Rajib Chakraborty, President, Soluble Fertilizer Industry Association
The Soluble Fertilizer Industry Federation (SFIA) has urged the Center to come up with a single national digital portal for all filings of fertilizer formulations to end the practice of repeatedly seeking state-level permissions and shorten the regulatory cycle.
SFIA President Rajib Chakraborty told business Line It was said in an online conversation that the portal should have approvals and deemed approvals ready through the expedited system after the stipulated deadline.
SFIA has proposed eight steps to government think-tank Niti Aayog to ease the efforts of the fertilizer sector that is circling for regulatory approvals. Calling for “One Nation, One Registration”, the SFIA President said that once a manufacturer or product complies with the Fertilizer (Control) Order and is duly accepted or approved on the central portal, it should be valid in all states without additional registration, annual no objection certificate or local renewal.
eliminate duplication
“The benefits are obvious. It eliminates duplicative and inconsistent state level requirements, reduces discretionary and procedural delays, and significantly reduces compliance costs, especially for MSMEs and innovation-driven companies,” he said.
Such a move would create a seamless national market, ensure uniform enforcement standards and shorten the regulatory cycle. “Most importantly, it provides predictability and regulatory certainty, which is essential for indigenous manufacturing, R&D investment,” Chakraborty said.
The digital portal should have mandatory and functional State Fertilizer Committees with industry representation, standardized documentation across States, advanced and time bound laboratory testing, uniform inspection protocols and periodic performance reviews of States.
SFIA along with NITI Aayog has suggested for an industry-friendly regulatory framework for the sector. The association president said the framework will not weaken standards but will replace discretion and criminalization with transparent, technology-driven and nationally uniform compliance.
trust-based regulation
The association is demanding a “one nation, one registration” formulation to eliminate repeated state-level permissions. “Enforcement should clearly differentiate between minor lapses and deliberate fraud, moving towards graded monetary penalties rather than automatic criminal prosecution,” Chakraborty said.
Trust-based regulation will maintain quality while promoting ease of doing business and in line with the spirit of indigenous manufacturing public trustHe said.
Stating that there is a strong need to reform the fertilizer sector public trust theoryHe said it is a governance philosophy built on trust, de-criminalization, proportionality and technology enabled transparency.
While the Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985 has protected quality standards, its continued operation under the essential commodity framework reflects an inconsistent control-oriented mindset. public trust principle, said the SFIA president.
shows commitment
public trust There have been calls to reduce criminal provisions, eliminate unnecessary compliance and replace discretion with digital, rules based systems.
Chakraborty said SFIA is encouraged by the proactive approach of the government and it is reassuring that NITI Aayog has taken cognizance of the concerns raised by stakeholders.
The government think tank invited detailed policy inputs to strengthen the regulatory framework in the sector. “This shows a clear commitment to consultative and evidence-based policymaking.
This signals the intention to move towards trust-based, technology enabled and compliance driven regulation. This is a very positive development for the region,” he said.
He said products from the water soluble fertiliser, organic and biostimulant sector should be aligned with national priorities such as rationalizing fertilizer subsidies and a broader “nutrition for the nation” agenda covering soil, human and animal health.
Published on February 26, 2026
