Engro Corporation

Engro Corporation (Engro) is a Pakistani conglomerate headquartered in Karachi.

Founded as a fertilizer business in 1965, Engro is one of the largest companies in the country, employing over around 3,000 individuals across the Group. It operates in five industry areas: Food and Agriculture, Energy and Related Infrastructure, Petrochemicals, Telecommunication Infrastructure, and International Trading. It's subsidiaries include Engro Energy, Engro Enfrashare, Engro Elengy Terminal, Engro Eximp FZE, Engro Eximp Agriproducts, Engro Fertilizers, Engro Polymer & Chemicals, and Engro Vopak Terminal. Other notable associate/joint venture companies include FrieslandCampina Engro. Engro was the first Pakistani company to become a signatory of the UN Global Compact (UNGC) and adopt the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework for measuring and reporting corporate performance on economic, social, and environmental parameters.

History
In 1957, Esso-Mobil discovered the region's largest gas reserves near Daharki, Ghotki District, Sindh. Esso Pakistan Fertilizer Company was incorporated in 1965 as a fertiliser business by American company Esso. A total of 75% of the shares were owned by Esso and 25% by the general public. Construction of the urea plant commenced in Daharki in 1966 and production began in 1968. At US $43 million, with an annual production capacity of 173,000 tons, it was the single largest foreign investment by any multinational corporation in Pakistan at the time.

Following Esso's global name change to Exxon, the company was renamed Exxon Chemical Pakistan in 1978.

In 1991, Exxon divested its fertilizer business globally. The employees of Exxon Chemical Pakistan, in partnership with leading international and local financial institutions, bought out Exxon's 75% equity, thereby forming Engro Chemical Pakistan. In 2010, Engro Chemical Pakistan renamed itself Engro Corporation and also adopted a new logo to reflect a uniform brand identity across its diverse businesses.

Corruption case
In 2015, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) initiated a case against Engro and several other parties, alleging that the contract for the import and distribution of Liquefied natural gas (LNG) awarded to Elengy Terminal in 2013, violated the rules of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA). NAB also accused the then Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of abusing his authority, which they claimed could result in a potential loss of $2 billion to the national exchequer. Although the case was closed by NAB in 2016, it was reopened in 2018.

Food & Agriculture
Engro Fertilizers is the second-largest fertilizer manufacturer in Pakistan, after Fauji Fertilizer Company. It commissioned EnVen, the world's largest single-train urea plant, in 2011, marking one of Pakistan's largest private sector industrial investments. Engro Eximp Agriproducts, having started its operations in 2011, is a large basmati rice exporter, with USD 31 million worth of exports in 2022. It's integrated plant for processing and finishing rice is the largest in the country, with a production capacity of 70,000MT per annum. Established in 2006, FrieslandCampina Engro (branded as Engro Foods until July 2019) is a joint venture with Royal FrieslandCampina, and the second-largest dairy company in Pakistan. Its brands Tarang, Olpers, Omung, and Omoré are all known brands in the national dairy market.

Energy & Related Infrastructure
Engro Energy owns and operates Engro Powergen Qadirpur Limited, a 217-megawatt power plant and Engro’s first initiative in the power sector. Engro Energy also holds Engro Powergen Thar, Engro Energy Services, and Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company. Engro Elengy Terminal (EETL), a joint venture between Engro Corporation and Royal Vopak of the Netherlands, is the first LNG terminal of Pakistan that started operations in March 2015. EETL is recognised as one of the fastest - built and most utilised re-gasification terminals in the world and currently contributes as much as 15% of Pakistan's total gas supply in a year.

Petrochemicals
Engro Polymer & Chemicals, a joint venture with Mitsubishi, is involved in the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of PVC and other Chlor Alkali products like Caustic Soda, Sodium Hypochlorite, and Hydrochloric Acid. Engro Vopak Terminal provides storage for bulk liquid chemicals and Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), with an expanded capacity of 82,400 cubic meters. It is a joint venture with Royal Vopak of the Netherlands.

Telecommunication Infrastructure
Established in 2018, Engro Enfrashare operates more than 3,950 telecommunication towers in Pakistan.

International Trading
Engro Eximp FZE, a wholly owned subsidiary of Engro Eximp Agriproducts, started its operations in 2022 in the Jebel Ali Free Zone of Dubai. It facilitates global trading opportunities in energy, petrochemicals, and other sectors.

Global Partnerships
Engro is part of two joint ventures: one with Royal Vopak of the Netherlands (1997), creating Engro Vopak Terminal, and another with Mitsubishi, for Engro Polymer & Chemicals. Engro Foods was established in 2005 and now has shareholding by FrieslandCampina, thus renamed FrieslandCampina Engro.

Philanthropy
Engro's social investment programs are managed by Engro Foundation.

In 2012, Engro Foundation launched I Am The Change Awards to recognize individuals who are working for the betterment of people and hard-hit communities. In 2020, the Foundation also signed a three-year memorandum of cooperation with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to promote the well-being of vulnerable and marginalised segments of society.

List of chief executive officers

 * Shaukat Raza Mirza (1988–1997)
 * Asad Umar (2004–2012)
 * Ali Ansari (2012–2015)
 * Khalid Siraj Subhani (2015–2016)
 * Ghias Khan (2016-2024)
 * Ahsan Zafar Syed (April 2024–present)

Board of directors
Engro's Board of Directors includes one executive director, five independent directors, and four non-executive directors. Hussain Dawood has been the Engro Corporation Chairman since 2006.

Articles

 * Khurshid, Anwar; Chaudary, Muddassir Shafique (September 2010). "Engro Chemical Pakistan Limited—Restructuring the Marketing Division". Asian Journal of Management Cases. 7 (2): 135–155.