War-related disruption to India's fertiliser production eased in April, but output remains below normal levels, according to core sector industry data.
The West Asia war has had a double whammy on India's fertiliser effort, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz blocking supplies of both finished fertilisers and critical petrochemical-based ingredients.
Core sector data tracks domestic manufacturing of fertilisers using mostly imported inputs. In March, the fertiliser production index in the core sector fell by 24.6% on an annual basis, but increased to 103.2 in April, 8.6% lower than it was in April 2025.
The government's decision to restore gas supplies to domestic fertiliser manufacturing plants has contributed to the improvement. Natural gas supplies to fertiliser plants have been raised from 90% to 95% of their requirement.
The overall core sector index grew at 1.7% on an annual basis in April compared to 1.2% in March 2026. Coal, crude oil, natural gas, and refinery product categories were in contraction, while steel, cement, and electricity registered positive growth.
