Anupam Rasayan India Limited

Quarter ended Jun 2025

2025-08-14 Transcript PDF
Moderator

Thank you very much. We will now begin with the question -and-answer session. The first question comes from the line of Meet Gada from Emkay Global.

Emkay Global

Congratulations team on great set of numbers amid all these geopolitical events. I have a couple of questions. Firstly, I wanted to ask that U.S. has announced 25% additional tariffs on India plus some additional penalties, which have come into effect by last week of August. So I wanted your perspective, Anand bhai, on how is that impacting the Indian chemical industry in the near term? And what is your exposure to the U.S. geography? And how are you strategizing to mitigate those risks? I believe last couple of LOIs in Q4 were with U.S.-based customers. What is your take on the execution of those LOIs or contracts?

Vishal Thakkar

Meet, this is Vishal. Let me take this question. Meet, thank you for the question, and thanks for the appreciation of the effort of the management in performance. If we look at the situation in terms of tariff from the U.S. one, I think today, a lot is flu id, I would say. And I would wait before make a conclusive statement. But today, if we look at it, we believe that whatever the tariffs that have been mentioned today and right now in the place, I personally feel that those numbers will be reviewed and corrected. However, if you look at from any angle in terms of the competitive landscape in terms of alternate supply chain geographies, I think India stands fairly stable in terms of its situation and in terms of its competitive strength that there would not be any major meaningful impact coming in is my current assessment. Also, if we look at from Anupam's specific perspective, today, the revenue -- last year, our revenue from U.S. was around in a lower single digit. And we have signed an LOI and a contract. If you look at them, I think we have a very fairly robust order book order from the customer with the pricing agreed. So to that extent, we don't see that. Also, some of the products are already in the exempt list, which we are planning to supply. And so to that extent, we are far more comfortable. And therefore, we do not feel much of a challenge there. And some of the other suppliers will have an antidumpin g duty, which may be the case. But for us, at least that is fairly comfortable from our perspective.

Emkay Global

Second question, can you help me understand more on that long-term master purchase agreement with Japanese conglomerate in terms of business segment value of the contract on an annual basis and how many molecules are covered within this agreement?

Vishal Thakkar

So right now, we are working on more than 5 to 6 products with them. They're largely in the polymer segment. Values right now, they are under evaluation. And right now, it may not be the right time to share the value. But the only thing we can share is the kind of potential. There is a significantly large potential coming from these molecules as they are in the specialty polymer segment that are there. And this is -- as we mentioned, this is one of the very large MNC in this segment, which is in the fluoro side of the business.

Emkay Global

Got it, sir. Next, pharma revenues have been growing quarter-on-quarter from INR25 crores in Q1 last year to INR75 crores now in this quarter. Are these revenues part of LOI or they are non- LOI based? Also, the products which we are supplying are going into patented or non -patent products? And what are the therapies which those intermediates cater to?

Vishal Thakkar

Okay. So if you look at our pharma strategy, the pharma strategy for us is more looking at input substitution in India and specifically addressing the KSM space, which is the space which is right now not catered by the Indian player -- Indian players. India in terms of pharma, if you look at it, largely Indian players are more active in the formulation, so branded generics and also in the API space. But on the KSM side, very few people would be operating, and that's the market space that we are focusing on. Two, if you look at these are not the LOI -- these revenues are not from -- not out of the LOIs revenue. These are additional revenue that you will see from here. And in terms of list, last year, we had launched -- over the last 18 months, we have launched now about 17 new molecules, which are now ramping up to give us this revenue. And this is across segments like your CNS segment, it is across your statins, it is across your infectious disease. So it is broadly across multiple therapeutic segments. But key thing that you have to appreciate is that these are all raw products, which are really an extension of our value chain. So what value chain we have today in terms of our chemistry and supply chain and manufacturing capacities, we are leveraging those anywhere for agro, we have agro polymer and the similar ones are being utilized to an extension to use that similar supply chain to address the pharma market. So we come from more chemistry and processes and ending up our finished product into the pharma segment.

