Fertiliser majors ramp up capacity for specialty products

India's top fertiliser makers, including Coromandel, Deepak Fertilisers, ICL Group and SML, are expanding capacity for specialty fertilisers as farmers increasingly adopt crop-specific, water-soluble and high-efficiency products. Specialty fertilisers, widely used in horticulture, command a significant premium over conventional fertilisers, making the segment attractive for manufacturers.

Deepak Fertilisers is upgrading its NPK plant and moving from selling individual products to offering crop-specific nutrition solutions. Coromandel International is adding capacity for specialty nutrients, including a new mono ammonium phosphate facility at Kakinada. The company's specialty nutrients and organic business delivered a strong performance in Q1 of the current fiscal, driven by higher offtake in organics and micronutrients.

Companies are betting that pressure to improve yields, conserve water and manage climate-related crop stress will accelerate adoption. S Sankarasubramanian, MD & CEO of Coromandel, said the increasing adoption reflects a broader shift in how farmers approach crop nutrition, especially amid rising climate variability.