At the time of Independence, there were about 5,000 tractors in farms across India. Domestic consumption of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (P) through chemical fertilisers totalled 69,800 tonnes in 1950-51, with only one large factory of the Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore near Kochi (Kerala) that produced ammonium sulphate. Cut to the present, where tractor sales hit a whopping 1.16 million units during 2025-26 (April-March) alone. Consumption of fertiliser products in terms of N, P and K was over 32.9 million tonnes (mt) in 2024-25, the last full fiscal year for which data is available. The contrast captures the extent of “fossilisation” that has changed the face of farming in India, especially post the Green Revolution from the late-1960s. It is also relevant in the context of the United States-Israel versus Iran conflict, which has exposed the vulnerability of Indian agriculture to supply disruptions in fossil fuel-based inputs.…