actually buying what, how often, and from where. For the sourcing team, TradeInt's Global Prospect Discovery covers over 500 million verified B2B company profiles, with sourcing filters built into the platform.

How to use TradeInt to find quality fertilizer suppliers? Step by step

1. Start with the right digit for HS 31 (e.g., HS 310210 for urea, HS 310420 for MOP) to narrow results to companies actively trading fertilizer products.
2. Layer in 12-month shipment frequency to separate consistent traders from one-off shippers — reliable suppliers appear repeatedly across multiple Bills of Lading.
3. Refine by country, declared value range, and port of discharge to match prospects to your production capacity and pricing strategy.
4. Cross-check each company against official business registries and verify a traceable corporate footprint (website, LinkedIn, trade history) to confirm operational businesses rather than brokers or shell entities.

Learn more about: Global Prospect Discovery on TradeInt

Conclusion

India imported US$1.47 billion in fertilizers in Q1 2026 (January-February data), with Russia leading at US$401.57 million (27.30%), followed by China (US$227.02 million, 15.43%) and Turkmenistan (US$149.71 million, 10.18%). Urea remains the single largest product category, while India actively diversifies sourcing across Central Asia, the Gulf, and Africa to reduce route concentration.

Explore more trade statistical details about global import export country data coverage on TradeInt.

Frequently asked questions

Which fertilizer is most consumed in India?

According to TradeInt's data, urea is the most consumed fertilizer in India. India requires roughly 35 million tonnes of urea annually, with domestic production covering 60-70% and imports filling the rest.

Which fertilizer does India import 100%?

India imports 100% of its potassium-based fertilizers, including potassium chloride (MOP) and potash, as the country has no commercially viable domestic potash deposits. MOP (HS 310420) ranked as the second-largest fertilizer import category at US$252.22 million in Q1 2026, sourced from Russia, Turkmenistan, and Belarus.

Why are fertilizers imported into India?

India's domestic production cannot meet national demand across all fertilizer categories. Urea production covers 60-70% of annual consumption, while potash is imported entirely due to the absence of domestic reserves. DAP and phosphatic fertilizers rely heavily on imported raw materials. India's total fertilizer requirement for the kharif season alone stands at 38.4 million tonnes, according to the fertilizer ministry.

How to import fertilizer in India?

Fertilizer imports into India are largely managed by state-backed entities such as Indian Potash Limited, IFFCO, and National Fertilizers Ltd, which operate through government-coordinated procurement tenders. Private importers can register with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and obtain an Import Export Code (IEC). Fertilizer imports fall under HS Chapter 31 and are subject to government subsidy and distribution frameworks administered by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

Other relevant articles about Import & Export in India

1. India imports coal from which countries? Top partners
2. India imports edible oil from which countries in Q1/2026?
3. India imports gold from which countries in Q1/2026?
4. India imports lithium from which country? Top suppliers