В Индии растет спрос на серу как на ключевой агрохимикат для повышения урожайности

Sulphur has emerged as an important crop nutrient over the past 2-3 years, and its usage has begun to increase in India, according to Bimal Shah, managing director of SML (formerly Sulphur Mills Ltd). “Recently, sulphur demand has suddenly started spiking up. Otherwise, it was just a raw material or a byproduct of oil refineries. It is seen as a crop nutrient as well as a crop production product,” he told businessline in an online interaction. The use of sulphur in India is not at the level of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). This is because the Government offers subsidy for NPK fertilizers. “Tapping the potential of sulphur in all the crop inputs is far off. So, there’s a lot of potential to rise from where we are right now. Sulphur is not only key for the soil, but also helps in the uptake of other nutrients,” said Shah. Challenges However, there are challenges in reaching farmers with sulphur, as it does not yet qualify as a fourth major nutrient. But sulphur-based mixtures can help reduce the use of other generic fertilizers that cause environmental problems.  However, the chemical is facing problems currently, as the Iran war has affected its availability and led to a spike in its prices. But speciality nutrient-based and speciality fertiliser-based sulphur products should move more as it is being used less, said the MD of SML, which has been in the business for five decades. The spike in sulphur prices could make people understand its importance. SML has launched new formulations with sulphur. “We discovered a new technology where, due to particle size reduction and other technologies, we were able to value-add normal sulphur to other formulations,” said Shah, adding that SML is expanding its product development. Sustainable solutions  The company’s technology helps in using sulphur with other nutrients in a balanced way that “farmers have the right solution at the right time without incurring additional costs”, he said.  SML is now trying sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions,  providing balanced nutrition to the crop. The company is selling its products to over 80 countries, including Brazil and Turkey where it has its own team and people. Stating that the use of sulphur for crop protection is not high compared with other countries, Shah said what people have to remember is that sulphur is organic and can provide a natural solution.  The country’s needs and demand for sulphur are in the millions of tonnes, he said, adding that India is able to source sulphur at a competitive price since most of the refineries from which the chemical is produced as a byproduct are in West Asia.   Cutting carbon emissions “Indian refineries are also increasing the production of sulphur. But we may have to increase it further; we are depending on crude oil production to get the chemical as a byproduct, and refineries scaling up,” said Shah. SML is now working on ESG (environmental, social and governance) and carbon management. “We are doing some studies where we are showcasing older generic fertilisers from the start of the manufacturing process, the raw material process to manufacturing, to getting on field, applying on field and how much carbon is being emitted,” he said. The company is showing results of projects that have cut carbon emissions, which could have a bigger impact in the days to come. “What we are trying to do with these kinds of technologies will have a lot of value,” said the company’s managing director. Published on September 9, 2026