ICE Make Refrigeration Ltd
Q3 FY25 Earnings Call Analysis
Industrial Manufacturing
fundraise: Yescapex: Yesrevenue: Category 2margin: Category 2orderbook: Yes
🏗️capex
Any current/future capex/capital investment/strategic investment?
- The company is in the dialogue phase for a second phase CAPEX of Rs. 150 crore.
- This Rs. 150 crore CAPEX includes capacity expansion, technology upgradation, and automation.
- Funding for this CAPEX is planned through a mix of debt (there is some capacity left) and equity, but final decisions are yet to be crystallized.
- For FY’26, CAPEX of Rs. 22 crores has already been done, including land purchase (~Rs. 10.5 crores) for phase II.
- Additional CAPEX in H2 FY’26 is expected to be modest, around Rs. 3-5 crores, possibly up to Rs. 15 crores if developments accelerate.
- The new plant and expansions are expected to put some pressure on ROCE initially, but will improve when optimum utilization is achieved.
📊revenue
Future growth expectations in sales/revenue/volumes?
- Ice Make Refrigeration targets Rs. 1000 crore revenue by FY’27-28, indicating strong growth ambitions.
- Current order book stands at Rs. 190 crore, reflecting ongoing demand and healthy pipeline.
- Growth driven by expansion in cold rooms, commercial refrigeration, industrial refrigeration, transport refrigeration, ammonia verticals, continuous panels, and new commercial freezer vertical.
- The company focuses on capacity expansion, automation, technology upgrades, and deeper market penetration, especially in Eastern, Central, and Southern India.
- Demand is rising in sectors like food processing, dairies, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and e-commerce.
- Management expects a 40:60 sales split between H1 and H2, with higher volumes and revenues in the second half.
- Price increases planned to yield approximately 1% margin benefit, supporting revenue growth.
- New business verticals are expected to contribute positively to margins and volumes in coming years.
📈margin
Future growth expectations in earnings/operating earnings/profits/EPS?
- The company targets a top-line revenue of Rs. 1000 crore by FY’27-28.
- EBITDA margin is expected to improve to 8% for FY’26 and normalize around 10%-11% by FY’28.
- ROCE (Return on Capital Employed) target is around 25% over time, though it may face short-term pressure during CAPEX phases.
- Margin improvement is anticipated through gradual price increases (~1% margin benefit) and better scale of operations.
- New verticals like commercial freezers, continuous panels are expected to move towards breakeven with positive EBITDA trajectory from FY’26 onwards.
- Order book of ~Rs. 190 crore supports near-term revenue growth.
- Working capital pressure is expected initially but should improve as business scales in H2 FY’26 and beyond.
- The management expects that once CAPEX achieves optimal utilization, profitability and ROCE will substantially improve.
📋orderbook
Current/ Expected Orderbook/ Pending Orders?
- Current order book stands at Rs. 190 crores.
- Vertical-wise order book breakdown:
- Cold room: Rs. 33 crores.
- Commercial and dairy vertical: Rs. 15 crores.
- Industrial refrigeration: Rs. 3 crores.
- Refurbished transport refrigeration: Rs. 5 crores.
- Ammonia vertical: Rs. 52 crores.
- Continuous panel: Rs. 35 crores.
- Chest freezer division: Rs. 1 crore (newly started).
- Project orders: Rs. 45 crores.
- Order delivery timelines vary by product size, with smaller products deliverable in a week and large cold room projects taking from 45 days up to six months.
- The order book is ongoing, with new orders regularly coming in as old ones get completed.
💰fundraise
Any current/future new fundraising through debt or equity?
- The company is in the dialogue phase for a planned Rs. 150 crore Phase II CAPEX.
- Funding for this CAPEX is expected to be a mix of debt and equity.
- Currently, there is still some capacity to raise additional debt.
- The company remains open to raising equity but has not yet finalized the plan.
- The final decision on the mix of debt and equity funding will depend on the progress and finalization of the CAPEX plan.
