The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has asked petrochemical firms to assess local production of more than 200 import-dependent items. The request follows supply and price pressures linked to the West Asia crisis.
The DPIIT issued its request on Wednesday in a meeting with industry representatives. The listed items represent over $50 billion in yearly imports and serve as key inputs for packaging, construction, automotive, agriculture and textiles.
Experts note that many of these products, including PVC, polypropylene and phosphoric acid, currently lack strong domestic capacity. Ajay Srivastava of GTRI said only a limited number of sectors show meaningful local capability, while most lines remain heavily import-dependent.
Ajay Joshi, a chemical sector specialist, pointed out that over 85 percent of crude oil feedstock is imported, limiting quick localisation. He suggested connecting coal gasification projects to the chemical value chain to use India's coal reserves more effectively.