A UN-backed regime of 173 countries on Friday agreed to globally “phase out” the farm insecticide endosulfan —  a decision with significant implications for India, the world’s largest manufacturer and user of the chemical. The phase-out commitment, often loosely referred to as a “ban”, will put endosulfan in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, thereby clearing it for elimination. The country’s pesticide industry deplored the move, saying it would benefit European manufacturers of costlier alternatives.