Top Agriculture Companies in India: Growth and Overall Function

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and about 70% of the population depends on agriculture directly or indirectly for their livelihood. Agriculture not only provides the necessities for mankind but also contributes to the development of a nation. The agricultural sector contributes almost 20% to India’s GDP ranging from small farmers to giant organizations engaged in the activity of agriculture. 

Did you know? India is the 2nd largest agricultural producer and 7th largest exporter of agricultural goods.

Agriculture in India

The agricultural share in India’s economy has progressively declined to less than 15% due to the high growth rates of the industrial and services sectors. The sector’s importance in India’s economic and social fabric goes well beyond this indicator. 

Top 10 listed Agriculture Companies in India:

Following are the top 10 agriculture companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange based on their Market Capitalisation:

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1. Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Ltd.

Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Limited (BBTCL) is a leading concern of the Wadia Group, a reputed Indian conglomerate. It is a 150-year-old company formed in 1863 and entered into Agriculture in 1913. It is the second oldest publicly quoted company. It has its largest tea plantation area in the Anamalai district in South India. 

The company’s tea plantations cover around 2822 hectares and produce 8 million kgs annually. The company's trade interests lie in products like tea plantations, coffee plantations, rubber & pepper plantation, decoratives & Industrial laminates, etc. The BBTCL group generates a consolidated turnover of ₹14,544 crores annually. 

2. Kaveri Seeds Company Ltd.

Kaveri Seeds was set up in 1976 by Mr G.V. Bhaskar Rao to promote Green Revolution. It started as a small seed production unit in Telangana called G.V.B.Rao & Co. and, over the years, has turned into one of India’s premier agriculture companies. It got listed as a public company in the year 2007. It specializes in hybrid seeds of various Indian crops such as maize, cotton, rice, mustard, wheat and other vegetable crops.

It operates on 65000 acres of land for its seed production across various locations in India. The company has more than 15 main and satellite research farms in India. In 2015, it won the “Bio Excellence Asia Award” from the government of Karnataka. 

3. Goodricke Group Ltd.

In 1977, the UK-based Duncan Lawrie Group established the Goodricke Group Ltd. (GGL) to acquire the Indian operations and assets of eight Sterling Tea firms, which included seventeen tea estates. These are located in Darjeeling, Assam and Dooars. In 2015, Goodricke Group Ltd received the "Top 50 Most Promising CIO Awards" in Bangalore. It sells instant tea and also produces packet tea. Bulk tea is sold domestically and internationally.

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4. Nath Bio-Genes Ltd.

The Nath group is a multifaceted company interested in chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, paper, agro-research, and other industries. Established in 1979, Nath Bio-Genes (India) Ltd. is a pioneer in terms of seed technology. As one of the top seed firms in India, the company has been in the seed business for 30 years.

It is the first seed company in Asia to receive an ISO 9001 certification. The company offers a variety of top-notch goods, including those for field crops, vegetable crops, and bio-stimulants. It is engaged in producing and marketing various seeds to Indian farmers. It is headquartered in Aurangabad, India. With a network of over 15000 farmers, it plays a significant role in agricultural development and promotion, including farmers' welfare.

5. Harrisons Malayalam Ltd.

Harrisons Malayalam Ltd. is one of the oldest companies engaged in agricultural operations in South India. One of the most senior corporate farms, with a history dating back more than 150 years, it has built and managed plantations for tea, rubber, cocoa, coffee, and a wide range of spices. It consists of 20 estates, 8 rubber factories and twelve tea factories in the southern states. It is a dominant player in tea exports from India. It is very popular for its high-quality natural rubber. 

It operates with a workforce of about 15000 labour, half of which are women. The company is part of RP-SG and RPG Enterprises, one of India's largest and most well-respected industrial groups. HML has a paid-up capital of ₹184.50 million and a shareholder base of around 33,000.

6. Neelamalai Agro Industries Ltd.

Neelamalai Agro Industries was established in Coimbatore in 1943 with the primary objective of cultivation of tea. The estates are located at an average elevation of 5000 feet in the Nilgiris and coorg mountain ranges and were known initially as Neelamalai Tea & Coffee Estates Ltd. which changed its name in 1979. 

The company has three tea gardens, namely Katary, Sutton and Bhawani. It is a part of the A.V.Thomas Group, named after its founder, who was the first Indian to own a plantation company. In addition to plantations, the company's portfolio now includes consumer products, natural food ingredients, nutraceuticals and leather Products.

7. JK Agri Genetics Ltd.

JK Agri Genetics Limited is a company with over 31 years of experience in producing, processing and marketing high-quality hybrid seeds and Plant nutrient products. Established in 1989, the company mainly focuses on R&D for developing superior hybrid seeds with high yield potential, drought tolerance, etc. It has its headquarters located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. It is the first Indian company to commercialise Bt cotton (Bacillus thuringiensis) with powerful GM (Genetically modified) technology in collaboration with IIT, Kharagpur.

8. Dhunseri Tea and Industries Ltd. 

Dhunseri Tea and Industries Ltd. (DTIL) is a company engaged in manufacturing and selling tea for several decades. Over the years, though it ventured into various other businesses, tea is still the company's flag bearer. It is one of the 10 largest tea manufacturing companies in the world. 

Currently, it has 8 Tea estates and 10 Tea factories in Assam. It also has an overseas tea estate in Malawi, East Africa, where the plantation of Macadamia is undertaken. It has a total production capacity of 210 lakh kg of tea and 4.10 lakh kg of Macadamia. 

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9. Mangalam Seeds Ltd.

Mangalam Seeds Ltd. was originally established as a partnership firm, which converted into a public limited company in 2011. It is headquartered in Ahmedabad. It is an ISO-certified company manufacturing high-quality seeds using agricultural genetic techniques. 

Cotton, groundnuts, psyllium, moong, red gram, castor, sesame, bajra, mustard, and fennel are some of its products. It is also engaged in developing seeds and advising farmers on how to deal with crop production issues.

10. Joonktollee Tea and Industries Ltd.

It is a company located in West Bengal. It is an industry leader in producing quality teas. Over the years, the Company has grown enormously in stature and size. It is now regarded as one of the Best Assam CTC marks and does have an unstinted track record of business with the brand. The Company’s capital of ₹80,000 has grown to₹414.22 Lacs.

Conclusion

Agriculture is considered one of India's dominating industries due to its huge potential for innovation and growth. In the corporate world, agriculture has made a prominent place for itself through these various agro-based companies, which are working towards enhancing farm productivity and ensuring healthy nutrition to mankind. This article provided you with an overview of the top agriculture companies in India.

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