<p>Lentil (<i>Lens culinaris Medik</i>) can be biofortified with zinc to circumvent the Zn deficiency. This study assesses the impact of the foliar application of nano-Zn and ZnSO₄ on lentil growth compared to their soil application. Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-VIS) and Fourier transforms infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques were used for molecular characterization, while particle size (nano-Zn) was estimated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). T₁ - T₇ field treatments of ZnSO₄ and nano-Zn were applied in lentils to enhance grain Zn nutrition uptake. The Zn concentration in grain and straw was estimated to calculate total Zn uptake using grain and straw yield. The benefit-cost (BC) ratio and agronomic efficiency (AE) studies facilitate the estimation of the lentil’s economics and productivity. Spectroscopic studies determined that the nano-Zn was in ZnS form without encapsulant while ZnSO₄ was in hydrated form. The nano-Zn particle size was ranging from 60 to 130&#xa0;nm. Grain yield with foliar application of ZnSO₄ at the pre-flowering and post-flowering stage (T₄) was 12.4% and 9.1% higher than soil application (T₁) and foliar spray at the pre-flowering stage (T₂), respectively. In treatment T₄, grain Zn uptake was increased by 15.2% over control. The agronomic efficiency also showed better utilization of Zn fertilizer with treatment T₄ and T₅. The benefit-cost ratio was highest for T₄(1.66), followed by T₅(1.57). The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) illustrated that the lentils’ over-vegetative growth affects their physical parameters and, subsequently, the biological and grain yield. The treatments T₄ and T₅ demonstrate significantly enhanced yield, Zn uptake, and economic returns in lentil cultivation, effectively addressing the Zn deficiency.</p>