Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone for a Rs 10,601-crore brownfield ammonia-urea fertiliser plant at Namrup in Assam’s Dibrugarh district, a project aimed at boosting fertiliser production and strengthening agricultural support in eastern and northeastern India. The facility is expected to be commissioned by 2030.

The plant will be developed by Assam Valley Fertiliser and Chemical Company Ltd (AVFCCL) within the existing premises of the Brahmaputra Valley Fertiliser Corporation Ltd (BVFCL). Once operational, it will have an annual urea production capacity of 12.7 lakh metric tonnes, significantly enhancing domestic fertiliser availability.

AVFCCL was incorporated in July this year after the Union Cabinet approved the project in March. It is a joint venture involving the Assam government, Oil India, National Fertilisers Ltd (NFL), Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd (HURL) and BVFCL. The company said the project will be established as a modern, energy-efficient and world-class fertiliser complex.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone on the final day of his two-day visit to Assam, during which he unveiled multiple development projects worth around Rs 15,600 crore. The visit comes months ahead of the state assembly elections scheduled for next year.

According to AVFCCL, the Namrup fertiliser project will play a vital role in meeting the fertiliser requirements of Assam, the northeastern region, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Beyond fertiliser security, the project is expected to act as a major driver of industrial growth, employment generation and overall regional economic development, creating hundreds of direct jobs and thousands of indirect employment opportunities.

The foundation stone-laying ceremony, including the traditional ‘Bhoomi Poojan’, was attended by Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, ministers, MPs, MLAs and senior officials.

BVFCL, the only urea manufacturing facility in eastern India, began operations in 1969 and currently produces neem-coated urea and organic fertilisers under the ‘Mukta’ brand. The new project is expected to revive Namrup’s legacy as a key hub of India’s gas-based fertiliser industry and usher in a new phase of growth and agricultural prosperity for the region.