UPL
UPL is an Indian multinational agrochemical company that manufactures and sells crop protection chemicals, biosolutions, hybrid seeds, and post-harvest solutions to farmers in more than 100 countries, generating over $5 billion in annual revenue.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersMumbai, India
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What UPL does
UPL Ltd. (formerly United Phosphorus Limited) is an Indian multinational agrochemical company founded in 1969 and headquartered in Mumbai. The company is structured around five revenue streams: conventional crop protection products (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, seed treatments, and adjuvants), biological solutions under the Natural Plant Protection (NPP) brand, seeds via the Advanta Seeds subsidiary, post-harvest solutions through the DECCO subsidiary, and specialty chemicals. UPL's proprietary portfolio includes the Zeba superabsorbent biosolution (corn-starch-based, absorbing up to 500 times its weight in water), the ProNutiva integrated crop health program combining conventional and biological inputs, OptiCHOS (a naturally derived fungicide from shellfish by-products), and post-acquisition assets including the Dithane fungicide brand from Corteva.
UPL makes money by selling agricultural inputs (predominantly one-time purchase models through distributors and channel partners) directly and indirectly to farmers in 100+ countries. Revenue is generated through country-level direct sales forces, regional distributors, and specialty channels for products like post-harvest (DECCO) and seeds (Advanta). The company serves a hybrid mix of smallholder farmers (e.g., a chili farmer in India using ProNutiva), mid-sized operations, and large-scale agribusinesses (e.g., a 583,000-hectare soybean producer in Brazil, cattle operations of 70,000 animals, and enterprises cultivating over 115,000 hectares). Pricing varies by formulation, volume, crop, and geography and is quote-based rather than publicly disclosed.
UPL operates from a global headquarters in Mumbai and regional headquarters including UPL Europe in Warrington (UK), maintains wholly-owned operating subsidiaries for crop protection, seeds, biosolutions, and post-harvest, and runs a startup-engagement program (OpenAg Ventures / Radicle Challenge) and digital ag-tech platform (nurture.farm). FY26 total income was Rs 51,839 crore (~$6.1B), with net profit of Rs 2,220 crore representing a 171% year-over-year increase. UPL is India's largest agrochemical company and ranks among the top five global crop protection companies; management announced a 2026 restructuring to create UPL Global Sustainable Agri Solutions Ltd as a separately listed pure-play crop protection entity and is preparing an IPO for Advanta Seeds to accelerate de-leveraging.
UPL firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- UPL
- Legal name
- UPL Ltd.
- Website
- https://upl-ltd.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- UPL is an Indian multinational agrochemical company that manufactures and sells crop protection chemicals, biosolutions, hybrid seeds, and post-harvest solutions to farmers in more than 100 countries, generating over $5 billion in annual revenue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
UPL industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Crop Protection Chemicals
- NAICS
- Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (3253), Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (32532)
- SIC
- Agricultural Chemicals (2870)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Seed-Applied Crop Protection (Seed Treatment Pesticides) (AFABAAAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Biologicals Regulatory, Testing & Quality Assurance Services (AFABAEAO), Pest Control Product Supply (Fumigants, Traps, Lures, Applicator Equipment) (AFAOAIAN)
Keywords
Where UPL is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mumbai
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
UPL business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Crop Protection Products: Revenue from herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and other crop protection chemicals sold to farmers globally through direct sales and channel partners
- Seeds: Revenue from hybrid seeds through Advanta Seeds subsidiary, serving farmers with climate-resilient and high-yielding seed varieties
- Biosolutions and Biologicals: Revenue from biological products including biostimulants, biofertilizers, and bioinsecticides under the Natural Plant Protection (NPP) portfolio
- Post-Harvest Solutions: Revenue from DECCO subsidiary providing post-harvest protection solutions, fumigants, and storage products
- Specialty Chemicals: Revenue from specialty chemicals business growing at 20% CAGR, constituting approximately 20% of total revenue with plans to reach 45% within three years
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Agricultural input products sold at varying price points based on product type, crop, and volume |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
UPL product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UPL manufactures and sells agricultural crop protection chemicals (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, seed treatments, and adjuvants), biological solutions under its Natural Plant Protection (NPP) banner (biostimulants, biofertilizers, bioinsecticides including Zeba and Bioclassic), hybrid seeds through the Advanta Seeds subsidiary, and post-harvest solutions through the DECCO subsidiary. The company serves farmers ranging from smallholders to large commercial operations across more than 130 countries via direct sales, distributors, and channel partners, supported by integrated programs such as ProNutiva that combine conventional and biological inputs.