Emkay Global

Got it, sir. One question, if I can squeeze in. So your performance materials segment should be growing considering the revenues which you have signed recently. So what should be the contribution mix from this segment going in FY '27, '28?

Vishal Thakkar

So today also, if you look at the performance segment is around about just about double digit. And we expect that, that number should be -- would be around 15% to 20% this year. And as we go further, this should go and end up around 20% to 25% at least in the next 2 to 3 years' time, similar to what we will see for the pharma as well.

Moderator

The next question comes from the line of S. Ramesh from Nirmal Bang Equities.

Nirmal Bang Equities

Congratulations on your results. Just a housekeeping question. In the presentation, the export share was mentioned as 48%, but I heard Anand bhai saying the export share is 58%. So can you clarify that?

Vishal Thakkar

It's a typographical error on the presentation, if that is 58% is the right number.

Nirmal Bang Equities

Okay. So when you talk about the debt coming down, there is an increase in the interest expense. So if you look at the reduction in long-term debt, what would be the run rate for interest expense from the second quarter for FY '26? And then if you look at your working capital reduction, how much is the existing inventory in value terms that is being used for your new orders from second quarter?

Amit Khurana

So let me answer the interest rate question or the debt question. So yes, my debt will be in the range of INR1,000 crores by now. And as we go, that number would tend to -- on a net basis, tend to reduce as my operating cash flows kick in. For now, you can look at around about around -- for the quarter, yes, it will be in the range of INR26 crores to INR27 crores a quarter kind of a number or a little less than that also will be the possibility. Right now, it is this and let's see from there, right?

Nirmal Bang Equities

Okay. So when you talk about using the existing inventory for the new orders starting this quarter, can you quantify the value of the inventory so that we get a sense of how much the inventory will come down relative to the ramp-up in revenue?

Vishal Thakkar

Are we talking about this quarter? Or are we talking about the year?

Nirmal Bang Equities

No. You made a mention that you're going to use existing inventory for ramping up a new order, right? So whatever revenue you get, you will be on the existing inventory, so your inventory days come down. So if you can quantify the value of the inventory will be used and what is the kind of revenue you expect on a steady -state basis on these orders, can you help us understand how the working capital look like?

Vishal Thakkar

So by the year-end, we are looking at, let's say, around about the kind of a working capital cycle that we saw for 2024.

Nirmal Bang Equities

Okay. So when you talk about this new order using existing inventory, now you have several orders to start being executed this year from over CY '25, FY '26. So these orders will be executed in the next few quarters. How is the receivable and inventory cyc le compared to the existing business? In terms of number of days, what would be the reduction?

Vishal Thakkar

Sorry, I didn't get you. Can you please tell me…?

Nirmal Bang Equities

In terms of the incremental growth in revenue. So there's an existing revenue and working capital profile, right? So in terms of the new orders being executed over FY '25-'26 as per the LOI schedule given for the execution of the new orders , what will be the receivable days and inventory days in terms of incremental impact on the balance?

Vishal Thakkar

So incremental impact, as I'm saying, I'm talking on the net basis. So all the -- if you look at it, my -- as we go forward, I will be able to use my part of my inventory to liquidate and convert it into sales, which would mean that my absolute number also should come down. Second, also, what will it also mean receivables also, which were extended are also going to contracts in terms of days. So if you look at it, the cycle of my cash conversion is going to shrink and reduce. That is the first focus that I want to achieve. Second, as I mentioned, over the year, we should be looking at coming back to a working capital cycle of what we saw in 2024. And in terms of absolute, yes, there will be a reduction in terms of a few hundred crores of working capital intensity -- working capital in absolute term also should be -- is what we are looking at. So it's a combination of sales increase and reduction in working capital. And as we go, there are 2 parts, as we discussed earlier also that pharma will have a little longer receivable cycle compared to agro and polymer versus pharma will have a lesser inventory intensity compared to pharma and polymer. Net -net, eventually, we should end up with a net working capital over the next 2 years kind of a timeframe in the range of 180 days kind of a target that we have been having for us, 180 days.

