Last updated : September 08, 2026 6:50 am
Developing green ammonia, carbon capture, and digital platforms to align with India’s long-term agricultural and environmental goals
Overall performance of HURL in FY 2025-26 and what are your expectations from FY 2026-27?
FY 2025-26 has been a landmark year for HURL, characterized by exceptional operational performance, sustainable growth, and enhanced value creation. During FY 2025-26, HURL achieved its highest-ever annual urea production of 39 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT), with an average capacity utilization of 102 per cent across its three plants at Gorakhpur, Sindri, and Barauni.
This outstanding operational achievement translated into company's highest-ever turnover, revenue, and profitability, reflecting the strength of our business model, operational excellence, and market presence. We also made significant progress in improving energy efficiency, enhancing plant reliability, optimizing resource utilization, and expanding our engagement with farmers through various outreach and awareness initiatives.
As we move into FY 2026-27, our focus will be on sustaining operational excellence, maximizing asset performance, accelerating digital transformation, strengthening our market footprint, and advancing sustainability-led growth. We will continue to explore opportunities in green technologies, energy efficiency, and value-added agricultural solutions while remaining committed to supporting India's food and fertilizer security.
HURL was created to revive India's domestic fertilizer sector. How close is HURL to fully achieve the nation's vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in urea production?
HURL stands as one of India's most successful industrial revival stories. The transformation of the Gorakhpur, Sindri, and Barauni fertilizer plants into world-class manufacturing facilities has significantly strengthened the country's domestic urea production capacity and fertilizer security. Today, HURL produces nearly 40 Lakh Metric Tonnes of indigenous urea annually, meeting around 11.5 per cent of India's total urea requirement. Every tonne produced domestically reduces import dependence, conserves foreign exchange, and strengthens the nation's resilience against global supply disruptions. However, Aatmanirbhar Bharat is not just about increasing production; it is about building long-term capabilities, resilience, and sustainability.
Through operational excellence, farmer-centric initiatives, balanced nutrient management, and sustainable agricultural practices, HURL is contributing meaningfully to India's vision of fertilizer self-reliance. More than a fertilizer company, HURL is a symbol of India's industrial resurgence—creating value for farmers, generating employment, revitalizing regional economies, and strengthening the foundations of national food security.
What is your strategic roadmap for HURL to maintain its competitive edge against global market volatility?
In today's environment, volatility has become the new normal. Geopolitical developments, energy price fluctuations, supply-chain disruptions, and climate-related challenges require organizations to be agile, resilient, and forward-looking. HURL's strategic roadmap is built on six key pillars: operational excellence, digital transformation, sustainability, diversification, technological innovation, and farmer-centric growth.
We are continuously enhancing plant efficiency through smart manufacturing systems, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision-making. At the same time, we are strengthening supply-chain resilience, diversifying strategic partnerships, and expanding our portfolio beyond conventional fertilizers through innovative crop nutrition and sustainable agriculture solutions.
Technology is vital for our future. We are investing in digital platforms, energy efficiency, and sustainable innovations like green ammonia and CO? capture, all aligned with India’s climate and agricultural goals. Ultimately, success belongs to agile, innovative organizations that consistently create value for farmers, stakeholders, and the nation.
Fertilizer production is highly energy-intensive. How are you balancing traditional operations with green technologies such as Green Ammonia?
The future of fertilizer manufacturing will be increasingly defined by sustainability. Green Ammonia has the potential to fundamentally transform the global fertilizer industry by significantly reducing carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels.
At HURL, we are closely monitoring emerging technologies and policy developments that support the transition towards cleaner and more sustainable fertilizer production. While conventional natural gas-based production remains the backbone of current operations, we recognize that the future lies in progressively integrating greener and more efficient technologies across the value chain.
Alongside Green Ammonia, CO? Capture and Utilization (CCU) and Coal Gasification are key to greener fertilizers. CCU lowers emissions by capturing carbon, while coal gasification uses indigenous resources for syngas—boosting energy security and cutting imports. This shift is gradual but inevitable.
We see Green Ammonia, CO? Capture, and advanced gasification technologies not merely as environmental opportunities but as strategic pathways to strengthen India's long-term energy security, enhance industrial competitiveness, and support the nation's sustainability and net-zero aspirations.
With all three flagship plants operational, what have been the biggest operational challenges and successes?
Managing three large fertilizer plants requires precision and unity. We align operations across geographies, blending localized strengths with standardized best practices to drive performance. As a result, our facilities consistently operate among the most energy-efficient in the industry while exceeding 100 per cent of their rated production capacities.
Like any large-scale industrial operation, we have also faced challenges. We effectively resolved a major reformer tube failure at the Barauni plant through proactive planning and technical expertise. By deploying locally manufactured indigenous reformer tubes, we minimized downtime, enhanced operational reliability, and supported national self-reliance goals.
The biggest achievement, however, is the dedication of our people. Technology creates capability but people create performance. The commitment of our workforce has enabled HURL to emerge as a reliable contributor to India's fertilizer sector, delivering operational excellence while continuously strengthening resilience and sustainability.
How is HURL optimizing its supply chain to ensure uninterrupted delivery to farmers?
Supply chain resilience is vital in the fertilizer sector to reliably reach farmers in vast rural areas. At HURL, we ensure timely delivery through digital monitoring, inventory optimization, and strategic vendor partnerships HURL, closely coordinating with our stakeholders to meet agricultural demands.
Our objective is simple: to ensure that fertilizers reach farmers precisely when they need them. Our distribution strategy is built around a widespread network of production units, warehouses, dealers, and retailers, enabling faster movement of products and improved last-mile accessibility for farmers. The strength of a fertilizer company is measured not only by what it produces but also by how effectively it delivers value to the last mile. Ensuring the timely availability of fertilizers remains central to HURL's mission of supporting India's agricultural productivity and food security.