Product overview
UPL is a global sustainable agriculture company offering a broad integrated portfolio of agricultural solutions. Its core offerings include conventional Crop Protection chemicals (Herbicides, Fungicides, Insecticides, Seed Treatments, Adjuvants) alongside a growing Biosolutions portfolio under the Natural Plant Protection (NPP) brand. The company also provides Post Harvest solutions through DECCO, Soil & Water Technologies including the Zeba biosolution, hybrid Seeds through its Advanta Seeds subsidiary, and farmer-focused Services including the ProNutiva integrated input program, Farmer Engagement training, and the nurture.farm digital platform. Products are distributed across more than 130 countries through a network of regional websites and operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- OpenAg: UPL's sustainability purpose platform focused on reimagining sustainability for agriculture
- Advanta Seeds
- Natural Plant Protection (NPP)
- DECCO
- nurture.farm
- ProNutiva
- UPL Global Sustainable Agri Solutions
- OpenAg Ventures
Products and services
- Crop Protection UPL's core crop protection portfolio encompassing herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, seed treatments, and adjuvants, providing integrated chemical crop health solutions for growers worldwide.
- Biosolutions (Natural Plant Protection / NPP) UPL's biological solutions portfolio under the Natural Plant Protection (NPP) brand, encompassing biostimulants, bioinsecticides, biofungicides, and other naturally-derived crop inputs including Zeba, OptiCHOS, and ProNutiva packages.
- Post-Harvest Solutions (DECCO) DECCO provides global post-harvest technologies to reduce food waste and enhance freshness of fruits and vegetables across the food supply chain, including Argos organic-certified fumigation technology.
- Seeds (Advanta Seeds) Hybrid seed varieties developed by Advanta Seeds, a UPL subsidiary, including climate-resilient and high-yielding grain sorghum, sunflower, and vegetable seeds for farmers globally.
- ProNutiva An integrated crop health program combining conventional and biological inputs from UPL and NPP portfolios, customized for individual farm needs with integrated pest management support; documented to deliver 10–33% yield improvements.
- Axios 20 SC Fungicide Single-active-ingredient fungicide containing Kinoprol for disease management in almonds, classified as EPA reduced-risk with a 24-hour re-entry interval and 14-day pre-harvest interval; introduces FRAC Group 52 mode of action for rotation programs.
- Zeba Biosolution Corn starch-based superabsorbent biosolution under the NPP portfolio that absorbs up to 500 times its weight in water and slowly releases it along with nutrients to plant roots, improving water-use efficiency and soil health.
- OptiCHOS Naturally Derived Fungicide Naturally derived fungicide developed from shellfish industry by-products and added to the Natural Plant Protection portfolio to provide low-risk, residue-free disease control for European and other markets.
Quantifiable outcome
- Zeba biosolution can save 5.5 trillion liters of water annually if applied to global sugarcane cultivation
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use UPL
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
UPL technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
UPL partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- Radicle GrowthcoreMulti-year partnership to identify and support startups driving innovative solutions in sustainable agriculture. Through the NPP Radicle Challenge, up to $1.75 million in investments were deployed to winners developing biological solutions for crop protection. The partnership leverages UPL's agricultural expertise and global networks to scale innovative technologies.
- RIKOLTOminorPartnership to supply over 30,000 smallholder farmers in Tanzania with access to climate-resilient, high-yield seeds through Advanta Seeds subsidiary, improving yields across sunflowers, tomatoes, okra, and onions.
- Shreenath Mhaskoba Sugar MillminorShashwat Mithas project partnership combining sustainable UPL inputs with good agricultural practice training, helping increase farmers' yields by 15% while reducing water usage by 30%, fertilizer by 25%, and electricity by 30%.
- PepsiComajorBio-Alliance agreement between UPL's Arysta subsidiary and PepsiCo to produce healthier potatoes with less environmental impacts and greater efficiency. UPL provides tailored ProNutiva packages while PepsiCo sources potatoes meeting strict quality and sustainability standards.
