Rajnikant Devidasbhai Shroff, the founder of UPL Ltd. a global provider of sustainable agriculture products & solutions, was conferred one of India's highest civilian awards, the Padma Bhushan, for his contribution to the field of trade and industry.

The scientist turned entrepreneur and equal opportunity crusader, Rajnikant Shroff, CMD, UPL said, “I have always been a strong nationalist at heart and I am eternally grateful for all the opportunities I had to be a part of the growth of this great nation, and its backbone, which is the agricultural sector. It is truly a humbling experience to be bestowed with such a prestigious award, and it brings immense joy and pride to the UPL Group.”

“I began working in this industry over 50 years ago, and it has truly been a remarkable experience for me. I am extremely proud to see what the company has achieved over these years, each milestone a feather in the cap of every one of the 14,000 employees of UPL. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government of India for bestowing upon me this great honor, and I would also like to congratulate my fellow awardees and thank them for their respective contributions to our country,” added Shroff.

Under his watchful eye, UPL which began as a small-scale chemical unit in 1969 at Vapi (Gujarat) involving complex chemical processes to manufacture Red Phosphorus, with a seed capital of just Rs. 4 Lakhs, has grown into India’s only multinational and multicultural agrochemical company, employing over 14,000 people, worldwide, with a turnover of US $5 billion.

Shroff has been spearheading a larger purpose, that is to expand industrialization of the agrochemical sector in India, saving foreign exchange for the country by manufacturing standard quality products at affordable prices for the Indian farmer. He believes that the purpose of science and technology is only achieved if the products are affordable to be adopted by smallholding farmers.

Shroff has always been an ardent believer in giving back to society and helms various Human Welfare Trusts and Organizations. Under Shroff’s leadership, UPL has worked towards taking several socially beneficial steps including creating Institutions of Excellence, organizing Sustainable Livelihood Programmes for neighboring farmers, as well as instilling nature conservation practices in their processes.