GAIL, RCF Sign MoU to Set Up 1.27 MMTPA Gas-Based Urea Plant in Vidarbha, Maharashtra
GAIL (India) Limited and Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited (RCF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly establish a gas-based fertilizer project in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region. The proposed plant will have a urea production capacity of 1.27 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA).
The project will be developed through a Special Purpose Vehicle and is planned to be located along GAIL's Mumbai-Nagpur-Jharsuguda Natural Gas Pipeline (MNJPL). Under the agreement, the two companies will jointly take the project from the conceptual stage through implementation, combining GAIL's natural gas value chain infrastructure with RCF's experience in fertilizer plant operations, project execution and marketing.
GAIL Chairman and Managing Director Deepak Gupta said the project aligns with the company's strategy of creating long-term value through natural gas utilisation and supports India's energy security objectives. RCF Chairman and Managing Director S. Shivakumar said the plant is expected to contribute to meeting the country's growing fertilizer demand while reducing import dependence and promoting industrial development in Vidarbha.
The partnership is aligned with the central government's recently approved National Investment Policy for Urea-2026 (NIPU-2026), aimed at boosting domestic urea manufacturing capacity under the broader Atmanirbhar Bharat objective. GAIL operates across the natural gas value chain including transmission, marketing, LNG regasification, LPG transmission and petrochemicals, while RCF is a public sector undertaking engaged in fertilizer and industrial chemical production.