Roberts Cotton Associates Ltd.

After the First World War vast area of Punjab became cultivable on completion of one of the largest canal irrigation systems in the world. Seeing the potential Sir William entered into a partnership with the British Cotton Growing Association, Manchester (which pioneered cotton growing in Sudan) and took 7221 aces of land near Khanewal on lease. A separate company BCGA Punjab (pvt) ltd. was formed to run the farms and Sir William Roberts became its Managing Director. With his knowledge and expertise, he succeeded in evolving a new American upland type cotton variety and named it KT-25. Therefore, he became one of the pioneers of growing American upland cotton in the Indian sub-continent. As cotton became a principal agricultural produce in Punjab and Sindh, BCGA entered into the cotton business by establishing a network of cotton purchasing agencies and ginning factories. BCGA continued farming and cotton ginning until the partition of the Indian sub-continent in 1974. Thereafter, they decided to concentrate exclusively on farming. While retaining his share in BCGA, Sir William Roberts purchased the ginning factories from BCGA and formed his own company in 1949, which until now is known as Roberts Cotton Associates ltd.