Dear Shareholders,
In my last letter to you I shared our commitment to achieving strong
and sustainable growth. It gives me immense pleasure to say that we have taken another
firm step forward in that journey during FY24. This year was a landmark year for us, with
our overall revenues surpassing the ^ 20,000-crore milestone and data revenues crossing ^
17,000 crores. I see this as an outcome of a solid execution on a sound strategy. This
remarkable accomplishment is a testament to our strategic focus on enhancing digital
platforms and solutions, globally.
Resilient, stable and agile:
The Power of our digital fabric of solutions:
Our digital fabric of solutions is strongly resonating with customers
worldwide. Each component the network fabric, cloud fabric, customer interaction
fabric, IoT fabric, and media fabric continue to address the evolving challenges
faced by enterprises. This comprehensive approach enables us to support large enterprises
and extend our expertise to new clients across diverse geographies.
In today's landscape of burgeoning technologies, we don't
just offer solutions but uncomplicate the complex. We secure and streamline client
ecosystems, empowering them to optimise performance, efficiency, and cost structures.
The opportunity landscape for us is growing exponentially, and the
strategic investments that we have made over the years will continue to generate value for
us and augment our capabilities as a leading global commtech player.
Revolutionising the Digital Landscape:
? We amplified our IZO Multi Cloud Connect solution with
additional features to integrate multiple clouds instantly, seamlessly and with
flexibility. Stitched into the digital architecture of enterprises, this will bring fast
and easy cloud connectivity, improved and dependable user experience and cost optimisation
for our customers globally.
? In August 2023, we launched the Tata Communications cloud-based 5G
Roaming Lab, equipped with hi-tech server applications that provide highspeed and seamless
5G roaming connectivity along with network security, enabling MNOs to trial 5G standalone
network use cases before introducing the service to their subscribers.
? We recently unveiled Tata
Communications CloudLyte, a fully automated edge computing platform,
designed to empower future-ready enterprises to thrive in a data-driven world.
This multi-access, cloud, and infrastructure agnostic platform offers
rapid deployment of applications to any edge or near-edge location withiminutes,
seamlessly extending the cloud experience to edge. It is a unique 'Solution-in-a-box',
encompassing infrastructure alongside platform, network, and managed services designed to
address specific business needs.
Redefining our digital fabrics
At Tata Communications, we are undergoing a transformation of profound
scale and scope.
Continued investments in our core network infrastructure (network
fabric) have enabled us to develop multifaceted software-defined capabilities while also
maintaining our position as a major global player in voice communications.
Our customer interaction fabric, focused on streamlining B2C customer
interaction across all channels through our platforms is another key growth driver for us.
A strong performance in India's private cloud market, coupled with our
robust security portfolio, has created a strong foundation for international expansion in
Cloud Security and Edge (cloud fabric).
Our IoT fabric, a smaller portfolio currently, presents significant
growth opportunities both domestically and internationally.
Each of these fabrics holds substantial 'white space' for future
expansion.
Growing inorganically, leveraging potential
Several strategic decisions made during the year have shaped our growth
trajectory. This fiscal, we completed the acquisition of Kaleyra. In the digital age,
businesses require multi-channel customer engagement solutions built for intuitive,
intelligent, anautomated interactions. Combining our customer engagement solutions with
Kaleyra's stronghold in technological expertise will drive the growth of global
enterprises through hyper-personalised and intelligent customer interactions.
We also completed the acquisition of The Switch Enterprises LLC ('The
Switch'), which has helped us expand our reach to top tier US sporting event venues and
gain a strong foothold in North America and has amplified our media and entertainment
portfolio in end- to-end video production and transmission capabilities. This will
revolutionise live video experiences for viewers and fans across various platforms.
Acquisition of the remaining 41.9% equity in Oasis Smart SIM Europe, to
make us the sole shareholder has helped us leverage the combined power of Tata
Communications MOVE platform and Oasis' eSIM (embedded SIM) and remote SIM
provisioning capabilities to equip global enterprises with end-to-end, scalable and secure
eSIM connectivity, a cornerstone for delivering intelligent and intuitive IoT
applications, and stitching a digital fabric of secure, connected experiences.
Collaboration is at the heart of our success. Our partnership with
Microsoft exemplifies this commitment. By leveraging our Tata Communications GlobalRapide
platform and Microsoft's Operator Connect, we're enabling businesses of all sizes and
locations in India to experience seamless voice calling on Teams devices. Given our
extensive reach across 190+ countries and partnerships with 700+ mobile network operators,
the partnership empowers Indian enterprises and multinational corporations alike to
bolster productivity, while adhering to local regulations.
