Early Life
Rajju Shroff, born Rajnikant Devidas Shroff, was born in 1933 in Kutch, Gujarat, India, into a family of entrepreneurs in the textile business. His passion for chemistry began early, leading him to study at Khalsa College, Bombay University, where he earned a degree in Chemistry.
Rise to Success
Shroff's journey in the chemical industry commenced with his family's factory. In 1969, he founded UPL Limited in Mumbai, and pioneered the manufacturing of Red phosphorus in India. Shroff's vision transformed UPL into a global leader in crop protection solutions, with operations in over 130 countries and a diverse workforce. Shroff's leadership has been key to UPL's growth, including the $4.2 billion acquisition of Arysta LifeSciences in 2018, making UPL one of the top agrochemical companies in the world.
Key Business Strategies
The key to Shroff's success was innovation. He established a novel process for mercury salt production in the UK and, later, focused on red phosphorus and other chemicals, like Aluminium Phosphide and Zinc Phosphide for agriculture. He also focused on manufacturing generic products, and selling through a distribution network to compete on price in the global market.
Philanthropy
Mr. Shroff believes in sharing prosperity with the society at large, supporting various social activities and working towards the betterment of the people.
