● Dialogue to have senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry and the Ministry of Finance
● This initiative to focus on licensing reforms, ease of doing business, exports and GST 2.0 implementation
● Roundtable to seek actionable, time-bound interventions to strengthen India’s specialty crop nutrition and bio-stimulant ecosystem
The Indian Micro-Fertilizers Manufacturers Association (IMMA) will convene a Government–Industry Round Table Dialogue on September 17, 2026, bringing together senior government officials, policymakers, regulators and industry representatives to deliberate on key regulatory and policy priorities impacting India’s specialty fertilizer and bio-stimulant sector.
The roundtable will take place at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, and will seek to build actionable consensus on issues ranging from licensing complexity and compliance burdens to export facilitation and GST 2.0 implementation.
The dialogue builds on the policy recommendations emerging from IMMA’s 6th National Crop Nutrition Summit, held in Mumbai in February 2026, where the industry called for greater regulatory harmonisation, simplified licensing, tax alignment and stronger quality-control mechanisms. The upcoming B2G dialogue will seek to take these recommendations forward through direct government–industry engagement and identify clear pathways for implementation.
From Industry Consensus to Actionable Policy
India’s specialty crop nutrition sector is evolving with growing demand for micronutrients, specialty fertilizers, customised formulations and bio-stimulants. As manufacturers expand their product portfolios and explore global markets, regulatory consistency, predictable compliance processes and an enabling trade environment are increasingly important to sustaining the sector’s growth.
Against this backdrop, the roundtable will focus on three interconnected priorities: regulatory simplification, global competitiveness and tax rationalisation.
The discussions will examine how existing regulatory processes can be streamlined without compromising quality or oversight, while creating greater opportunities for Indian manufacturers to innovate, scale and compete in international markets.
Key Policy Priorities on the Agenda
Simplifying licensing and compliance: IMMA will advocate for a ‘One Nation, One Licence’ approach through a centralised FCO data stack, along with mutual recognition between states and digital rationalisation to reduce repetitive submissions and compliance burdens.
Strengthening the bio-stimulant framework: Discussions will focus on rationalising overlapping specifications and establishing clearer guidelines for liquid micronutrients, water-soluble mixtures and advanced formulations, while preserving scope for innovation.
Improving quality-control capacity: IMMA will seek greater recognition of NABL-accredited private laboratories to address testing bottlenecks and improve turnaround times until public testing infrastructure is fully equipped.
Enabling exports and global competitiveness: The dialogue will examine customs and export-related barriers, opportunities to leverage Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), and measures to facilitate exports of non-subsidised, Made-in-India specialty fertilizers and bio-stimulants.
GST 2.0 and tax rationalisation: IMMA will seek a uniform 5% GST rate across FCO fertilizers and bio-stimulants, alongside measures to address the inverted duty structure and enable predictable, time-bound GST refunds.
Beyond sector-specific reforms, IMMA will also advocate measures that can improve the overall ease of doing business for compliant manufacturers. This includes reviewing minor and technical FCO offences, with a view towards decriminalisation and appropriate compounding mechanisms for non-serious violations.
The objective is to establish a regulatory environment that maintains strong quality and compliance standards while reducing unnecessary procedural friction for responsible manufacturers.
Senior Government Representation Expected
The dialogue is expected to bring together senior officials from key government departments and institutions, including representatives such as Dr PK Singh, Agriculture Commissioner, Govt of India, Dr. Suresh Kumar Chaudhari, Director General, The Fertiliser Association of India, Dr. A. Velmurugan, ADG (SWM), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), KAB-II, PUSA, Subodh Kumar, Dy. Secretary, INM-Fertilizers and HP Singh, Consultant and Former Law Officer, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
The officials from Department of Fertilizers; Foreign Trade; Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance; Central Fertilizer Quality Control & Training Institute; and ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute, etc. are expected to join the event.
Dr. Rahul Mirchandani, President, Indian Micro-Fertilizers Manufacturers Association (IMMA), said, “India’s specialty fertilizer and bio-stimulant sector is at an important juncture, with significant potential to strengthen domestic manufacturing, drive innovation and expand India’s presence in global markets. To realise this potential, we need a regulatory environment that is predictable, science-based and responsive to innovation. This Roundtable provides an important platform to move from dialogue to practical, time-bound actions. We look forward to working closely with the Government to simplify compliance, strengthen quality frameworks and address taxation and trade-related challenges, while keeping the interests of our Indian agriculture & farmers at the core.”
About Indian Micro-Fertilizers Manufacturers Association (IMMA):
The Indian Micro-Fertilizers Manufacturers Association (IMMA) is an industry association representing manufacturers of micronutrients and allied crop nutrition solutions in India. Established to foster unity and growth among micronutrient manufacturers, IMMA works towards strengthening the sector through policy advocacy, knowledge sharing, industry collaboration and promotion of balanced plant nutrition.
IMMA engages with government, regulators, scientists and other stakeholders to support a conducive policy and regulatory environment for the crop nutrition industry. Through industry forums, technical programmes, knowledge initiatives and stakeholder engagement, the Association seeks to advance quality standards, technical awareness and responsible growth across the sector.
For more information, please visit: www.imma.co.in
