Finolex Cables LtdQ4 FY25Industrial Products

Finolex Cables Ltd

Q4 FY25 Earnings Call Analysis

Management growth scorecard

Revenue

Category 3

Margin

Category 3

Fundraise

N/A

Order

Yes

Capex

Yes

2 of 4 growth signals are positive.

Revenue guidance

Category 3

→Revenue growth was 6% YoY and 3% QoQ in the recent quarter; 11% growth over 9 months.
→Electrical cable volume growth is about 8%; communication cables volumes were flat or decreased due to BharatNet tender delay.
→BharatNet tender expected to be floated soon, with revenue flow from Q1 or Q2 FY25.
→Demand for fiber expected to rise beyond 35-40 million km, potentially reaching 50 million km as 5G and other projects roll out.
→Construction activity shows slight dip but overall positive; mid-teens volume growth for wires segment feasible in FY25.
→Capacity utilization at ~65-70%, with no immediate bottlenecks to handle 15% additional volume growth.
→Market share stable at ~23-24% in wires; competition intense but price-based competition not sustainable.
→Long-term fiber demand expected to grow strongly, supported by government projects and increasing use cases.

Category 3

→Volume growth in electrical wires expected to accelerate, with mid-teens percentage growth possible in FY '25 due to construction projects nearing completion.
→Optical fiber capacity expansion aligns with anticipated significant demand increase from government projects like BharatNet and 5G rollouts; fiber consumption in India expected to rise from ~20 million km to 50 million km eventually.
→Margins in cable and wire business currently around 12-14%; focus on backward integration (making preforms in-house) may improve margins to double digits at 70-75% capacity utilization.
→Margin pressure due to product mix (increased auto/agri cables with lower margins) may normalize with stabilization of product mix.
→Advertising and marketing spend increased to around INR 50 crores to drive growth.
→Overall, the company anticipates higher volume and revenue growth in FY '25 with stable operating margins, barring major economic disruptions.

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→There is no explicit mention in the transcript of any current or future fundraising plans through debt or equity.
→The company is focused on capital expenditure for capacity expansion, particularly in optical fiber, preform production, and e-beam insulation compounding plants.
→Capex plans are being funded internally as there is no indication of external fundraising.
→The discussion mentions readiness for future demand growth but no reference to raising new funds.
→No update on litigation or financial restructuring that might suggest fundraising needs was provided.

Yes

→A major tender related to BharatNet involving approximately 650,000 kilometers of cables and around 25 million kilometers of fiber is imminent; expected to be floated within a week.
→The tender award process could take 2-3 months post submission, with revenue likely to start flowing from Q2 FY25.
→The project is a 3-year program with large and smaller packages.
→Currently, there's no government business or major tenders during the past 9 months except a small one (~10,000-15,000 kilometers).
→Reliance is buying small fiber count cables primarily for 5G rollouts; Bharti's contract process has been delayed and involved multiple rounds of reverse auctions.
→The communication cable segment revenue has been low due to the absence of large government or private orders but is expected to improve with the new tender.
→The company has already invested in capacity expansion in optical fiber anticipating increased demand once the tender is awarded.

Yes

→Expanding fiber draw capacity from 4 million kilometers to 8 million over 2 years.
→Setting up a preform plant (Phase 1) expected to produce about 100 tons annually, translating to 4.5-5 million kilometers of fiber; production to start by end of Q2 or early Q3 next financial year.
→Additional cabling capacity expansion planned to handle increased fiber output.
→E-beam building completed; first equipment delivery expected mid-February, production starting Q1 next year; second equipment delivery in May with commissioning expected 2 months later.
→Setting up insulation compound plant for e-beam process compound production by year-end to reduce dependency on third-party compounds.
→Compounding plant being set up in Goa for own insulation needs, with construction and equipment pending permissions, expected by fiscal year-end.
→Auto cable capacity expansion underway in Roorkee, with equipment arrival expected July-August this year.

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