Roundtable Discussion
Recalibrating India’s Fertiliser Policy towards Nutrient Optimisation and Targeted Support
Date: 23 October, 2026 | Time: 9:30–14:00 hrs (IST) | Venue: Magnolia Hall, India Habitat Centre, Delhi

Agenda
09:30 – 10:00 hrs : Registration and Tea/Coffee

10:00 – 11:15 hrs : Welcome Remarks by
Dr. Shekhar Aiyar, Director & CE, ICRIER
Context Setting by
Dr. Ashok Gulati, Distinguished Professor, ICRIER
Keynote Address by
Dr. M.L. Jat, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) & Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Government of India (virtually)
Special Address by
Dr. A. Ganesh Kumar, Chairman, Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)
Special Address by
Dr. S.K. Chaudhari, Director General, Fertiliser Association of India (FAI)
Special Remarks by
Dr. Chhabilendra Roul, Former Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Fertilisers
Special Remarks by
Mr. Sailesh Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director, Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd
Remarks by
Mr. Hisham Mundol, Chief Advisor – India, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)

11:15 – 11:30 hrs : Release of the Policy Briefs : Presentation on “Recalibrating India’s Fertiliser Policy: Nutrient Optimisation and Targeted Support” by
Ms. Ritika Juneja, Senior Fellow, ICRIER

11:30 – 11:45 hrs : Tea/Coffee Break

11:45 – 12:45 hrs : Panel Discussion — Session I: “Repurposing India’s Fertiliser Policy Towards Nutrient Optimisation”
Chair and Moderator: Dr. Ramesh Chand, Distinguished Professor, ICRIER

Panellists:
● Dr. Yogesh Suri, Senior Advisor, NITI Aayog
● Dr. Monoranjan Mohanty, Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science (virtually)
● Dr. Ch. Srinivasa Rao, Director, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute
● Dr. Virender Kumar, Research Director, Sustainable Impact through Rice-based Systems, International Rice Research Institute (virtually)
● Dr. Avinash Kishore, Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute
● Dr. Leonardus Vergütz, Chief Scientific Officer, OCP Nutricrops (virtually)

12:45 – 13:45 hrs : Panel Discussion — Session II: “Digital Pathway to Targeted Fertiliser Support”
Chair and Moderator: Dr. Ashok Gulati, Distinguished Professor, ICRIER
Panellists:
● Mr. Nishant Warwade, Secretary, Department of Farmers Welfare & Agriculture Development, Government of Madhya Pradesh
● Mr. Rajeev Chawla, IAS (Retd.), Chief Knowledge Officer, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India
● Dr. Smita Sirohi, ICAR-National Professor, MS Swaminathan Chair
● Mr. Anil Ghanwat, President, Swatantra Bharat Paksha, Former President, Shetkari Sanghatana
● Mr. Sachin Sharma, Executive Vice President & Head, Agri, Dairy and ITCMAARS Operations, ITC Ltd
● Mr. Arvind Kulkarni, Executive Vice President, Crop Nutrition Business, Mahadhan AgriTech

13:45 – 14:00 hrs : Closing Remarks and Vote of Thanks by Dr. Ashok Gulati, Distinguished Professor, ICRIER

14:00 hrs onwards : Lunch and Media Briefing