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Onward Technologies LtdQ2 FY24

Onward Technologies Ltd Q2 FY24 Earnings Call Analysis

Revenue, margin, capex, fundraise and order book outlook from management commentary.

Price: 248P/E: 13.5Market Cap: ₹629 CrSector: IT - Services

Management growth scorecard

Revenue

Category 3

Margin

Category 1

Fundraise

N/A

Order

N/A

Capex

Yes

2 of 3 growth signals are positive.

Full analysis

Revenue guidance

Category 3
  • Revenue growth is expected to start picking up from Q2 FY 2025 onwards after a slow Q1.
  • Management is confident about an exciting future with positive deal momentum across all three verticals.
  • Growth will be driven by mining existing relationships, deeper engagements, and building domain expertise.
  • They aim to focus on fewer, larger clients, targeting 10 clients with $10M+ and 20 clients with $5M+ revenue.
  • Expansion and growth are supported by office openings in North America (Toronto), and increasing talent via active hiring and visa approvals.
  • The company does not provide short-term projections but expects double-digit EBITDA and overall higher growth in coming years.
  • Demand remains strong, especially in U.S. and Europe, with efforts to address visa challenges to meet this demand.
  • No lost sales reported in recent quarters; revenue scaling depends on execution and capability conversion.

Margin guidance

Category 1
  • Revenue growth expected to pick up starting Q2 FY ‘25 after a slower Q1; company optimistic about returning to growth.
  • EBITDA margin improved by 176 basis points QoQ to 9.9%; target to achieve and surpass double-digit EBITDA levels consolidated this year.
  • PAT showed a 6% sequential growth in Q1 FY ‘25, indicating improved profitability.
  • Management expects the next three years to be much better than the last three, with strengths to leverage for growth.
  • Focus on fewer, deeper client engagements, targeting 10 clients at $10M+ or 20 clients at $5M+, to drive scalable revenue.
  • Investments in domain capabilities, talent acquisition, and geographic expansion (e.g., new Toronto office) to fuel future earnings.
  • Long-term goal: 70% revenue from outside India for better risk balance and growth.
  • No projections shared for specific quarters, but a positive outlook on sustainable profitable growth ahead.

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Fundraise plans

  • No explicit mention of any current or planned new fundraising through debt or equity in the transcript.
  • The company highlights a strong balance sheet with over Rs 100 crore cash on hand as of June 2024.
  • Focus is on building a strong business model with investments in labs, centers of excellence, and delivery teams through internal resources.
  • No indication of external capital raising; emphasis is on organic growth and existing investments.
  • Management expresses confidence in positive revenue momentum starting Q2 without discussing external fundraising plans.

Order book

  • Onward Technologies does not maintain a traditional sales pipeline as all recent new clients have come through references rather than active sales efforts.
  • Each client's outsourcing budget is large (e.g., $100 million to $1 billion), but Onward currently captures less than 1% of that.
  • Approximately 20-30% of each client's budget is considered available for Onward to compete for.
  • The company has signed significant deals recently, including a Rs 6.5 crore deal with Microsoft for three years.
  • Some order delays occurred due to lack of requisite talent for immediate project start, but these are expected to fill in Q2.
  • Demand is strong but execution is challenging due to stretched managerial bandwidth and limited bench strength.
  • The company aims to work deeply with fewer customers rather than many smaller clients to scale revenues.
  • No explicit total contract value (TCV) or order book is shared yet, but the management is confident of growth picking up from Q2 onwards.

Capex plans

Yes
  • Onward Technologies is actively investing in building labs, centers of excellence, and delivery teams across its three verticals and horizontals.
  • The company is upgrading its offices and infrastructure to support growth, especially in offshore delivery.
  • Investments are focused on attracting top talent by hiring highly experienced account delivery and sales managers.
  • There is a strategic push to deepen domain capabilities in industrial sectors such as heavy machinery, mining equipment, construction, automotive, and mobility.
  • Hiring over 90 full-time recruiters reflects investment in internal recruitment capabilities rather than relying on external vendors.
  • The company has invested in Microsoft licenses, including cutting-edge GenAI tools like Copilot, indicating technology strategic investments.
  • Geographic expansion efforts include opening offices in Toronto and strengthening presence in the U.S., UK, Germany, and Canada.
  • Overall, the investment phase is described as just starting, with a clear focus on growth and execution for the coming years.

How does Onward Technologies Ltd rank vs peers in IT - Services?

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1Onward Technologies Ltd
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