What does IFFCO manufacture and where?

IFFCO operates five manufacturing complexes: Kalol (Gujarat) and Phulpur (Uttar Pradesh) produce urea; Kandla (Gujarat) and Paradeep (Odisha) produce DAP and NPK complex fertilisers; and Aonla (Uttar Pradesh) is a large gas-based urea complex. Between them the plants account for a very large share of India's cooperative-sector urea and complex-fertiliser production. In addition, IFFCO manufactures water-soluble fertilisers, sulphur bentonite, city compost blends and — since 2021 — nano fertilisers at Kalol and other dedicated nano facilities. Beyond fertilisers the group has diversified into general insurance (IFFCO-Tokio), rural retail (IFFCO Bazar), agri-inputs, seeds through the IFFCO Kisan platform and international trade through Kisan International Trading FZE.

What is IFFCO Nano Urea and why does it matter?

IFFCO Nano Urea is a liquid foliar-spray fertiliser in which urea is delivered on nano-scale carrier particles. It was launched on 2 June 2021 and became the world's first commercially notified nano urea, cleared under an amendment to the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO), 1985. The first-generation product is a 500 ml bottle at 4% total nitrogen; the higher-strength IFFCO Nano Urea Plus (12 June 2024) carries 20% nitrogen. IFFCO Nano DAP (notified 2 March 2023) is the phosphatic counterpart at 8% N + 16% P₂O₅. IFFCO manufactures nano urea at Kalol, Phulpur, Aonla and Paradeep and is scaling capacity to reduce India's subsidised granular urea and DAP consumption, cut the central fertiliser subsidy bill, and give PM-PRANAM states a lever to earn saved-subsidy grants.

What are IFFCO's major joint ventures and subsidiaries?

The best-known IFFCO joint ventures are IFFCO-Tokio General Insurance (in partnership with Tokio Marine of Japan — a major crop and rural insurance underwriter and one of the empanelled insurers under PMFBY and RWBCIS), Oman India Fertiliser Company (OMIFCO) — a 25%-IFFCO joint venture with the Oman Oil Company and KRIBHCO for urea and ammonia production at Sur, Oman — Indian Potash Limited (IPL), a joint canaliser for potash and other imported fertilisers, Kisan International Trading FZE (Dubai) for input imports and Kribhco Shyam Fertilisers (through cooperative federation). Subsidiary and group ventures include IFFCO Kisan Sanchar / IFFCO Kisan agri-advisory app, IFFCO Bazar rural retail and IFFCO Foundation for CSR work.

How is IFFCO connected to the Ministry of Cooperation and the current cooperative agenda?

Since the creation of the Ministry of Cooperation in July 2021, IFFCO — as India's largest cooperative and the world's largest fertiliser cooperative — has been a central partner in the Ministry's cooperative-strengthening agenda. IFFCO supplies fertiliser through the PACS computerisation network, participates in the National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) and National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) ecosystem indirectly through its member federations, is a demand anchor for the Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) seed cooperative, and its nano-fertiliser rollout is one of the primary levers for the PM-PRANAM saved-subsidy incentive to states. IFFCO also runs one of the largest agri-drone spraying networks in the country and is a scheme partner for the Namo Drone Didi women-SHG drone programme.

How can a farmer, a cooperative or an FPO engage with IFFCO?

Individual farmers engage with IFFCO through any FCO-licensed dealer, PACS retail counter or IFFCO Bazar outlet for fertiliser purchase and through IFFCO Kisan (mobile app, IVRS 1800-103-1967 and SMS advisories) for crop advisories and market prices. Cooperative societies apply for membership through the Membership department at IFFCO headquarters and their apex state cooperative federation — membership entitles the society to attend the General Body and to elect directors. FPOs registered under the 10,000 FPO scheme can partner with IFFCO for input aggregation, nano-urea drone-spray services and technology demonstrations. All product, plant, dealer-locator and membership information is on the official portal at iffco.in.

What is IFFCO's role in India's overall fertiliser and food-security architecture?

IFFCO is one of the two large cooperative-sector fertiliser manufacturers in India (the other being KRIBHCO, Krishak Bharati Cooperative Ltd), and together with public-sector units such as RCF, NFL and GNVFC and private-sector producers such as Coromandel International Ltd, Chambal Fertilisers, Deepak Fertilisers, Zuari Agro, GSFC and Paradeep Phosphates, they supply the urea, DAP and NPK complex demand of Indian agriculture — around 36 million tonnes of granular urea, roughly 10–11 million tonnes of DAP and comparable NPK volumes per year. IFFCO's cooperative ownership means its production supports member farmers directly, and the nano-fertiliser transition is a strategic reduction of the ~₹1.75 lakh crore annual central fertiliser subsidy bill that also underpins the FCI-anchored MSP-and-procurement food-security chain.

