Cultivating growth: MR Sharma

Agricultural cooperatives like Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) play a pivotal role in India’s agrarian economy, empowering farmers and supporting sustainable agricultural practices.

First established in 1980, KRIBHCO was envisioned as a national-level cooperative to address the critical need for high-quality fertilizers and agricultural inputs; however, after 45 years of success and strategic growth, its activities have expanded far beyond what was originally envisioned.

Since joining KRIBHCO as a trainee engineer in 1982, MR Sharma has played an instrumental role in the organization’s journey, taking on a variety of roles culminating in his appointment as Managing Director in September 2024.

"I’m one of the few people who joined the organization at such an early stage," Sharma tells The CEO Magazine.

"I was involved in all the activities since inception, including pre-commissioning, commissioning and troubleshooting. I’m perhaps the first and only person who joined as a trainee and rose to the highest position.

"KRIBHCO has become synonymous with success because we have always selected the finest people, the best technology and had outstanding leaders. As a result, we slowly grew to become the large organization we are today."

Improving the agricultural ecosystem

To improve the livelihoods of its stakeholders, KRIBHCO realized the need to not only provide fertilizer and education, but to also improve the entire agriculture ecosystem, an opportunity it seized upon by establishing a number of important subsidiaries.

These include KRIBHCO Fertilizers, which owns and operates a gas-based fertilizer complex in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh; KRIBHCO Agri Business, which handles the export and trade of agricultural commodities; and KRIBHCO Green Energy, which is setting up two bio-ethanol projects at Hazira in Gujarat and Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.

"KRIBHCO Green Energy was set up in response to the government’s goal of blending 20 percent of ethanol with petrol," Sharma explains.

"By the end of this financial year, we’ll be ready to start producing ethanol at both sites and plan to produce 270 kiloliters of ethanol per day."

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KRIBHCO is also involved in joint ventures such as the Oman India Fertiliser Company SAOC (OMIFCO), with which KRIBHCO has a 25 percent equity partnership. Another notable joint venture is KRIBHCO Infrastructure, which manages the transportation of domestic and international cargo via its own depots, jetties and terminals.

Thanks to these strategic activities combined, between 2024 and 2025, the organization produced 24.33 million metric tons of urea, 14.26 million metric tons of ammonia, 6.18 million liters of bio-fertilizer and 14.6 million kilograms of seeds.

"Our major plan is that we are diversifying. Basically, we are a world-class organization representing the farmers’ communities," Sharma says.

"Our goal is to maximize their returns through specialized and agricultural inputs and other diversified businesses.

"Our mission is to act as a catalyst to agriculture and rural development by selecting, financing and managing projects that are both socially desirable and commercially profitable."

For example, beyond KRIBHCO’s commercial activities, it also leads the Gramin Vikas Trust (GVT), a nonprofit organization set to spearhead sustainable improvement in the livelihood of the poor and marginalized communities through rural development, healthcare, education and gender equality. Since its establishment in 1999, GVT has impacted 1.5 million lives across 25 states.

"We are serving farmers in many areas, not only fertilizer. KRIBHCO has more than 9,600 cooperative societies as members, so you can say that they, the farmers, are directly and indirectly the owners," Sharma says.

"We have a distinct model for marketing, which is totally different from our competitors in other fertilizer companies.

"While profitability is a major parameter for most organizations, for us it’s different because farmers are our key stakeholders. So their happiness and wellbeing are key measurements for our success. Rather than chasing profit, we are serving the nation and serving the people."

Progress through partnerships

For all the incredible progress KRIBHCO has achieved, none of it would be possible without the trust and support of its suppliers, according to Sharma.

"Our suppliers are very important to us, because when we encounter problems, they are readily available to support us in no time. I’d particularly like to thank Larsen & Toubro, which provides us with services and critical equipment; it is in our vicinity and provides very good support to us," he adds.

Now at the head of KRIBHCO, Sharma is mindful about the challenges ahead and the keys to success.

"Our workforce is very critical for me, along with selecting the right technology and equipment. The alternative is absorbing the high cost of downtime. There should not be any compromise when it comes to quality, inspection or maintenance," he insists.

"Instead, we should focus on preventative maintenance so we can find out in advance what kind of problems can occur and take remedial measures."

Looking ahead, Sharma remains ambitious, always on the lookout for new opportunities to grow and diversify the organization.

"We are deficient in diammonium phosphate as well as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, so we are exploring opportunities in the Gulf and African countries. This may involve bringing the raw materials to either the Gulf or to India and setting up a new plant," he notes.

"Alongside this, we plan to expand our logistics operations by handling more third-party cargo while importing and exporting more food products to and from other countries."

In just 45 years, KRIBHCO has transformed the lives and livelihoods of countless agricultural workers, their families and beyond, raising people out of poverty and supporting India’s national development. Now with Sharma at the reins, the company is well-positioned to grow from strength to strength.

"This is the only sector you can say that can bring about a total revolution," he reflects. "Normally, revolutions involve violence, but this is the way we can revolutionize the whole world through the cooperative movement. We have ample opportunities – the sky’s the limit."