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New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) State-run GAIL (India) Ltd and Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd (RCF) have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop a gas-based fertiliser plant in Maharashtra through a special purpose vehicle, the companies said on Wednesday.
The proposed plant, with a capacity of 1.27 million tonnes per annum (MMTPA) of urea, will be located in the Vidarbha region along GAIL’s Mumbai-Nagpur-Jharsuguda natural gas pipeline.
Under the agreement, GAIL and RCF will collaborate on taking the project from the conceptual stage through implementation.
“The proposed fertilizer project aligns with GAIL’s strategy of creating long-term value through natural gas utilization and contributing to India’s energy security objectives.
We are pleased to partner with RCF, a leading fertilizer company with proven expertise in the sector. This collaboration combines GAIL’s strengths in the natural gas value chain with RCF’s rich experience in fertilizer manufacturing and project execution. Further, this partnership between GAIL & RCF is aligned with Government of India’s recently approved National Investment Policy for Urea-2026 (NIPU-2026) towards Atmanirbhar Bharat,” GAIL Chairman and Managing Director Deepak Gupta said.
RCF Chairman and Managing Director S. Shivakumar said: “RCF is delighted to collaborate with GAIL for the development of this important gas-based fertilizer project in Maharashtra. The proposed project is expected to contribute significantly towards meeting the growing fertilizer demand in the country, reducing import dependence and promoting industrial development in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.
“Leveraging RCF’s extensive experience in fertilizer plant operations, project development and marketing, together with GAIL’s robust gas infrastructure and energy expertise, this partnership has the potential to create a world-class fertilizer facility.” The memorandum of understanding was signed by GAIL Executive Director (Business Development & Start-up) Sanjay Agarwal and RCF Executive Director (Project, Corporate & Coordination) Jyoti Patil in the presence of senior executives from both companies.
RCF is one of the leading fertiliser companies in the country.
India’s Urea production fell to 293.26 lakh tonnes in 2025-26 from 306.67 lakh tonnes in the preceding year. The country’s urea imports jumped 83 per cent last fiscal to 103.50 lakh tonnes to meet rising domestic demand, according to government data. PTI ANZ ANZ MR
