India is set to import a record 1.35 million metric tonnes of diammonium phosphate (DAP) in a single tender, government sources said, as the disruption in fertiliser supplies due to the Iran conflict prompts New Delhi to secure larger supplies.
The purchases, equivalent to about a quarter of India's annual DAP imports, are likely to tighten global supplies and support prices, which have already risen on higher energy and freight costs.
Indian Potash Ltd (IPL) agreed to buy 7,65,000 tonnes of DAP at $930 per ton on a cost-and-freight (CFR) basis for delivery to the west coast, and another 581,500 tonnes at $935 per ton CFR for delivery to the east coast, the sources said, declining to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
IPL floated the tender in April seeking 1.2 million tonnes of DAP and received offers totalling about 2.3 million tonnes, with prices ranging from $930 per ton to $1,100 per ton.
The company eventually agreed to purchase 1.35 million tonnes after several suppliers matched the lowest offer, the sources said.
According to the tender document, shipments must leave loading ports by August 15.
Suppliers are expected to source DAP mainly from Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt and Morocco, the sources added. India, one of the world's biggest fertiliser importers, last month agreed to buy a record 2.5 million tonnes of urea in a single tender at prices nearly double those paid two months earlier.
Published on May 12, 2026