For decades, the Indian agricultural market has boomed, with biostimulants emerging as a popular agricultural input due to their excellent performance in increasing crop yields, improving quality, and enhancing stress resistance. There was a time when this vast market resembled an untamed wilderness, with an estimated 30,000 types of biostimulant products circulating freely without unified standards or regulation, leading to inconsistent quality and variable efficacy. This chaotic situation not only caused farmers difficulties in selection and potential risks but also hindered the long-term healthy development of the industry.

To end this chaotic situation and guide the biostimulant industry onto the right track, the Indian government took a crucial step. On February 23, 2021, the Indian government issued the landmark Notification No. S.O. 882 (E), officially bringing biostimulant products under the regulatory framework of the 1985 Fertilizer Control Order (FCO). This move marked the end of the "wild growth" era for the Indian biostimulant market and its transition towards standardization and regulation. According to Clause 20C of the FCO, the quality of all biostimulant products will be subject to strict supervision and management.

The Fertilizer Control Order (FCO) provides a detailed definition of biostimulants: they are defined as substances, microorganisms, or complexes of both, whose core function is to be applied to plants, seeds, or the rhizosphere, aiming to stimulate the plant's own physiological metabolic processes, thereby effectively enhancing nutrient absorption efficiency, stimulating healthy growth, significantly increasing crop yields, optimizing nutrient utilization, improving the quality of the final product, and significantly boosting the plant's resistance to various environmental stresses. It is important to emphasize that these effects are achieved irrespective of their inherent nutrient content, and such products are explicitly excluded from the scope of pesticides or plant growth regulators governed by the 1968 Insecticides Act, clearly defining their unique functional positioning.

More specifically, Schedule VI of the FCO clearly categorizes biostimulants, covering the main types currently on the market, to ensure that products with different characteristics can be effectively identified and regulated:

(a) Plant extracts, including popular seaweed extracts, which are rich in natural plant hormones, polysaccharides, and trace elements, promoting comprehensive crop growth.

(b) Biochemicals, these products are usually specific organic molecules synthesized or extracted biologically, capable of regulating plant physiological activities.

(c) Protein hydrolysates and amino acids, as basic units for plant growth and metabolism, they can be directly absorbed and utilized by plants, improving nitrogen utilization and enhancing stress resistance.

(d) Vitamins, although plants can synthesize most of the required vitamins themselves, exogenous supplementation of specific vitamins can also promote their physiological functions under certain conditions.

(e) Cell-free microbial products, referring to active ingredients produced by microbial metabolism, rather than living microorganisms themselves, avoiding the challenges of preservation and application of live microbial products.

(f) Antioxidants, helping plants resist oxidative stress and improve their survival rate and productivity in unfavorable environments.

(g) Antitranspirants, by reducing plant water evaporation, helping crops conserve water and maintain photosynthesis under drought conditions.

(h) Humic and fulvic acids and their derivatives, these natural organic macromolecules can improve soil structure, chelate nutrients, and directly promote plant growth.

(i) Live microorganisms (but excluding biofertilizers and biopesticides), these products exert biostimulant effects through interaction with plants or the soil environment, such as certain microorganisms that promote nutrient cycling or enhance root health.

To ensure a smooth transition for the industry, the Indian government implemented a temporary registration system for biostimulants. This was a strategic interim measure designed to provide a buffer period for manufacturers and importers. During this period, they could continue to produce and sell products while having ample time to collect all necessary scientific data, including biological efficacy reports, toxicological assessments, and detailed chemical composition analyses, to comply with the new FCO regulatory requirements. By issuing G3 certificates (temporary certificates), the Indian government granted legal status to over 8,000 biostimulant products.

This temporary registration system was initially valid for two years, originally scheduled to expire on February 23, 2023. However, considering the practical difficulties and transition needs of the industry, the Indian government showed its flexibility and pragmatism, and in response to industry calls, continuously extended the validity period. First, it was extended to February 22, 2024, then again to February 22, 2025, and finally set as June 16, 2025. This series of extensions fully reflects the government's balanced consideration of corporate interests and market stability while promoting the standardization of the industry.

By granting these extensions, the government effectively provided a valuable "window period" for existing market participants, allowing them to continue legally producing, importing, selling, or storing biostimulants within a specific timeframe. The core objective of this move was to facilitate a smooth transition of the industry to the new regulatory framework, ensuring that all stakeholders – from producers and importers to distributors and ultimately farmers – could continue to operate orderly during this period of change, avoiding market vacuums or supply chain disruptions caused by sudden regulatory shifts.

However, all transitional periods have their end. After fully considering the fundamental interests of farmers and the long-term development needs of the industry, the Indian government finally made a clear and irreversible decision: after June 16, 2025, no further extensions for temporary registration of any biostimulant products will be granted. This means that all previously issued temporary registration certificates for biostimulant products will automatically expire from June 17, 2025. This decision will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the Indian biostimulant market, and an industry reshuffle is inevitable. Those products that fail to complete formal registration or comply with new regulations within this period will face market exit. For transparent management, a list of all expired biostimulant temporary registration products has been promptly uploaded to the official website of the Indian Ministry of Agriculture for public and industry reference.

Meanwhile, while actively promoting the temporary registration system, the Indian government has also been systematically establishing and improving a formal list of biostimulant products. To date, in accordance with Schedule VI of the 1985 Fertilizer Control Order (FCO), the Indian government has successfully brought 146 biostimulant products under its official regulatory scope. Relevant announcements for these products have been formally published in the Gazette of India and made public through the Ministry of Agriculture website, signaling that the Indian biostimulant market is moving towards a more standardized, transparent, and efficient direction.