In what could be a boost to the agri-input segment, the Government registered 34 biostimulants this week, increasing the total to over 45. This could spur manufacturing and exports of these formulations. In May 2024, India had registered 11 biostimulants.
In an extraordinary gazette notification on May 26, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare notified biostimulants such as seaweed extracts, humic and fulvic acid formulations, among others, under the Fertiliser Control Order (FCO). In 2021, the biostimulants were officially incorporated into the FCO, categorising them as distinct class of fertilisers.
“I believe it’s a fairly good start that has been made. I was informed that in the European Union, probably five or six biostimulants have been registered. And we have already notified 45. We have another of 50 to 60 products that are likely to be notified in the next 60 days,” said Vipin Saini, CEO, Biological Agri Solutions Association of India (BASAI), a body of biostimulant manufacturers.
“The notification of more biostimulants formulations is expected to boost manufacturing of biofertilisers as more players are seen entering this segment, and also leading to more export opportunities. This will give an overall boost to the entire agri-input industry segment” Saini said.
The biostimulant/biologicals category has attracted the interest of major agro chemical makers in the recent years. Category of biostimulants includes botanical extracts including seaweed extracts, bio-chemicals, protein hydrolysates and amino acids, vitamins, cell free microbial products, antioxidants, anti-transpirants, humic and fulvic acids and their derivatives among others
The Indian bio-input market is estimated at around $211 million, while the global marketsize is pegged at $3.39 billion.
“The latest Gazette notification dated May 26, 2025, marks another milestone in the progressive regulation of ‘biostimulants’ under the FCO. This step provides long-awaited clarity on product compositions, categories, and label declarations—bringing structure to a sector long defined by ambiguity,” said Renuka Karandikar, Founder and CEO, BioPrime Agri Solutions.
“The Gazette’s detailed inclusion of humic and fulvic acid formulations, seaweed extracts, protein hydrolysates, amino acid blends, vitamin complexes, and even microbial and enzymatic biostimulants marks a monumental leap in product classification. For companies like BioPrime, which have invested years in science-backed, regulatory-aligned innovation, this is validation.” Karandikar said.
Saini said the biostimulant formulations are beneficial in mitigating climate change challenges like biotic and abiotic stresses. These products help in better uptake of nutrients, which are excessively available in the soil itself, providing them more vigor. Also, these products are also looked upon as a product range, which helps across reduction in chemical agri-inputs, he added.
“We applaud the Ministry of Agriculture for leading regulatory reform in agricultural biologicals. However, we urge that a transition window (6-12 months) be granted for liquidating compliant but unlisted stock. Clearer recognition of innovation pathways — time bound processing of submitted files, more transparency in the progress of submitted applications and state-level enforcement be harmonized to prevent confusion and conflict across agricultural zones. India’s regulatory maturity in this space can become a ‘model for the Global South’ —but only if we balance stringency with scientific foresight and implementation sensitivity.” Karandikar said.
Published on May 29, 2025
In what could be a boost to the agri-input segment, the Government registered 34 biostimulants this week, increasing the total to over 45. This could spur manufacturing and exports of these formulations. In May 2024, India had registered 11 biostimulants.
In an extraordinary gazette notification on May 26, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare notified biostimulants such as seaweed extracts, humic and fulvic acid formulations, among others, under the Fertiliser Control Order (FCO). In 2021, the biostimulants were officially incorporated into the FCO, categorising them as distinct class of fertilisers.
“I believe it’s a fairly good start that has been made. I was informed that in the European Union, probably five or six biostimulants have been registered. And we have already notified 45. We have another of 50 to 60 products that are likely to be notified in the next 60 days,” said Vipin Saini, CEO, Biological Agri Solutions Association of India (BASAI), a body of biostimulant manufacturers.
“The notification of more biostimulants formulations is expected to boost manufacturing of biofertilisers as more players are seen entering this segment, and also leading to more export opportunities. This will give an overall boost to the entire agri-input industry segment” Saini said.
The biostimulant/biologicals category has attracted the interest of major agro chemical makers in the recent years. Category of biostimulants includes botanical extracts including seaweed extracts, bio-chemicals, protein hydrolysates and amino acids, vitamins, cell free microbial products, antioxidants, anti-transpirants, humic and fulvic acids and their derivatives among others
The Indian bio-input market is estimated at around $211 million, while the global marketsize is pegged at $3.39 billion.
“The latest Gazette notification dated May 26, 2025, marks another milestone in the progressive regulation of ‘biostimulants’ under the FCO. This step provides long-awaited clarity on product compositions, categories, and label declarations—bringing structure to a sector long defined by ambiguity,” said Renuka Karandikar, Founder and CEO, BioPrime Agri Solutions.
“The Gazette’s detailed inclusion of humic and fulvic acid formulations, seaweed extracts, protein hydrolysates, amino acid blends, vitamin complexes, and even microbial and enzymatic biostimulants marks a monumental leap in product classification. For companies like BioPrime, which have invested years in science-backed, regulatory-aligned innovation, this is validation.” Karandikar said.
Saini said the biostimulant formulations are beneficial in mitigating climate change challenges like biotic and abiotic stresses. These products help in better uptake of nutrients, which are excessively available in the soil itself, providing them more vigor. Also, these products are also looked upon as a product range, which helps across reduction in chemical agri-inputs, he added.
“We applaud the Ministry of Agriculture for leading regulatory reform in agricultural biologicals. However, we urge that a transition window (6-12 months) be granted for liquidating compliant but unlisted stock. Clearer recognition of innovation pathways — time bound processing of submitted files, more transparency in the progress of submitted applications and state-level enforcement be harmonized to prevent confusion and conflict across agricultural zones. India’s regulatory maturity in this space can become a ‘model for the Global South’ —but only if we balance stringency with scientific foresight and implementation sensitivity.” Karandikar said.
Published on May 29, 2025
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The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making
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It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution
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