Tata Communications Ltd
Q2 FY25 Earnings Call Analysis
Telecom - Services
fundraise: No informationcapex: Yesrevenue: Category 3margin: Category 2orderbook: No
💰fundraise
Any current/future new fundraising through debt or equity?
- There is no explicit mention of any current or planned new fundraising through debt or equity in the transcript.
- The management discusses maintaining and investing in existing stakes (e.g., 26% stake in STT Data Centres) without indicating new fundraising.
- Kabir Ahmed Shakir mentioned taking an NCD (Non-Convertible Debenture) of INR 70 crore earlier, but this was presented as an existing position rather than new fundraising.
- The company focuses on strategic investments in digital and AI Cloud projects but does not specify raising fresh funds via equity or debt.
- They are guided by internal IRR thresholds for CapEx decisions and are balancing investments without signaling recent or upcoming major capital raises.
🏗️capex
Any current/future capex/capital investment/strategic investment?
- Tata Communications has made strategic investments including acquiring 1,000 GPUs for its Vayu AI Cloud, with plans to invest more as utilization increases.
- Current CapEx to sales ratio is around 11%-12%, expected to continue in the near term.
- The company continues to invest in subsidiaries like STT Data Centre, retaining its 26% stake and making further investments.
- Investments are guided by IRR thresholds aligned with ambitions of doubling revenue, achieving 23%-25% margins, and above 25% ROCE.
- Tata Communications is investing in digital business products and strategic bets, focusing on AI, software-defined connectivity, programmable voice, RCS, and orchestration layers.
- The company is exploring and exploiting data centre connectivity opportunities domestically and internationally.
- Corporate actions, like land parcel monetization, are ongoing but separate from operational investments.
📊revenue
Future growth expectations in sales/revenue/volumes?
- Tata Communications is optimistic about sustaining growth rates in the coming years.
- Growth is driven by market opportunities across network redesign for distributed data, AI, and workflows.
- Strategic bets in digital products and AI-enabled services are in early stages but gaining good market traction.
- The company targets doubling digital revenue and expects strategic bets to contribute at least 10% incremental digital revenues this year.
- Core Connectivity is growing at low to mid-single digits, bolstered by data center connectivity and AI tailwinds.
- Order book growth is expected to accelerate in H2 after a flattish first half due to a high base last year.
- International and enterprise segments show robust order booking, with new large deals secured.
- AI Cloud customer traction is strong, with further investments contingent on utilization.
- Overall, Tata Communications maintains its revenue ambitions and is confident about capitalizing on growth opportunities.
📈margin
Future growth expectations in earnings/operating earnings/profits/EPS?
- Tata Communications is optimistic about sustainable growth driven by digital business and strategic bets such as AI Cloud, Voice AI, and Digital Fabric orchestration.
- Digital revenue and data portfolios show double-digit growth, expected to accelerate profitability and operating leverage over upcoming quarters.
- The company anticipates at least 10% contribution from strategic bets to incremental digital revenues this year.
- Enterprise order book shows double-digit QoQ growth, with robust funnel and 60% digital services contribution, indicating revenue acceleration potential in H2 FY26.
- Margins may see improvement despite some near-term headwinds (e.g., Red Sea cable cuts, revised TCR comp structure), with focus on margin progression through data EBITDA growth.
- ROCE currently at 15.1% is expected to improve; capex decisions are aligned to hit >25% ROCE over time.
- Management remains committed to profitable growth, aiming to surpass previous margin profiles gradually while scaling new investments.
📋orderbook
Current/ Expected Orderbook/ Pending Orders?
- The overall order book for Tata Communications is currently flat in the first half of FY26.
- This flatness is primarily due to a high base effect from a very strong Q1 and Q2 in the previous year.
- The order booking this quarter is decent, above previous years but lower than Q2 last year.
- The enterprise segment order book has shown double-digit quarter-on-quarter growth.
- The service provider segment order book remains somewhat static.
- The OTT (Over-The-Top) order booking continues to be lumpy.
- Management is confident about solid order pipelines and a robust funnel with 60% attributable to digital services.
- They expect an acceleration of order book growth in H2 FY26 due to back-ended revenues from current orders.
- Tata Communications is expanding coverage internationally to further increase order bookings.