IFFCO — Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative: The World's Largest Fertiliser Cooperative, Kalol / Kandla / Phulpur / Aonla / Paradeep Plants, Nano Urea, Nano DAP and the Cooperative Route to India's Fertiliser Supply

The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) is a multi-state cooperative society registered on 3 November 1967 under what is today the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, and is widely described as the world's largest fertiliser cooperative by member count. It is owned by approximately 36,000 member cooperative societies — primary agricultural credit societies (PACS), central cooperative banks, district cooperative marketing federations, apex state federations and specialised cooperatives across every Indian state. IFFCO operates five manufacturing complexes at Kalol and Kandla (Gujarat), Phulpur and Aonla (Uttar Pradesh) and Paradeep (Odisha), and is the manufacturer behind IFFCO Nano Urea— the world's first commercial nano urea, notified under the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO), 1985 on 2 June 2021 — and the follow-on IFFCO Nano Urea Plus (12 June 2024) and IFFCO Nano DAP(2 March 2023). This page covers IFFCO's legal form, plants, product portfolio, joint ventures, cooperative distribution spine, and its role in the current PM-PRANAM, nano-fertiliser and Namo Drone Didi agenda.

Legal form, ownership and reporting

IFFCO is not a Government of India company. It is a cooperative society registered under multi-state cooperative law — originally the Cooperative Societies Act, 1912, later the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 1984, and today the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002. The society is owned by its member cooperatives (roughly 36,000 as of recent disclosures); farmers who are members of a member PACS have an indirect ownership stake and a downstream share in the cooperative surplus. Governance is by an elected Board of Directors drawn from the member cooperatives, with a Managing Director as the chief executive. The registered office is in New Delhi. Regulation of fertiliser production, notification and quality control is done by the Department of Fertilizers under the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, while cooperative-society matters are handled by the Ministry of Cooperation (created July 2021).

The five manufacturing complexes

Kalol, Gujarat. Historic first IFFCO complex. Gas-based urea unit and one of the primary nano-fertiliser production sites (Nano Urea, Nano Urea Plus, Nano DAP bottling).
Kandla, Gujarat. Complex-fertiliser (NPK) and DAP production plant at Kandla port, integrated with phosphoric-acid and ammonia handling for imported raw materials.
Phulpur, Uttar Pradesh.Gas-based urea complex, expanded in phases; one of IFFCO's largest urea producers by capacity.
Aonla, Uttar Pradesh. Gas-based urea complex; among the largest urea plants in India in installed capacity.
Paradeep, Odisha. Coastal DAP and NPK complex-fertiliser plant, feeding the eastern and southern markets with imported phosphoric acid and ammonia via Paradeep port.

IFFCO's public disclosures place its annual production at over 8 million tonnes of finished fertilisers across urea, DAP and NPK complexes, plus growing volumes of nano urea and nano DAP. Combined with its cooperative peer KRIBHCO(Krishak Bharati Cooperative Ltd — the other major cooperative-sector urea manufacturer, anchoring the Hazira gas-based urea complex in Surat and holding 25% of OMIFCO), the cooperative sector accounts for a substantial share of India's total fertiliser output.

Product portfolio

Granular urea (46% N) under the statutory MRP of ₹266.50 per 45 kg bag, with the manufacturer subsidy paid through the DBT-fertiliser POS system after the retail sale is recorded.
Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP, 18-46-0) and IFFCO NPK complexes (10-26-26, 12-32-16, 20-20-0-13, 15-15-15 etc.) sold under the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) regime.
Water-soluble fertilisers (WSFs) — MAP, MKP, potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate, urea phosphate — for drip and fertigation systems under the Per Drop More Crop micro-irrigation programme.
IFFCO Nano Urea (4% N) and IFFCO Nano Urea Plus (20% N) — 500 ml foliar-spray bottles, notified under the FCO on 2 June 2021 and 12 June 2024 respectively. See nano-fertiliser deep-dive for chemistry, dosage and drone-spray guidance.
IFFCO Nano DAP (8% N + 16% P₂O₅) notified 2 March 2023, and Sagarika seaweed-extract bio-stimulant, sulphur bentonite, city compost blends and micronutrient products.
Bio-fertilisers and organic-inputs supporting states transitioning acres under PKVY, NMNF and MOVCDNER.

