UPL Corp | Agri Solutions

What UPL Corp | Agri Solutions does

UPL Corp is a publicly listed Indian multinational (NSE: UPL; BSE: 512070) founded in 1969 and headquartered with global operations across 138 countries in 6 regions (North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia). It is the 5th largest crop protection company globally, posting US$5.2B in trailing-twelve-months revenue with 10,000+ employees, 43 manufacturing facilities, 25 R&D centers, and a portfolio of 1,400 granted patents. The company also holds the #1 global position in biosolutions and is led by promoter/founder family executives (CMD Rajju Shroff, Global CEO Jaidev Shroff).

UPL's core products span five crop protection categories — herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, seed treatments, and the integrated ProNutiva program — alongside its NPP (Natural Plant Protection) biosolutions brand, Advanta seeds, Decco post-harvest solutions, and soil & water technologies. These are delivered through the OpenAg network, a six-pillar open-innovation platform (OpenInnovation, OpenCollaboration, OpenAccess, OpenMarkets, OpenHearts, OpenIntelligence) connecting farmers, distributors, and partners. Underlying technology centers on proprietary formulation chemistry, microbial/biosolutions development (notably through the Chr. Hansen collaboration), and 25 dedicated R&D facilities including the OpenAg Center.

The business model is product-sales driven (one-time purchase of agrochemical and biological inputs) with a dual go-to-market combining direct field sales in 138 countries and regional distributor/reseller networks. Primary customers are farmers (smallholder and commercial, representing a 500 million-farmer base), agricultural distributors, and professional applicators; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Growth has been driven by an aggressive two-decade M&A program (notably Arysta LifeScience in 2018, Decco in 2020, Optichos in 2022) and a strategic pivot toward biosolutions and sustainability-led offerings.

Name

UPL Corp | Agri Solutions

Legal name

UPL Corp

Website

https://uplcorp.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

UPL Corp is a publicly listed Indian multinational and the 5th largest global crop protection company, offering herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, biosolutions, seeds, and post-harvest solutions through its OpenAg network across 138+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crop Protection Chemicals

NAICS

Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (32532)

SIC

Agricultural Chemicals (2870)

akta.pro primary industry

Crop Protection Chemicals (Herbicides/Insecticides/Fungicides) (IMAEAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Seed Treatment Chemicals (IMAEAEAJ)

Keywords

• Crop protection products
• Agricultural biosolutions
• Herbicides and fungicides
• Seed treatment solutions
• Post-harvest protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Warrington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Crop Protection Products: Traditional agrochemical products including herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and seed treatments. These form the core revenue stream delivered through global distribution network.
2. Biosolutions (NPP): Biological solutions for crop stimulation, nutrition, and protection. When combined with conventional products, improves crop resilience to weather risks and biotic stress.
3. Seeds: Sophisticated, high quality seeds provided worldwide through innovation for local needs via the OpenAg network.
4. Post Harvest Solutions: Solutions addressing post-harvest losses to improve food security, recognized amongst the most effective globally.
5. Professional Solutions: Specialized crop protection products and services for professional applicators and agricultural professionals.
6. Soil & Water Technologies: Technologies for reducing soil degradation and water conservation supporting sustainable agricultural systems.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UPL Corp manufactures and distributes a comprehensive portfolio of crop protection chemicals (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, seed treatments) and biological solutions through its NPP and ProNutiva programs. The company also supplies seeds, post-harvest solutions, and soil and water technologies via the OpenAg network, serving farmers and agricultural distributors across 138 countries.