Beyond supplying fertilizers what initiatives does HURL undertake to educate farmers?
HURL empowers modern farmers through nationwide outreach programs focused on soil health, balanced fertilization, and sustainable farming. Partnering with agricultural institutions, HURL leverages drone technology, digital platforms, and dedicated helplines to provide actionable training, women empowerment, and real-time advisory support.
Our objective is to help farmers transition from input-intensive agriculture to knowledge-intensive agriculture, where productivity, profitability, and sustainability go hand in hand. By empowering farmers with the right knowledge and tools, we aim to contribute to a more resilient and sustainable agricultural ecosystem.
How is HURL integrating modern digital tools into plant operations?
The fourth industrial revolution is reshaping manufacturing globally, and HURL is actively embracing this transformation. Digital technologies such as predictive maintenance, advanced analytics, real-time monitoring systems, automation, and data-driven decision-making are helping us improve reliability, optimize resource utilization, and enhance operational efficiency. Our vision is to evolve towards increasingly intelligent, connected, and predictive manufacturing systems that deliver greater efficiency while improving safety and sustainability outcomes.
How do you leverage the strengths of promoter companies like NTPC, IOCL, and CIL?
HURL's greatest strategic advantage lies in its unique parentage. Our promoter companies, bring together decades of expertise across energy, hydrocarbons, mining, fertilizers, engineering, project execution, and large-scale operations.
At the governance level, HURL benefits from the strategic direction, leadership, and diverse industry perspectives provided by an experienced board comprising representatives from the promoter organizations. This enables robust decision-making, strong corporate governance, and alignment with national priorities. Operationally, we leverage the collective strengths of our promoters in areas such as technology integration, project management, operational excellence, energy efficiency, procurement, logistics, and risk management. The knowledge-sharing ecosystem created through this collaboration allows us to adopt best practices and continuously enhance our performance.
The promoters have also played a pivotal role in supporting HURL's journey from project conceptualization to becoming one of India's leading fertilizer producers, ensuring access to expertise, resources, and institutional capabilities that have accelerated our growth. The success of HURL stands as a testament to the extraordinary value that can be created when India's leading public sector enterprises work together towards a shared national objective, strengthening food security, promoting self-reliance, and contributing to the nation's agricultural and economic development.
What steps is HURL taking to reduce water consumption and carbon emissions?
HURL is designed with one of the lowest water consumption and CO2 emission. Resource efficiency is no longer optional, it is fundamental to responsible industrial growth. HURL continuously invests in energy optimization, water conservation, process efficiency improvements, emissions management, and environmental stewardship initiatives. Our long-term vision aligns with global sustainability goals while supporting India's commitment to cleaner industrial development. Every unit of water conserved and every tonne of carbon avoided contributes towards building a more sustainable future.
What is your approach to embedding a "Zero Harm" safety culture?
Safety is not a department; it is a mindset and a shared responsibility. At HURL, Zero Harm is a core organizational value and a leadership commitment that permeates every level of the company. We believe that every incident is preventable and therefore our approach is built on proactive risk management, behavioral safety, process safety, continuous competency development, emergency preparedness, and visible leadership engagement. We maintain rigorous monitoring of both leading and lagging safety indicators to identify risks before they result in incidents. Regular safety audits, hazard identification programmes, near-miss reporting, permit-to-work compliance, safety observations, and structured training interventions help strengthen our safety culture across all our plants.
Our commitment to Zero Harm extends beyond occupational safety to environmental protection. HURL's facilities are equipped with advanced Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs), robust emission-control systems, and Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) practices wherever applicable, ensuring responsible management of resources and minimal environmental impact. We continuously monitor environmental parameters and strive to operate in full compliance with all statutory and regulatory requirements.
What are your expansion plans going forward?
India’s growing agricultural demands offer major opportunities for the fertilizer sector. At HURL, we drive self-reliance and sustainability through continuous innovation. We are focused on value creation across manufacturing expansion, product diversification, digital transformation, logistics, and green technologies.
A significant milestone in this direction is our participation in the Assam Valley Fertilizer & Chemical Company Limited (AVFCCL) project at Namrup, Assam, which will further strengthen India's fertilizer production capacity and contribute to balanced regional development. Simultaneously, HURL is exploring opportunities for establishing two additional world-scale urea units to support the country's long-term fertilizer security.
We are also expanding our portfolio beyond conventional fertilizers with increased focus on Nano Fertilizers, NPK grades, Ammonium Sulphate, Green Ammonia, bio-fertilizers, and specialty plant nutrition products that support sustainable agriculture.
Where do you see HURL over the next five years?
The next five years will be transformational for both Indian agriculture and the fertilizer industry. I envision HURL evolving from a fertilizer manufacturer into a comprehensive agricultural solutions company, one that seamlessly integrates production excellence, innovation, sustainability, digital transformation, and farmer-centric services. Our ambition is to emerge as one of India's leading fertilizer and plant nutrition companies with a strong presence across both chemical and biological product segments. We aim to further strengthen our leadership in urea while expanding our footprint in nano fertilizers, bio-fertilizers, specialty nutrients, and value-added agricultural solutions.
Technology and sustainability will be key pillars of this transformation. We are committed to integrating advanced manufacturing practices, digital technologies, energy-efficient operations, and emerging green technologies that enhance both competitiveness and environmental performance.
More importantly, our success will be measured not only by the volume we produce but by the value we create for farmers, the nation, and future generations. We aspire to be recognized as one of India's most trusted, innovative, and future-ready fertilizer organizations, playing a pivotal role in ensuring food security, promoting sustainable agriculture, and supporting India's journey towards self-reliance and inclusive growth.