Joint ventures and group companies

IFFCO's group is materially wider than its fertiliser plants. The notable joint ventures and group companies include:

IFFCO-Tokio General Insurance (ITGI). A joint venture with Tokio Marine (Japan) offering general and rural insurance products, including as one of the empanelled insurers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and the Restructured Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS).
Oman India Fertiliser Company (OMIFCO). A landmark joint venture at Sur, Oman between IFFCO (25%), KRIBHCO(25%) and Oman Oil Company (50%), producing urea and ammonia for import back to India under long-term offtake agreements — a key reason India's urea import mix has a cooperative-anchored strategic component.
Indian Potash Limited (IPL). A cooperative-sector canaliser for imported potash (MOP) and other imported fertiliser inputs, in which IFFCO is a major shareholder alongside other cooperatives.
Kisan International Trading FZE (Dubai).IFFCO's international trade arm for imports of phosphoric acid, ammonia, rock phosphate, sulphur and finished fertilisers.
IFFCO Kisan Sanchar / IFFCO Kisan. Agri-advisory, weather and market-price mobile platform (app, IVRS 1800-103-1967, SMS) serving millions of farmer subscribers.
IFFCO Bazar and IFFCO Foundation.Rural retail chain and the group's CSR / rural-development foundation.

Cooperative distribution — from plant to PACS to farmer

IFFCO fertiliser reaches the farmer through FCO-licensed dealers — private, public-sector and cooperative — but the cooperative-sector spine is the network of about 1.05 lakh Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) being modernised under the PACS Computerizationproject of the Ministry of Cooperation. A PACS registered as a fertiliser dealer receives allocation from IFFCO's zonal warehouse, sells to the farmer at the statutory MRP (₹266.50 per 45 kg bag of urea; NBS-notified rates for DAP and NPKs), and records the sale on the DBT-fertiliser Point of Sale (POS)machine against the buyer's Aadhaar-linked farmer identity. The per-tonne manufacturer subsidy is released to IFFCO only after the POS sale record is transmitted to the DBT-fertiliser system, closing the loop between physical delivery to a real farmer and release of central subsidy.

Nano fertilisers, PM-PRANAM and Namo Drone Didi

IFFCO is the anchor of India's nano-fertiliser rollout. Nano Urea (2 June 2021) was the first product globally to be commercially notified under a fertiliser control regime; Nano Urea Plus (12 June 2024) at 20% N is the higher-strength successor; Nano DAP (2 March 2023) is the phosphatic counterpart. Because nano fertilisers displace granular urea and DAP — the two largest slabs of the ~₹1.75 lakh crore central fertiliser subsidy — they are one of the primary levers for the PM-PRANAMsaved-subsidy grant to states, which returns 50% of the reduction in chemical-fertiliser subsidy to the state that achieved it. IFFCO also operates one of India's largest agri-drone spraying networks and is a partner in the Namo Drone Didi scheme that puts drones in the hands of 15,000 women SHGs — nano-urea foliar spraying is a core revenue payload for the SHG drone operators.

IFFCO in the Ministry of Cooperation ecosystem

Since the Ministry of Cooperation was created on 6 July 2021, IFFCO — as the largest cooperative and the world's largest fertiliser cooperative — has been a central partner in the ministry's cooperative-strengthening agenda. Alongside the flagship PACS Computerization project, the three new pan-India cooperatives — National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL), National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) and the Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) — and the broader agenda of NCDC-financed cooperative strengthening, IFFCO is both a demand anchor (as input supplier) and a governance participant (through its member federations). For dairy cooperatives the parallel anchor is NDDB; for fisheries cooperatives, NFDB; for procurement cooperatives, NAFED and FCI.

How to engage with IFFCO

For an individual farmer, the practical touchpoints are: buy fertiliser at any FCO-licensed dealer, PACS retail counter or IFFCO Bazar outlet and insist on the printed DBT-fertiliser POS receipt; subscribe to the IFFCO Kisan app / IVRS (1800-103-1967) / SMS advisory for crop advisories, market prices and pest alerts; and, for nano-urea and nano-DAP foliar spraying, engage a Namo Drone Didi SHG operator or a Custom Hiring Centre with an SMAM- subsidised agri-spray drone. For a cooperative society, membership applications go through the Membership department at IFFCO headquarters and the concerned apex state cooperative federation — membership entitles the society to attend the General Body and to elect directors. For a Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) registered under the 10,000 FPO scheme, IFFCO is an input-aggregation partner, a nano-urea drone-spray demonstration partner and a channel for insurance products through IFFCO-Tokio. All product, plant, dealer-locator and membership information is on the official portal at iffco.in.