- Global GAPminorPartnership supporting farmers in obtaining Global Good Agricultural Practices certification, helping them meet international standards for safe and sustainable food production.
- Various Academic InstitutionsminorPartnerships with research institutions for carbon sequestration initiatives and sustainable agriculture research supporting the Gigaton Carbon Goal.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
UPL competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Corteva Agriscience: Major crop protection and seeds competitor and UPL's direct counterparty in the 2024 mancozeb divestiture (Dithane brand sold to UPL); overlapping portfolios in fungicides, herbicides, and seed-applied chemistry.
- Syngenta Group: Global crop protection chemicals and seeds major (now owned by ChemChina/Sinochem) and the closest direct competitor to UPL across herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and increasingly biologicals — competing head-to-head in 100+ countries.
- FMC Corporation: Pure-play crop protection peer with overlapping portfolios in insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides plus a growing biologicals pipeline (Biologicals by FMC); competes directly with UPL in Latin America and Asia.
- ADAMA: Israel-headquartered, China-controlled crop protection major specializing in off-patent active ingredients — directly competitive with UPL in commoditized chemistries and increasingly in differentiated formulations across global markets.
- Nufarm: Australian crop protection specialist with strong presence in Asia-Pacific and Latin America — directly comparable mid-tier crop protection peer overlapping with UPL on herbicides, fungicides, and channel strategy.
Broad incumbents
- BASF Agricultural Solutions: Broad incumbent offering fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and biological solutions (e.g., Serifel, Velondis) directly competing with UPL's crop protection and NPP biosolutions portfolios worldwide.
- Bayer Crop Science: Largest agricultural inputs player combining crop protection chemicals, seeds, and digital tools post-Monsanto integration; competes with UPL globally in herbicides, fungicides, and increasingly in biologicals through its Biologics group.
- Sumitomo Chemical: Japanese chemical conglomerate with a global crop protection, seeds, and biorational business (Valent BioSciences); competes with UPL in insecticides, fungicides, and the biologicals space.
Regional players
- PI Industries: Leading Indian agrochemical and CSM (custom synthesis) company with a growing biologicals portfolio; the most direct domestic peer to UPL's India crop protection business, particularly relevant given the UPL SAS to UPL Global reorganization.
Emerging players
- Bioceres Crop Solutions: Latin American biologicals and seed-treatment innovator with global ambitions (HB4 drought-tolerance, biologicals); comparable to UPL's NPP/biosolutions strategy and a potential competitor in South American ag-biological markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
UPL social profiles
Digital presenceUPL compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
UPL financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
UPL leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
UPL subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries8 records
UPL funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
UPL M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments4 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about UPL
What does UPL do?
UPL manufactures and sells agricultural crop protection chemicals (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, seed treatments, and adjuvants), biological solutions under its Natural Plant Protection (NPP) banner (biostimulants, biofertilizers, bioinsecticides including Zeba and Bioclassic), hybrid seeds through the Advanta Seeds subsidiary, and post-harvest solutions through the DECCO subsidiary. The company serves farmers ranging from smallholders to large commercial operations across more than 130 countries via direct sales, distributors, and channel partners, supported by integrated programs such as ProNutiva that combine conventional and biological inputs.
Is UPL a public or private company?
UPL is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was UPL founded?
UPL was founded in 1969. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is UPL based?
UPL is headquartered in Mumbai, India, in the Asia region.
How does UPL make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Crop Protection Products are the primary driver. The others are seeds, biosolutions and Biologicals, post-Harvest Solutions and specialty Chemicals.
Who are UPL's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Corteva Agriscience, Syngenta Group, FMC Corporation, ADAMA and Nufarm. Broad incumbents are BASF Agricultural Solutions, Bayer Crop Science and Sumitomo Chemical. PI Industries is listed as a regional player. Bioceres Crop Solutions is listed as an emerging player.
Does UPL have an API?
No public API is recorded for UPL.
What industry is UPL in?
UPL's product category is Crop Protection Chemicals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFABAAAK, Seed-Applied Crop Protection (Seed Treatment Pesticides), with a secondary code of AFABAEAO, Biologicals Regulatory, Testing & Quality Assurance Services. Its NAICS code is 3253 and its SIC code is 2870.