Industry Odisha Bureau, Sep 25: India is seeking 1.7 million tonnes of urea before the rabi season. Imports have already doubled this year. Domestic production has also recorded an increase. Both trends shape the new tender.
India Builds Its Rabi Supply Buffer
India is preparing its fertiliser supply well before the rabi crop season. The latest step is a global tender for 1.7 million tonnes of urea. Indian Potash Ltd has invited the bids.
The procurement aims to bolster urea availability for the coming crop season. It adds a fresh layer to supply planning already visible in import data.
Urea Tender Splits Deliveries Across Coasts
The tender divides the requirement between India’s two coastlines. One million tonnes is sought for delivery on the west coast. Another 700,000 tonnes is earmarked for the east coast.
Suppliers may offer either granular or prilled urea. The tender notice is dated September 23, 2026.
These quantities represent planned procurement, not completed purchases. A tender does not guarantee the full volume will be bought.
Urea Imports Have Already Doubled
The tender arrives after a sharp rise in shipments. India’s urea imports reached 4.75 million tonnes between April and August 2026. In the same months of 2025, imports stood at 2.04 million tonnes. The comparison uses identical five-month windows in each year.
Industry insiders say imports more than doubled across the two periods. They cited data from the Fertiliser Association of India, or FAI. Those figures cover past arrivals. The new 1.7 million tonnes sits outside that total.
Domestic Urea Production Also Climbs
Imports are only one side of the supply picture. Domestic urea production also recorded an increase over the same period. Output rose 4.4% to 12.54 million tonnes, according to FAI data.
That detail matters for reading the import surge. Higher imports did not come alongside falling domestic output. Both sources of supply grew at the same time. The data alone do not explain why imports rose so sharply.
Rabi Procurement Takes Centre Stage
Timing gives the tender its significance. The rabi crop season is approaching, and fertiliser availability must be in place first. For India’s agriculture sector, input availability ahead of a crop season matters.
Procurement through a global tender extends the supply chain beyond domestic plants. The west and east coast split spreads deliveries across two regions. Coastal delivery points also shape how imported urea enters the supply chain.
The tender is framed as supply preparation, not a response to a reported shortage.
Imports and Domestic Output Rise Together
India’s urea supply is expanding on two fronts. Domestic plants produced more between April and August. Imports more than doubled over the same months.
Now the 1.7 million-tonne tender adds another layer of procurement. How much of that volume is finally bought remains to be seen. For now, the tender underlines India’s early preparation for rabi fertiliser needs.
