New Delhi, April 27 -- India's fertilizer subsidy bill is likely to increase 20% in the current financial year as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz chokes West Asian supplies and drives up global nutrient prices, a senior government official said on Monday.

India's fertilizer subsidy stood at an upwardly revised Rs.1.86 trillion in the 2025-26 fiscal year (FY26), and was estimated at Rs.1.71 trillion in the budget for the ongoing financial year. Mint reported on 2 March that India's fertilizer subsidy will go up amid the West Asian conflict.

Aparna Sharma, joint secretary in the department of fertilizers, said the department is in constant touch with the department of expenditure amid elevated global fertilizer prices, and will appri...