The company reported profit before exceptional items and tax of Rs 159.04 crore in Q1 FY26, compared to Rs 195.41 crore recorded in the same period a year ago. The firm reported exceptional items of Rs 3.29 crore during the quarter.

EBITDA for Q1 FY26 marginally declined 0.5% to Rs 386.2 crore, compared to Rs 388.2 crore in Q1 FY25. EBITDA margin reduced to 10.9% during the quarter as against 12.2% in the same quarter the previous year, primarily due to an increase in raw material (RM) costs.

On the margins front, the company's operating margin reduced to 10.94% in Q1 FY26, compared with 12.16% recorded in Q1 FY25. Net profit margin declined to 3.18% in Q1 FY26 from 4.83% registered in Q1 FY25.

In Q1 FY26, capital expenditure (capex) amounted to approximately Rs 231 crore.

Arnab Banerjee, MD & CEO, CEAT, stated, “We continue to grow at a strong pace with double-digit growth in top-line, driven by OEM and replacement segments. Looking ahead, we are well poised to ride the premiumization and electrification trend in the domestic market and renew our growth in international markets with stability in the geopolitical situation.”

Kumar Subbiah, CFO of CEAT, said, "Q1 saw strong growth and high-capacity utilization at all our manufacturing facilities. This growth came on the back of an increase in demand from OEM and replacement segments. As Q1 is a marketing-heavy quarter with significant marketing costs associated with IPL, operational margins saw a slight dip. Efficient cash flow management helped in gross debt coming down by Rs 100 crore during the quarter.”

Meanwhile, the board has approved the reappointment of Arnab Banerjee as managing director and CEO for another two-year term, starting 1 April 2026, pending shareholder approval.

Additionally, CEAT announced a capital expenditure plan of around Rs 450 crore to expand its Chennai plant located at Kannanthangal, Sriperumbudur, in Kancheepuram district. The plant currently operates at 80% capacity and produces about 70 lakh tires annually. The planned expansion, expected to be completed by the end of FY27, aims to increase production capacity by roughly 35%, particularly in the Passenger Car Utility Vehicle (PCUV) segment.

The investment will be financed through a combination of internal funds and debt. CEAT anticipates strong medium-term growth in the PCUV segment and plans to boost capacity to meet growing demand.

CEAT, the flagship company of RPG Enterprises, is one of India's leading tire manufacturers and has a strong presence in global markets. CEAT produces more than 41 million high-performance tires, catering to various segments like 2-wheelers, passenger and utility vehicles, commercial vehicles, and off-highway vehicles.