Exide Industries Ltd

Q1 FY23 Earnings Call Analysis

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fundraise: No informationcapex: Yesrevenue: Category 2margin: Category 3orderbook: Yes
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fundraise

Any current/future new fundraising through debt or equity?

- No explicit mention of any new fundraising through debt or equity in the transcript. - The company states it has a strong balance sheet with zero debt equity and positive cash flows. - Capex plans include INR 500-600 crores for lead acid business and ongoing investments for lithium-ion, especially Phase 1 expenditure of around INR 4,000 crores. - No direct reference to raising funds via new debt or equity issuance was made during the discussion. - The company seems to be funding its growth and expansion through internal accruals and planned capex without indicating external fundraising.
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capex

Any current/future capex/capital investment/strategic investment?

- Lead acid battery business capex for FY '24 is about INR 500 to 600 crores. - Lithium-ion business is placing orders for equipment, with capex expected in late FY '24 or FY '25 as part of the total Phase 1 investment of around INR 4,000 crores. - Lithium-ion plant is a turnkey project involving initial collaboration with 300-400 experts and aims at becoming competitive globally. - The company has invested INR 715 crores so far in the lithium-ion project. - Digitalization and Industry 4.0 initiatives are ongoing for cost optimization and margin expansion. - No specific future strategic investments mentioned beyond ongoing lithium-ion plant expansion and lead acid business improvements.
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revenue

Future growth expectations in sales/revenue/volumes?

- Exide Industries expects steady growth in both automotive and industrial verticals, with broad-based double-digit sales growth across most sectors. - The company is positive about near-term and medium-term demand drivers, anticipating high demand in automotive vertical due to rising personal mobility and connectivity. - Industrial vertical demand remains upbeat, especially in industrial UPS, solar, traction, and telecom segments, with past growth rates of 20-30%. - Lithium-ion business is growing, with INR600-700 crore orders for the next 12-15 months and expected sales of INR400-500 crore in FY '24 from this segment. - The outlook for lead-acid business remains strong despite electrification trends, as multiple energy chemistries coexist due to varied applications. - Market estimates for lithium-ion demand are being revised upwards, with forecasts increasing from 100 GWh to as high as 150-200 GWh by 2030. - Expansion in exports and new geographies like Russia are expected to support growth.
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margin

Future growth expectations in earnings/operating earnings/profits/EPS?

- Exide Industries reports broad-based double-digit sales growth across sectors, with FY '23 sales and PBT both growing 18%. - Industrial segment growth was strong, with 20%-30% growth driven by industrial UPS, traction, telecom, and solar sectors. - Lead-acid business outlook is positive with sustained demand expected due to growing economy and energy needs. - Margins currently pressured by material cost volatility but cost optimization and digital initiatives are expected to improve margins gradually. - Lithium-ion business is expected to contribute significant turnover (~INR400-500 crore in FY '24) with EBITDA on par with lead-acid batteries. - Once lithium-ion cell plant reaches optimal utilization (70%-80% in 3 years), ROIC is expected to be around 20%, similar to lead-acid business. - Overall, management anticipates margin expansion and sustained profit growth driven by new products, market expansion, and operational efficiencies.
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orderbook

Current/ Expected Orderbook/ Pending Orders?

- Exide Industries has received orders worth INR 500-600 crores for lithium-ion products, already disclosed in their notes (Page 15). - Another mention cites the company having won INR 600-700 crores worth of orders to be executed over 12 to 15 months for lithium-ion business (Page 5 and Page 15). - Sales from these orders are expected to contribute around INR 400-500 crores in FY 2024 (Page 8). - The orders primarily relate to Nexcharge and lithium-ion cells and modules for various OEMs, though specific customer names are under NDA (Pages 10 & 15). - Discussions with OEMs show a high conversion rate from conversations to actual orders (Page 15). - The company is confident about reaching optimal capacity utilization for its upcoming lithium-ion cell factory based on these orders (Page 5).