United Phosphorus Limited

Background United Phosphorus Ltd (UPL) was incorporated in 1969. In 2004, it acquired a crop protection products company in US and in 2005, acquired a company engaged in the manufacturing of agrochemicals and fertilisers. In Nov 2006, UPL acquired the propanol herbicide business of Dow AgroSciences LLC; and the seeds business of Advanta. UPL is primarily engaged in the production of crop protection products, intermediates, specialty chemicals and other industrial chemicals. Business Profile

UPL operates through two main segments; agro chemicals and industrial chemicals. The agro chemicals segment produces generic agrochemical and other chemical intermediates including fumigants, fungicides, insecticides, herbicides etc. The industrial chemicals segment offers phosphorus pentachloride, phosphorus oxychloride, to name a few. The company also produces speciality chemicals including phenyl isocyanate, thio diphenol, among others. The company has four manufacturing plants located in Gujarat. The company has 9 manufacturing units in India.

For FY09, the company's annual installed capacity stood at 5,318 MT of speciality chemicals; 112,500 MT of chloroalkaline products; 39,600 MT of industrial chemicals; and 110,608 MT of pesticides. For FY09, exports constituted around 60% of the revenue of the company. During FY08, UPL made various acquisitions through its subsidiaries viz, a manufacturer and distributor of crop protection products in Argentina; global triphenyltin hydroxide, contact fungicide and miticide businesses of DuPont; and Evofarms group of companies - a marketing company of generic products in the crop protection industry in Colombia.