Mergers and Acquisitions Reshaping Agriculture in India and Southeast Asia

By Lauren Milligan

Agriculture in India and Southeast Asia is being fundamentally restructured by a wave of mergers, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships. This activity is acting as a powerful engine for growth, innovation, and expansion.

It is creating a more integrated and dynamic regional market, attracting both domestic powerhouses and global players seeking to capitalize on new opportunities.

C.S. Liew Pacific Agriscience Pte Ltd

Companies are broadening their portfolios with advanced crop protection, biologicals, seeds, and ag-tech solutions—moves driven by innovation, supply chain integration, and the growing demand for sustainable, high-quality food.

These acquisitions go beyond capturing market share—they aim to build future-proof agricultural systems.

C.S. Liew, Founder and Managing Director of Pacific Agriscience Pte Ltd., says India shows a lot of activity for acquisitions, especially in biologicals and crop protection.

The most prominent example is UPL’s landmark acquisition of Arysta LifeScience for $4.2 billion in 2019. This deal was a major turning point, significantly enhancing UPL’s global footprint and diversifying its product offerings across crop protection chemicals and seeds. The acquisition established UPL as one of the world’s largest agrochemical companies, demonstrating how strategic M&A can transform a company’s scale and influence.

“Smaller deals in the region include Indian company Safex Chemicals acquiring UK-based agrochemical company Briar Chemicals in October 2022 for £73 million,” says Liew. “The deal aimed to expand Safex’s global presence in the agrochemical sector, especially in Europe.”

In 2019, PI Industries Limited acquired Isagro Asia Agrochemicals Ltd. from Isagro S.p.A. for approximately Indian Rupees 3.5 billion. The acquisition integrated Isagro Asia’s product portfolio and distribution channels into PI Industries. This boosted the latter’s position in the growing Indian agrochemical market.

“Many Indian agrochemical companies are also eying the large and growing Brazilian market and are keenly interested in making acquisitions there to gain market access,” says Liew.

The market is also being shaped by a rising demand for biologicals and digital agriculture solutions.

Furthermore, collaborations are helping companies bring innovative solutions to the region. A significant partnership between Syngenta Biologicals and Provivi is focused on developing new pheromone-based solutions to combat aggressive pests like the Yellow Stem Borer and Fall Armyworm, which threaten major rice and corn crops.

This collaboration highlights a broader trend: companies are investing in sustainable, nature-inspired technologies to provide growers with effective alternatives to traditional pesticides.

“Farmers need solutions that effectively address pest pressure while ensuring sustainability on their farms, particularly as pest threats evolve with climate change,” says Jonathan Brown, Global Head of Biologicals and Seedcare at Syngenta, from a recent press release. “We’re proud to work together with Provivi to deliver the next-generation in pheromone-based biocontrols that target farmer key pest challenges.”

Adding to this momentum, IPL Biologicals Ltd. partnered with Mitsui & Co. India and Ag Smart Philippines in July 2025 to bring next-generation microbial biopesticides to the Philippines. The agreement combines IPL’s extensive biologicals portfolio with Mitsui’s global reach and Ag Smart’s established distribution channels.

“This tri-partite agreement brings together the technological strength of IPL with its large portfolio of agri-microbial products, the global marketing muscle of Mitsui group, and the well-established distribution network of Ag Smart in the Philippines,” says Harsh Bhagchandka, President for IPL Biologicals Ltd.

The acquisition of Acclym (formerly Agritask) by CropX, a global leader in digital agronomic solutions based in Australia serving both India and Southeast Asia, illustrates the increasing importance of technology in agriculture.

This deal was aimed at integrating Acclym’s enterprise-level capabilities into CropX’s platform, enabling the company to offer solutions for “sustainability, regenerative agriculture, and climate-smart supply chains,” according to CropX. This kind of technology-focused M&A will be crucial for the future of farming.

Tomer Tzach, CEO of CropX, says, “Acclym brings enterprise intelligence that perfectly complements CropX’s deep agronomic capabilities. Together, we’re building the digital infrastructure for a more resilient, sustainable, and productive food system.”

A prime example of acquisition for market access was Mitsui Chemicals Agro’s 30% acquisition of Agricon in Indonesia in 2017.

More recently, HELM AG of Germany became a substantial shareholder in Ancom Nylex (formerly Ancom) of Malaysia in late 2024, raising significant capital for Ancom. This partnership combines HELM’s global chemical agrochemical expertise with Ancom’s core competencies to accelerate growth and expand HELM’s market presence in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Ultimately, the current M&A trends are poised to reshape supply chains, accelerate innovation, and enhance food security across the region.

By creating more integrated and efficient agricultural ecosystems, these strategic deals are helping to meet the complex challenges of feeding a growing population while promoting sustainable farming practices.  •