Product overview

UPL Corp is a leading global crop protection and biological solutions company offering a comprehensive portfolio of agricultural products and services. The core offerings include five main Crop Protection categories (Herbicides, Fungicides, Insecticides, Seed Treatments, and ProNutiva®), supplemented by the NPP Biosolutions brand for natural plant protection. Agricultural Solutions span Seeds, Biosolutions, Post Harvest, and Soil & Water Technologies, all delivered through the OpenAg® network platform. The OpenAg network connects farmers across 138+ countries through six pillars (OpenInnovation, OpenCollaboration, OpenAccess, OpenMarkets, OpenHearts, OpenIntelligence), enabling collaboration and sustainable agricultural growth. ProNutiva® serves as an integrated program combining conventional crop protection with biosolutions for enhanced crop resilience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OpenAg: Open access to agriculture network around the globe - an agriculture network that feeds sustainable growth for all
• Natural Plant Protection (NPP)
• ProNutiva
• Advanta Seeds
• Decco
• nurture.farm

Products and services

• Herbicides
• Fungicides
• Insecticides
• Seed Treatments
• ProNutiva®
• NPP Biosolutions (Natural Plant Protection)
• Seeds (Advanta Seeds)
• Post Harvest Solutions (Decco)
• Soil & Water Technologies

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Radicle Carbon and Soil ChallengeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022UPL-sponsored challenge seeking agriculture and technology startups developing game-changing solutions for carbon reduction and soil health.
• Chr. HansencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Long-term collaboration to develop and commercialize microbial solutions for sustainable agriculture. Combines UPL's crop protection expertise with Chr. Hansen's microbiome technology capabilities.
• The Heart FundminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership for mobile cardiac clinic implementation in Côte d'Ivoire, showcasing community development commitment.
• FIFA FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020MoU signed to promote sustainable development and education through agricultural initiatives.
• OpenAg Network PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of partners including Advanta Seeds, Nurture Farm, NPP, and Decco post-harvest solutions operating under the OpenAg umbrella for sustainable agriculture collaboration.
• CrodaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project with Croda to improve cocoa cultivation through the OpenCollaboration initiative, demonstrating collaborative approach to crop improvement.
• Global Supplier NetworkminorOthersSupplier portal connecting supply partners globally. Long-term relationships with suppliers including Plastene India Limited (FIBC bags), Acadia Industries Inc. (packaging), Harcros Chemicals Inc. (emulsifiers/surfactants), and Unick Fix-a-form (labels).

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BASF Agricultural Solutions: BASF's agriculture division offering crop protection, seeds, and digital farming; a top-tier incumbent that overlaps with UPL across fungicides, herbicides, and increasingly biologicals.
• Syngenta Group: Global crop protection, seed, and digital agriculture leader (now part of Sinochem/ChemChina); much larger and broader than UPL but directly overlaps in crop protection chemicals, seeds, and biosolutions.
• Bayer Crop Science: Division of Bayer AG spanning crop protection, seeds, traits, and digital farming; a primary large-cap incumbent competing with UPL globally, with significantly larger R&D budget and seed/traits portfolio.
• Corteva Agriscience: US-listed agriculture major spanning seeds, crop protection, and digital tools; a key incumbent competitor with strong North American franchise and integrated seed-traits-crop-protection platform.

Direct peers

• Nufarm Limited: Australian-listed crop protection and seed company with similar global footprint and product breadth; directly comparable in scale, post-patent orientation, and emerging-market exposure.
• Sumitomo Chemical: Japanese diversified chemical and crop protection major; comparable across crop protection chemistry and global distribution, especially across Asia, though broader in non-agro chemical businesses.
• FMC Corporation: US-listed crop protection specialist with comparable product portfolio spanning herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides; competes head-to-head with UPL across Latin America and emerging markets, and is broadly similar in revenue scale and emerging-market focus.
• ADAMA Ltd: Israel/China-based post-patent crop protection company within the Syngenta Group; closely comparable to UPL's post-patent formulation-heavy business model and global emerging-market distribution strategy.

Emerging players

• AMVAC Chemical Corporation: US-based specialty crop protection company; smaller and narrower portfolio than UPL but directly comparable in crop protection chemistry and North American farmer distribution.
• Novonesis (Novozymes / Chr. Hansen): Global leader in biological and microbial solutions for agriculture; directly relevant to UPL's biosolutions business (NPP, ProNutiva) and a strategic partner to UPL via the Chr. Hansen collaboration, making it a comparable emerging player in agricultural biologicals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UPLCorp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQwGp1x6fbIwNd06LrlI61g
• Facebookfacebook.com/UPLCorp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upl-corp
• Instagraminstagram.com/uplcorp

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UPL Corp | Agri Solutions