Nirmal Bang Equities

Okay. So you mentioned the Y -o-Y numbers for pharma and performance chemicals. Can you give a similar number for agrochem and personal care?

Vishal Thakkar

Okay. Y-o-Y, I am saying that pharma for -- agro for this quarter would be around about 57% of my revenue. So I think that will help you in terms of getting the balance.

Nirmal Bang Equities

I understand that since you gave the number, corresponding number for pharma and performance chemicals, it will be useful if you give the same number for agrochem and personal care. That is the point I'm making.

Vishal Thakkar

I'll get you that number. Just give me a minute or 2 to just do the math and give it to you.

Nirmal Bang Equities

Yes. And secondly, if you look at your customer offtake in agrochemicals, you're saying that performance is improving. And -- but there's other companies who are saying that customers are deferring orders and they are balancing their inventory requirements . So in your case, are the innovators able to get their material as per the delivery schedule? So when you say agrochemicals for CSM is improving, how is it different for you compared to your competitors? Because we heard one peer say that their volumes have actually dropped because the customer has been reducing the offtake versus their contracts. So what is different in your case?

Vishal Thakkar

So Ramesh, first, there is a 100% Y-o-Y growth in my agrochem segment as well, if that helps the first question to answer. Now second is, these are all product -specific, customer-specific, company-specific situations. Like there were my peers which were showing growth when I was in the degrowth period last year. So making a comment on any of my peers may not be the best statement to make. But what I'm saying is that today, what I see that this year, we are looking at a very strong revenue gr owth across all the 4 segments that I can say, which is agro, pharma, polymer and personal care. And we see -- personal care will remain a steady growth because it has not seen any too much of a volatility. We will continue to be there, but agro, pharma and polymer will be a strong growth. We will -- we are looking at, as I had said in the last call also, this year is looking at as where we are going to grow over 30 -plus percent kind of revenue numbers that we are very -- we are feeling very, very comfortable. If you look at my last 2 quarters' results, it gives me that much confidence and it provides a strong empirical evidence to that plan or the suggestion that I'm making.

Nirmal Bang Equities

So just trying to put the order book schedule in perspective and the segments you are giving. So you said pharma is out of the order book. So if you look at the segment categories, how should we read the order book execution in FY '26 and '27 based on the LOI schedule you have given? So how do we fit it into these segments?

Vishal Thakkar

So order book, if you really look at it, largely will be for polymer and for the agrochem side, you can see LOIs largely catering to these 2 segments. We expect that around INR450 crores, INR500 crores kind of a number will be there for this year, and we expect it to go -- so we would double the contribution from LOI from last year to this year broadly, and we expect a similar kind of a number growth next year as well because a lot of LOIs and contracts are getting commercialized and getting ramped up.

Nirmal Bang Equities

Okay. And the polymer will be in the performance chemicals segment, right?

Vishal Thakkar

Yes, polymer is performance chemicals, yes.

Moderator

The next question comes from the line of Rikin Shah.

Congrats on a very strong rebound. So my first question is, I want to try to understand what the inventory situation is like at the end customers' end, like who we are supplying to for our key molecules basically?

Vishal Thakkar

So thank you, and thank you that helps me also explain what I was trying to explain and thanks for this question. If you see last 18 months has been a very concentrated effort from my customer to really reduce their supply inventory levels. And if you -- if we see now, those stocks are now coming to the level -- target levels that they had put for themselves. So to that extent, we see that now whatever the projections they are giving us for their offtake are looking more robust, more visible and more firm in their nature. So to that extent, the reduction in the inventory cycle that they wanted in terms of chann el inventory, they've largely covered it for now.

