WEF 2026: MB Patil meets UPL chairman at Davos, discusses Karnataka’s agricultural expansion plans

NEW DELHI: Major Industries Minister M B Patil on Tuesday said he held discussions with UPL chairman and Group CEO Jai Shroff at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on expanding the company’s agricultural footprint in the state.

In a post shared on X, Patil said the meeting focused on scaling up UPL’s operations in Karnataka following strong corn seed performance and an annual business of around Rs 300 crore in North Karnataka.

“Met with Mr. Jai Shroff, Chairman and Group CEO of UPL, to discuss expanding their agricultural footprint in Karnataka. Following strong corn seed performance and ₹300 Cr annual business in North Karnataka, UPL is looking to scale up with new irrigation technologies and a specialized ethanol plant for exports”, the post read.

Patil added that discussions also explored a district-focused collaboration model to enhance farm productivity across Karnataka.

“We explored a district-focused collaboration to boost farm productivity and discussed routing potash imports through Mangalore Port to leverage our coastal infrastructure. Their new technology to reduce urea usage by 30% aligns perfectly with our sustainability goals. I have assured the delegation of our full facilitation as they deepen their commitment to our farmers”, the post further read.

Davos 2026 | Advancing agricultural innovation with UPL

Met with Mr. Jai Shroff, Chairman and Group CEO of UPL, to discuss expanding their agricultural footprint in Karnataka.

Following strong corn seed performance and ₹300 Cr annual business in North Karnataka, UPL is… pic.twitter.com/gUx0jvO9b3

— M B Patil (@MBPatil) January 20, 2026

Earlier, ahead of the World Economic Summit, Minister M B Patil said that he is looking forward to advancing the state’s global industry and attracting further investment, aligning with the development agenda. Shedding light on the delegation’s agenda for the annual meet, Patil said that there will be 45-plus high-level meetings with global leaders in Davos.

“Headed to #WEF26 Davos (Jan 19-23) to advance Karnataka’s global industry and investment agenda. With an execution-first approach, our delegation will hold 45+ high-level meetings with global leaders, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Lenovo, and Coca-Cola, focused on converting investment intent into on-ground projects and quality jobs”, Patil wrote on X.

Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum (WEF) convened its 56th Annual Meeting in Davos on January 19. It will continue till January 23, 2026, bringing together nearly 3,000 leaders from more than 130 countries at a moment of heightened geopolitical tension, economic uncertainty and rapid technological transformation.

Held under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue”, Davos 2026 seeks to provide an impartial platform for global leaders from government, business and civil society to reconnect, rebuild trust and explore collaborative solutions to challenges that increasingly transcend borders. (ANI)