Indian Cabinet Approves $6.65 Billion Fertiliser Subsidy for Winter Season
India’s Cabinet has approved a fertiliser subsidy allocation of ₹623.70 billion ($6.65 billion) for the winter crop season covering October 2026 to March 2027. Information Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the decision on Wednesday. The allocation represents an increase of ₹244.2 billion, or around 64%, compared with the ₹379.5 billion provided for the previous year’s winter season.
The increased allocation comes amid ongoing disruptions to global fertiliser supply chains caused by geopolitical tensions, including the Russia-Ukraine war. Rising international prices of fertilisers and raw materials have increased India’s import costs and subsidy burden. The government said the move aims to ensure farmers can access essential fertilisers at affordable prices while adjusting subsidy rates according to changing global market conditions.
With this approval, the combined subsidy requirement for the winter and summer crop seasons has reached approximately ₹1.04 trillion, nearly 92% higher than the ₹540 billion allocated for nutrient-based subsidies in the 2026-27 budget. The subsidy will be provided under the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) scheme for phosphatic and potassic fertilisers, including di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and various NPKS grades.
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