Nano Urea & Nano DAP

Deep-dive on India's nano-fertiliser rollout — IFFCO Nano Urea (world's first, June 2021), Nano Urea Plus, Nano DAP and CIL Nano DAP.

PM-PRANAM

Saved-subsidy grant to states that reduce chemical-fertiliser use — nano urea and nano DAP are among the primary substitution levers.

Namo Drone Didi

Central-sector scheme placing agri-spray drones with 15,000 women SHGs — nano-urea spraying is a core payload.

PACS Computerization

Ministry of Cooperation project modernising ~1.05 lakh PACS — the cooperative retail spine that distributes IFFCO fertiliser.

NCDC

National Cooperative Development Corporation — statutory apex financier of cooperatives, complementary to IFFCO's cooperative-sector role.

PMFBY

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana crop-insurance scheme — IFFCO-Tokio General Insurance is one of the empanelled insurers.

References

iffco.in — IFFCO official portal: plant profiles, product portfolio, board of directors, annual reports and dealer locator.
iffcokisan.com — IFFCO Kisan agri-advisory platform (app, IVRS 1800-103-1967, SMS).
fert.nic.in — Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers: FCO notifications for nano fertilisers, DBT-fertiliser POS system and NBS rates.
cooperation.gov.in — Ministry of Cooperation: PACS computerisation, cooperative-sector strengthening and new pan-India cooperatives (NCOL, NCEL, BBSSL).
Press Information Bureau (PIB) — official releases on Nano Urea (2 June 2021), Nano Urea Plus (12 June 2024), Nano DAP (2 March 2023) and PM-PRANAM Cabinet approval (28 June 2023).

