Global agricultural solutions provider and a subsidiary of agrochemical giant UPL Limited, Advanta Enterprises, has submitted its draft papers with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), setting the stage for one of the most anticipated agritech IPOs of the year.
Advanta Enterprises IPO is a total Offer for Sale (OFS) of up to 3.61 crore shares of face value INR 1 each, by existing shareholders including promoter UPL and investor Melwood Holdings II. Advanta Enterprises IPO will be managed by JM Financial, Axis Capital, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley, while MUFG Intime India is appointed as the registrar of the issue.
Advanta Enterprises IPO: Capital Structure
The company’s promoter, UPL, currently holds 64.32% of the equity. Other key shareholders include UPL Corporation (13.89%), Melwood Holdings II (11.07%), and Alpha Wave Ventures II (10.71%), together controlling nearly 100% of the pre-offer capital.
Under the OFS structure, UPL will sell up to 2.81 crore shares, Melwood Holdings II up to 0.79 crore shares, and KIA EBT Scheme 2 up to 2,610 shares.
Business Overview
Advanta Enterprises stands as one of the world’s leading seed and post-harvest solution providers, combining more than five decades of proprietary germplasm research with advanced hybrid seed technologies. Operating across 74 countries, the company manages over 900 hybrid seed varieties across 21 breeding crops and 19 crop types, serving markets that span Asia, Africa, the Americas, Australia, and Europe.
According to Frost & Sullivan (F&S), Advanta ranked as the 10th largest global seed company by consolidated revenue in FY25 and operates through its subsidiary Decco, the second-largest global provider of post-harvest solutions by revenue.
The company’s seed portfolio covers a diverse range of crops—field corn, sorghum, canola, sunflower, vegetables, mustard, and rice—under brand names such as Advanta, Pacific Seeds, Alta Seeds, EMPYR, and Hyola. Proprietary technologies like igrowth® (herbicide tolerance in sorghum), Aphix™ (aphid tolerance), and Vertix® (seed treatment solutions) have cemented Advanta’s reputation as a front-runner in agri-innovation.
R&D Leadership and Innovation
Advanta’s business is driven by R&D intensity uncommon in the agri-inputs sector. The company owns 39 research facilities in 12 countries and a team of 343 scientists (11.7% PhDs). Advanta also invested INR 402.16 crore (7.23% of revenue) in FY25 on innovation.
Its germplasm library underpins breeding programs for multiple crops, supporting faster development cycles and climate-resilient hybrids. The company reported an Innovation Index of 30.88% in FY25, indicating that nearly one-third of its seed revenue originated from products launched within the previous four years.
Key innovations include the world’s first imidazolinone-tolerant sorghum (igrowth®) and hybrid canola (Hyola®), along with Aphix™, which enhances pest resistance.
Advanta Enterprises IPO: Financial Performance
Advanta’s financials show strong topline and margin expansion over the past three years.
- Revenue from operations grew at a CAGR of 13.9%, from INR 4,291.7 crore in FY23 to INR 5,565.7 crore in FY25.
- EBITDA rose from INR 975.6 crore in FY23 to INR 1,376.5 crore in FY25, with margins expanding 200 basis points to 24.73%.
- Net profit increased from INR 602.7 crore in FY23 to INR 921.5 crore in FY25, improving PAT margins from 14.04% to 16.56%.
- For the six months ended 30 September 2025, the company reported revenue of INR 3,067.0 crore, PAT of INR 539.9 crore, and an impressive EBITDA margin of 26.49%.
Revenue diversification remains strong:
- India contributed 24% of FY25 revenue;
- Americas 38%;
- Asia-Africa (ex-India) 22%;
- Australia 10%; and
- Europe 6%.
Seeds accounted for 83% of total revenue, with the post-harvest business contributing 17%.
Outlook
Advanta’s growth strategy centres on five key pillars:
- Expanding seed business across Asia-Africa, India, and Latin America, leveraging leadership in field corn, okra, and sorghum.
- Ramping up R&D to sustain innovation pipeline—over 8,000 hybrids are currently in development.
- Geographic diversification and deeper penetration into emerging markets.
- Sustainability-focused solutions, including carbon-neutral seed programs and climate-smart hybrids.
- Integration through acquisitions, notably the 2025 acquisition of Decco, extending the company’s footprint into the post-harvest segment.
Parentage & Market Context
As a part of UPL–the global agrochemical giant–Advanta gets the benefit of its backing, established networks and shared tech innovations. With a global footprint that already spans Latin America, North America, Europe and India, UPL gives Advanta the credibility and market access we need to keep growing – and that’s a big advantage.
Final Words
Advanta Enterprises IPO represents a game-changing moment in India’s agritech space—bringing to market a profitable, innovation-driven global seed and post-harvest player at a time when climate adaptation and food security are top priorities.
Advanta’s strong fundamentals, wide market reach, and R&D position the company as a high-quality agriscience asset. The IPO also unlock value for UPL shareholders and marks the emergence of one of India’s first pure-play global seed companies in the public markets.
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