Sustaining Financial Fitness
>Despite significant investments in organic and inorganic growth, we
delivered a strong financial performance in FY24. Our reported EBITDA margin touched a
healthy 20.2%, reflecting the positive outcome of these investments, while our Core EBITDA
margin, which excludes the impact of subsidiaries and recent acquisitions, stood at 23.7%,
well within our expected range of 23-25%.
As we capture synergies from our acquisitions and leverage operational
efficiencies, we expect profitability to improve further. Our focus remains on creating
robust financial capacity to capitalise on new opportunities in AI cloud, multi-cloud
connectivity and Tata Communications CloudLyte.
Our Digital Portfolio continues to be a bright spot, boasting a 55.4%
reported growth and a 14.7% underlying growth.
Over the past two years, the Digital Portfolio has achieved a
remarkable CAGR of 37%.
Recognised for Excellence: A Testament to our Dedication
We are deeply honoured by the recognitions we have received in FY24. We
were honoured in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for our Global WAN Services for the 11th
consecutive year, reaffirming our industry leadership. We also received multiple awards
for our enterprise connectivity and communication solutions. These awards are a testament
to our relentless pursuit of delivering best-in-class platforms and solutions,
consistently exceeding the expectations of our customers.
Additionally, we secured a triple win at the Global InfoSec Awards 2024
from Cyber Defence Magazine and were recognized at the Future Digital Awards for Smart
Cities &
IoT Innovation 2023.
Among other accolades, we continued to be recognised as a Great Place
to Work ('GPTW') in India, US, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sri Lanka, UK;
Top 100 Best Workplaces to work by GPTW in Greater China & Hong
Kong; 100 Best Hall of Fame - Best Companies for Women by Avtar; Best Workplaces for Women
by Great Place to Work.
Our cross-functional teamwork was also recognised within the Tata Group
as we received the prestigious recognition as an 'Industry Leader' in the Tata Business
Excellence Model ('TBEM') Assessment for global business practices and processes with a
score of 668. Your Company also underwent a group-wide assessment on data maturity (DATOM
Assessment) covering the dimensions of Data, Technology, People and Process and achieved
the highest percentile.
Tata Communications also bagged Top Honours at the Tata Affirmative
Action Programme ('TAAP') convention, receiving TAAP Recognition for Significant Adoption
for 2023 (with a triple band jump in score), reflecting our commitment to creating a
positive impact in the community.
A Sustainable Future: Responsibility woven into our fabric
Sustainability remains a core of our business strategy and we are
committed to be Net Zero by 2035 across our global operations.
We minimise our environmental footprint, integrate renewable energy,
and empower our customers on their sustainability journeys. In line with our
sustainability efforts, a key milestone this year was the adoption of a
sustainability-linked loan ('SLL') framework, a first in our sector for India. This
innovative financing approach ties loan margins to our carbon emission reduction targets,
demonstrating our dedication to responsible business practices and long-term
sustainability leadership.
By incorporating renewable energy sources in our energy consumption
mix, we are reaffirming our commitment to environmental responsibility and adopting
ecofriendly energy alternatives.
Furthermore, our Science Based Targets initiative ('SBTi') - approved
targets mark a transformative shift, aligning technological advancement with environmental
stewardship. By embracing the SBTi's target-setting criteria, we did not merely pledge
allegiance to a cause; we intend to drive a global movement towards a more sustainable
future.
Staying ahead of the technology curve:
Investing in the Future
With a robust capital governance framework in place, we are
strategically investing in the right opportunities to help us stay ahead of an
ever-disruptive technology curve. Our investments in megatrends such as the AI,
Cloud, and enhanced collaboration experiences position us to capitalise
on new opportunities.
At the same time, we are conducting a meticulous review of our existing
operations, optimising resources to sharpen our competitive edge. This two-pronged
approach
- strategic investment and operational efficiency - is the key to
driving profitability and delivering exceptional value to our shareholders and customers.
Our data growth ambitions, supported by an expanded portfolio and
growing customer relevance, fuel our medium-term growth.
We understand that some markets may experience slower decisionmaking
cycles. However, our diverse offerings position us perfectly to capitalise on an upswing
in any region. Our leadership in India, coupled with our expanding global footprint
creates fertile ground for sustained progress.
This year, we witnessed a phenomenal 90% YoY increase in new client
acquisition, a testament to our brand recognition and industry-leading reputation. This
growth story isn't just about numbers; it's about empowering businesses of all sizes and
locations to navigate the digital landscape with confidence.
We are deeply grateful for the support of our dedicated teams,
partners, and all our stakeholders. Together, we will continue to reimagine, redefine, and
revolutionise our digital fabric of solutions.
Regards, |
A. S. Lakshminarayanan |
Managing Director and CEO |