Got it. But sir, like when we -- like the broad -based commentary when we see the partner meetings of any of the innovators, the comments to all the contract manufacturers more or less the same, which is to reduce cost and work on cost structure. So do you feel that the pressure is much lesser today like compared to like 1 year ago maybe?

Vishal Thakkar

Significantly less. If you ask me last year versus this year, we see far more comfort in terms of -- the buoyancy in terms of their projection or also cost pressures have - see, basically, what has happened that most of them -- most of the cost pressure, if you really see, started in the '23 kind of a timeframe, especially when there was a Ukraine -Russia conflict which led to a strong inflation -- very high inflationary pressures across energy and every other facet, which practically 2 things have happened from there. The energy prices have got corrected significantly and came back to a more steady state. And also, if you look at from a logistics or transportation or any other places also, the costs have become more stable and more near to the past steady -state numbers. So to that extent, cost pressures are not as much. No doubt always customer will want to have a cheaper product and quicker. But I think everybody has seen that now we have come to a level where we need to get to business on a steady -state basis, and we h ave to act and behave and expect in the similar range.

Got it, sir. And apologies for the next question, if it's a repetition. But after the preferential and perhaps the cash flows of FY '25 materializing in FY '26 as there is more inventory rationalization. So what kind of debt reduction maybe short -term and long -term goals do we have?

Vishal Thakkar

So if you see, first, we are today on a net basis because we have some bit of a capital, a little small, a little bit of a term debt. So on a net term debt basis, we are net 0 actually. So we have practically no net term debt left out first. Second, today, we have a working capital lines of around about INR1,000 crores. We expect that to get corrected more in terms of reflection of the operating cash flows because today, if you look at it, no major capex planned or necessitated. And two, working capital will release cash rather than consume cash.

So like, even if we see working capital debt and combined gross debt long term plus working capital related. So overall, do we have any target in our mind?

Vishal Thakkar

See, I'm just saying that today, if you look at my debt-to-EBITDA will be less than 2, and I will try and keep it around less than 2 and more pushing towards 1.5 or less.

Moderator

The next follow-up question comes from the line of S. Ramesh from Nirmal Bang Equities.

Nirmal Bang Equities

So in terms of the margin profile and the tax rate, how should we read the incremental growth from the new LOIs, what would be the margin profile and how would the tax rate move?

Vishal Thakkar

So margin profile, we should have a similar margin profile that we have been historically guiding. I would put it around about 25% to 27% margin profile is what I would really guide at incremental. And tax rate, I think steady state tax rate what we have b een historically is where we should be looking at.

Nirmal Bang Equities

Tax rate first quarter is only 23%. So will it increase over the 4 quarters and go back to 20%, 30%

Vishal Thakkar

Yes. So what has been the historical average? I think if you take it to that level, it should be the right one.

Nirmal Bang Equities

The reason I'm asking is how is the tax rate declined to 23% in the first quarter?

Vishal Thakkar

There was basically some credits which were there, which we have been able to use it.

Nirmal Bang Equities

Okay. So one request, Tanfac is a company is supplying you material as a group company. So if we are able to get some visibility on the performance of the company in the call with the management, that will help us understand their company as well and how they fit into your plan. So that's one personal request.

Moderator

Ladies and gentlemen, as there are no further questions from the participants, I will now hand the conference over to the management for closing comments.

Vishal Thakkar

Thank you. On behalf of the management of Anupam Rasayan India, I thank you all for joining on our earnings call today. We hope we have been able to address majority of your queries. If you may have any further questions, you may reach out to our Investor Relations partner, E&Y, and they would be happy to support you. We close this call. Thank you very much. Have a good day.

Moderator

Thank you, sir. On behalf of Anupam Rasayan India Limited, that concludes this conference. Thank you all for joining us, and you may now disconnect your lines.