The Indian cabinet has approved a higher budget for the nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) for the October 2025-March 2026 rabi season, driven by an increase in the subsidy for phosphorus and sulphur.
The cabinet has approved a budget of 379.52bn rupees for rabi for phosphate- and potash-based fertilizers. The tentative budget is Rs7.36bn more than the funds allocated for the April-September kharif season in March.
The subsidy for DAP has risen by 7pc to Rs29,805/t for rabi.
The government has said that it will continue to provide a special support package for DAP and TSP. This includes a special additional subsidy for DAP of Rs3,500/t, bringing the total DAP subsidy for rabi to Rs33,305/t.
The maximum retail price (MRP) for DAP is set to remain at Rs27,000/t.
The subsidy for 16pc SSP has risen by 10pc to Rs7,989/t.
The subsidy for MOP is unchanged at Rs1,428/t. In June this year, importer IPL raised the MRP for standard MOP to Rs36,000/t.
The subsidies for NPKS grades in rabi are as follows:
- 20-20-0+13S: Rs18,569/t, up by 5pc
- 10-26-26: Rs17,390/t, up by 7pc
- 20-20-0: Rs18,196/t, up by 5pc
- 15-15-15: Rs14,004/t, up by 5pc
- 24-24-0: Rs21,835/t, up by 5pc
- 28-28-0: Rs25,474/t, up by 5pc
- 17-17-17: Rs15,871/t, up by 5pc
- 19-19-19: Rs17,738/t, up by 5pc
- 16-16-16: Rs14,938/t, up by 5pc
- 16-20-0+13S: Rs16,848/t, up by 6pc
- 14-35-14: Rs23,142/t, up by 7pc
- 24-24-0+8S: Rs21,835/t, up by 5pc
- 12-32-16: Rs20,890/t, up by 7pc
- 14-28-14: Rs19,785/t, up by 7pc
- 15-15-15+9S: Rs14,262/t, up by 5pc
The base subsidy for phosphorus has risen from Rs43.60/kg in kharif to Rs47.96/kg. Although global phosphate prices are now bearish, DAP cfr India prices are still $76-77/t higher than at the beginning of April.
The base subsidy for sulphur has risen from Rs2.61/kg in kharif to Rs2.87/kg. Sulphur prices have risen sharply this year and remain bullish. Prices for dry bulk Sulphur delivered to Indian ports are now as much as $100/t above levels at the beginning of April.
The base subsidies for nitrogen and potassium are unchanged at Rs43.02/kg and Rs2.38/kg, respectively.

