Special Feature on     

Published: Mar 31, 2023
Updated: Mar 31, 2023

SML Limited (Formerly Sulphur Mills Limited)

Life time achievement award for ‘Sulphur Man of India’

Deepak Shah (76), Chairman of Sulphur Mills Limited, now known as SML Limited which pioneered the development of specialized formulations that add value to agrochemicals, has been awarded a lifetime achievement award. A US-educated mechanical engineer, Mr Shah is a techno entrepreneur-turned-industrialist who has tirelessly worked for the last half a century and has received many Awards for his outstanding contributions in the agriculture sector.

Mr Shah is the Chairman of the SML group of Company comprising Sulphur Mills, Sumil Chemicals Ltd. and R3 Crop Care Pvt Ltd, having a combined turnover of over Rs 2200 crore.

Mr Shah is a pioneer in introducing sulphur WDG formulations and created global capacities in sulphur & other WDG’s. He had an unwavering faith in the ability of the sulphur molecule to transform Indian agriculture by way of boosting nutrient use efficiency and enhancing agricultural productivity. It is for this pioneering work in sulphur that he is fondly called the ‘Sulphur Man of India’.

In addition to sulphur, Mr Shah is instrumental in introducing advanced zinc nutrition products (Techno Z and Zinda) and other advanced pesticide formulations like liquid formulations, encapsulated formulations and WDG formulations. He worked with the underlying philosophy of ‘More from less’, thereby significantly reducing the dosage per acre and at the same time significantly improving the productivity and quality of the agricultural output.

UNIQUE PRODUCTS

Due to his untiring efforts spanning over 50 years, the SML group exports to more than 80 countries globally and has a significant presence in the Indian market. The SML group is a fully backward integrated nutri- chem company, unique in its efforts to continuously bring innovative formulations to world agriculture.

The SML group aims to double its turnover to more than Rs 4500 crore in 3-4 years and also achieve global leadership in sulphur. Today, the group not only has a leadership position in sulphur, it also produces and markets a wide range of nutrition and agro-chemical products in the global markets.

In addition to building a successful group in his lifetime, Mr Shah is very active in the stewardship efforts of Indian industry, being the chairman of Crop Care Federation of India and V P of PMFAI, the apex Industry associations.

Sulphur Mills Limited, established in 1971, is one of the foremost crop protection agrochemical companies in India, having multi-locational manufacturing plants in India at Mumbai and Gujarat. The company is the largest manufacturer of sulphur in the world and offers unique formulations, including combinations. In addition to sulphur, Sulphur Mills is reckoned worldwide as a one-stop manufacturer for providing innovative and highly value-added specialized formulations in agrochemicals. The company is ISO 9001-2008 accredited and is run by highly qualified professionals.

GLOBAL PLAYER

Sulphur Mills is a global company and is presently exporting to various markets like the US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Asia, CIS & Middle East, covering more than 80 countries in all continents worldwide.

Pointing out that “today, Sulphur Mills has its own subsidiary companies in Europe, Australia, Latin America and Africa, and is setting up further companies globally,” the farsighted Mr Shah adds, “Our vision and innovation led to sustainable growth. Our mission is to be a globally recognized customer- centric agri-solution provider.”