The agrochemicals industry is a major industry for the Indian economy. In the year 2020, the Indian agrochemicals market was worth nearly USD 4.5 billion. Between 2021 and 2026, the market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 8.6%, reaching a value of nearly USD 7.4 billion. Indian agrochemicals market is a significant contributor to the Asia Pacific agrochemicals market’s growth. Due to the massive use of pesticides and fertilizers for farming activities, the Asia Pacific region is rising at the fastest pace globally. This is due to the region’s adoption of new and advanced farming practices.
The Asia Pacific area provides opportunities for both domestic and foreign businesses to expand. Farmers are now concentrating on investing in these crop-protecting and growth-boosting chemicals, following the recovery of the economy and the stabilization of regional currency prices. India, along with China and Japan, has the Asia Pacific region’s largest agrochemical markets. China is currently dominating the market due to its expanding agricultural sector, which is in line with the needs of the country’s increasing population. The country is both the largest producer and user of fertilizers in the world.
Agrochemicals are the chemicals used in agriculture to increase the amount of food generated from the soil. Pesticides, such as fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, and nematicides, are referred to as agrichemicals in different contexts.
The Indian agrochemicals market is driven by the country’s growing population, which has resulted in the country’s agricultural practices remaining sufficient. This has increased the use of Indian agrochemicals in agricultural activities. The industry has benefited from the Indianization of the agrochemical industry, which has boosted agrochemical product sales. Other factors influencing the Indian agrochemical industry’s growth include population growth, increasing food production needs, and economic growth.
Due to the increased impact of urbanization, the landmass available for agriculture is steadily decreasing as the demand for food products rises. Farmers are being encouraged to use various agrochemicals to improve land productivity and preserve soil quality. The country’s positive trend and integrating farming practices are expected to boost the growth rate of the agrochemicals sector. Proper strategies and sophisticated technologies need to be implemented to increase Indian agrochemicals exports.
Agrochemicals industry structure
There are approximately 125 technical grade manufacturers in India, 800 formulators, and more than 145,000 distributors. In-house development of 60 technical-grade pesticides takes place in the country. Formulators buy high-purity chemicals in bulk from technical-grade manufacturers. In exchange, formulators prepare formulations by incorporating inert carriers, solvents, surface-active agents, deodorants, and other ingredients.
Due to seasonal and erratic demand caused by monsoons, the agrochemicals industry has a high inventory. Long credit terms for farmers are also common in the industry, making operations ‘working capital’ intensive. India is a net exporter of pesticides to countries such as the United States along with some European, Asian, and African countries. A large number of exports as a result of its inherent strengths of low-cost production and skilled low-cost manpower. The exports in the year 2019 accounted for nearly 50% of the turnover generated by the agrochemical sector.
Key players
With over 800 formulators, the Indian agrochemicals sector is highly fragmented. With several coordinated sector players and a considerable share of bogus pesticides, competition is fierce. Large players have been buying out small producers in the industry, resulting in mergers and acquisitions.
United Phosphorus Ltd, Bayer CropScience Ltd, Rallis India Ltd, Gharda Chemicals Ltd, Syngenta India Ltd, BASF India Ltd, and others are key market players. Nearly 80% of the market is controlled by the top ten firms. Large players’ market share is largely determined by their product portfolio and the launch of new molecules. To minimize risks and serve a wider customer base, strategic alliances with competitors are popular.
Key challenges for the Indian Agrochemicals sector
The agrochemicals sector faces several challenges. It takes nearly 9 years of research and development to manufacturing a new agrochemical molecule. Several Indian agrochemical firms have neglected to invest in the creation of new molecules. As a result, they will face challenges in developing these capabilities while remaining cost-effective. Genetically engineered seeds have self-immunity against natural enemies, which could have a detrimental effect on the agrochemical industry. Since there are so many end consumers, successful distribution to retailers is critical to ensure product availability. Agrochemical companies will have to deal with increasing environmental consciousness and concerns about pesticide use’s negative effects.