Frequently asked questions

What is IFFCO and who owns it?: IFFCO — the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited — is a multi-state cooperative society registered on 3 November 1967 under what is today the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002. It is owned by its member cooperative societies, not by the Government of India: as of the most recent public disclosures IFFCO has approximately 36,000 member cooperatives, including primary agricultural credit societies (PACS), central cooperative banks, district cooperative marketing federations, apex state cooperative federations and specialised cooperatives across every Indian state. Farmers who are members of a PACS that is in turn a member of IFFCO have an indirect ownership stake. The society is governed by an elected Board of Directors drawn from the member cooperatives, with a Managing Director as the chief executive; its registered office is in New Delhi.
What does IFFCO manufacture and where?: IFFCO operates five manufacturing complexes: Kalol (Gujarat) and Phulpur (Uttar Pradesh) produce urea; Kandla (Gujarat) and Paradeep (Odisha) produce DAP and NPK complex fertilisers; and Aonla (Uttar Pradesh) is a large gas-based urea complex. Between them the plants account for a very large share of India's cooperative-sector urea and complex-fertiliser production. In addition, IFFCO manufactures water-soluble fertilisers, sulphur bentonite, city compost blends and — since 2021 — nano fertilisers at Kalol and other dedicated nano facilities. Beyond fertilisers the group has diversified into general insurance (IFFCO-Tokio), rural retail (IFFCO Bazar), agri-inputs, seeds through the IFFCO Kisan platform and international trade through Kisan International Trading FZE.
What is IFFCO Nano Urea and why does it matter?: IFFCO Nano Urea is a liquid foliar-spray fertiliser in which urea is delivered on nano-scale carrier particles. It was launched on 2 June 2021 and became the world's first commercially notified nano urea, cleared under an amendment to the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO), 1985. The first-generation product is a 500 ml bottle at 4% total nitrogen; the higher-strength IFFCO Nano Urea Plus (12 June 2024) carries 20% nitrogen. IFFCO Nano DAP (notified 2 March 2023) is the phosphatic counterpart at 8% N + 16% P₂O₅. IFFCO manufactures nano urea at Kalol, Phulpur, Aonla and Paradeep and is scaling capacity to reduce India's subsidised granular urea and DAP consumption, cut the central fertiliser subsidy bill, and give PM-PRANAM states a lever to earn saved-subsidy grants.
How does IFFCO's cooperative distribution actually work at the village?: Farmers buy IFFCO fertiliser at any dealer licensed under the FCO, but the cooperative retail spine is the Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) network of about 1.05 lakh PACS being computerised under the Ministry of Cooperation's PACS Computerization project. A PACS registered as a fertiliser dealer receives allocation from IFFCO's zonal warehouse, sells to the farmer at the statutory MRP (₹266.50 per 45 kg bag of urea; NBS-notified rates for DAP and NPKs), and records the sale on the DBT-fertiliser Point of Sale (POS) machine against the buyer's Aadhaar-linked identity. The manufacturer subsidy under the DBT-fertiliser scheme is paid to IFFCO only after the POS sale record is transmitted, closing the loop between physical delivery and subsidy release.
What are IFFCO's major joint ventures and subsidiaries?: The best-known IFFCO joint ventures are IFFCO-Tokio General Insurance (in partnership with Tokio Marine of Japan — a major crop and rural insurance underwriter and one of the empanelled insurers under PMFBY and RWBCIS), Oman India Fertiliser Company (OMIFCO) — a 25%-IFFCO joint venture with the Oman Oil Company and KRIBHCO for urea and ammonia production at Sur, Oman — Indian Potash Limited (IPL), a joint canaliser for potash and other imported fertilisers, Kisan International Trading FZE (Dubai) for input imports and Kribhco Shyam Fertilisers (through cooperative federation). Subsidiary and group ventures include IFFCO Kisan Sanchar / IFFCO Kisan agri-advisory app, IFFCO Bazar rural retail and IFFCO Foundation for CSR work.
How is IFFCO connected to the Ministry of Cooperation and the current cooperative agenda?: Since the creation of the Ministry of Cooperation in July 2021, IFFCO — as India's largest cooperative and the world's largest fertiliser cooperative — has been a central partner in the Ministry's cooperative-strengthening agenda. IFFCO supplies fertiliser through the PACS computerisation network, participates in the National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) and National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) ecosystem indirectly through its member federations, is a demand anchor for the Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) seed cooperative, and its nano-fertiliser rollout is one of the primary levers for the PM-PRANAM saved-subsidy incentive to states. IFFCO also runs one of the largest agri-drone spraying networks in the country and is a scheme partner for the Namo Drone Didi women-SHG drone programme.
How can a farmer, a cooperative or an FPO engage with IFFCO?: Individual farmers engage with IFFCO through any FCO-licensed dealer, PACS retail counter or IFFCO Bazar outlet for fertiliser purchase and through IFFCO Kisan (mobile app, IVRS 1800-103-1967 and SMS advisories) for crop advisories and market prices. Cooperative societies apply for membership through the Membership department at IFFCO headquarters and their apex state cooperative federation — membership entitles the society to attend the General Body and to elect directors. FPOs registered under the 10,000 FPO scheme can partner with IFFCO for input aggregation, nano-urea drone-spray services and technology demonstrations. All product, plant, dealer-locator and membership information is on the official portal at iffco.in.
What is IFFCO's role in India's overall fertiliser and food-security architecture?: IFFCO is one of the two large cooperative-sector fertiliser manufacturers in India (the other being KRIBHCO, Krishak Bharati Cooperative Ltd), and together with public-sector units such as RCF, NFL and GNVFC and private-sector producers such as Coromandel International Ltd, Chambal Fertilisers, Deepak Fertilisers, Zuari Agro, GSFC and Paradeep Phosphates, they supply the urea, DAP and NPK complex demand of Indian agriculture — around 36 million tonnes of granular urea, roughly 10–11 million tonnes of DAP and comparable NPK volumes per year. IFFCO's cooperative ownership means its production supports member farmers directly, and the nano-fertiliser transition is a strategic reduction of the ~₹1.75 lakh crore annual central fertiliser subsidy bill that also underpins the FCI-anchored MSP-and-procurement food-security chain.

The registration date of 3 November 1967, member-cooperative count of roughly 36,000, five-plant complex list, Nano Urea (2 June 2021), Nano Urea Plus (12 June 2024) and Nano DAP (2 March 2023) notifications, and joint- venture list above draw on publicly available material on iffco.in, PIB releases, the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers portal fert.nic.in and the Ministry of Cooperation portal cooperation.gov.in. IFFCO's member count, capacities, MRPs and NBS rates are periodically revised — confirm current values on the official portals before making purchase or registration decisions.