IN OUR CMD'S OWN WORDS
The world is no longer
conventionally cyclical it moves through structural pivots, policy changes, and
geopolitical realignments. While our positioning has always been global, our strength
today lies in how we leverage our talent and technology.
Q>47
Read about the
macroeconomic landscape and industrial overview in our MD&A report
SHAPED BY TIME,
DEFINED BY INTENT
DEAR SHAREHOLDERS,
Every business is
tested sometimes by events it cannot control, often by choices it makes. The past few
years reminded us that progress rarely follows a straight line. It bends, pauses, and
often shifts. What matters is that progress and prosperity eventually follows.
FY2025 offered no easy
answers. It brought shifts that called for reflection and pushed us to rejuvenate.
The result a
business more attuned to its purpose and better positioned to move forward.
CONTOURS OF THE EXTERNAL
LANDSCAPE
The year unfolded
against a backdrop of complex macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions.
Major economies
maintained a tight monetary policy, with elevated interest rates aimed at curbing
persistent inflation. Global demand softened, particularly in industrial production across
advanced markets, while private capex showed signs of caution.
The elections in the
United States have led to sweeping policy changes that influenced global trade dynamics.
The evolving nature of
trade has introduced considerable demand uncertainty across sectors globally, including
the United States, the world's largest economy. As businesses and consumers await clarity,
the intervening period till the end of 2025 will be characterized by demand uncertainties.
Beyond trade issues,
geopolitical conflicts in the MiddleEast and the Indian subcontinent are also likely to
impact business decisions in the near future.
The world is no longer
conventionally cyclical it moves through structural pivots, policy changes, and
geopolitical realignments. While our positioning has always been global, our strength
today lies in how effectively we leverage our talent and technology.
TRANSFORMATIONAL SHIFT IN ACTION
Although there were
improvements in many parameters in FY2025, the performance for the full year was a mixed
bag. Consolidated revenues were flattish at C15,123 crore in FY2025 as against C15,682
crore in FY2024. Consolidated EBITDA margins improved 180 bps to 18.2%, and the balance
sheet strengthened further with cash on books of 1:2,623 crore as of March end.
Transformation through
diversification has been a key driver of our success over the past several years, and it
is starting to manifest meaningfully in various aspects.
Over the last 56
years, we have undergone a pivotal shift in the customers we serve, the products we make
and the technology frontiers we have surpassed. This shift has created newer market
segments which hitherto didn't exist in our business mix.
Sectoral Shift: Within
industrial exports, Oil & Gas was historically the dominant sector. This has gradually
evolved with aerospace now accounting for 14% of industrial exports four times more than
in FY2020. The aerospace unit has progressed from supplying components to
FY2025 challenged
longheld assumptions. We responded with discipline balancing growth, profitability, and
opportunity.
delivering assemblies
and finished products. Building on this, we are investing in a new forging and machining
complex for flightcritical parts, backed by longterm customer contracts.
Product/Component
Shift: The defence business is central to our transition from components to products. With
time, we have developed inhouse defence capabilities in electronics, embedded systems,
and software creating competencies that are expected to benefit other verticals as well.
With a revenue of around C1,800 crore across artillery systems, armored vehicles,
sustainment spares, and naval utility products, the business is slowly delivering on its
longterm vision. A key thrust area within defence is the small arms segment where we have
invested heavily to build a globally competitive product line.
We see strong
potential for this vertical to replicate the success seen in some of our wellestablished
segments within defence.
As component/product
sourcing patterns reflect the shift in supply chains, we believe the time has come for
India's electronics story to play out over the next few years. Starting with the EMS
space, we expect progressive development of capabilities to manufacture complex electronic
products. A conducive policy environment and monetary incentives from the government augur
well for the evolution of electronic product manufacturing in India. Recognizing this
trend, we have made an initial entry into the value chain of hightech electronics
manufacturing on both the equipment and EMS fronts.
Another important
milestone in our transformation journey is the acquisition of AAMIMCPL. Through this
acquisition, our portfolio of products and aggregates will broaden further. We anticipate
the share of products, as a share of revenue, to reach 25% in the next few years.
Metallurgical Solution
Shift: From being a supplier of steel forgings, we have evolved as a manufacturing
conglomerate with expertise across steel, aluminum, ferrous, titanium and other exotic
alloys. This shift has enabled us to increase our content per customer/sector.
STRENGTHENING FROM WITHIN
FY2025 challenged
longheld assumptions.
We responded with
discipline balancing growth, profitability, and opportunity.
Margins strengthened
across the board.
Standalone EBITDA rose
to C2,524 crore with margins at 28.5%, while consolidated margins improved to 18.2%,
driven by a sharper mix and tighter cost control.
Capital decisions
reflected the same clarity. Surplus cash on the standalone balance sheet reached C2,623
crore, and RoCE (net of cash) held at 18.1%. Proceeds from our equity raise were used to
repay overseas debt, reducing our consolidated netdebttoequity to 0.35x and lowering
interest costs.
Our executable order
book in defence now stands at around C9,500 crore, offering multiyear visibility.
Securing the ATAGS contract reaffirmed our ability to deliver complex, hightech
platforms.
Over the last 34
years, we have invested significant capital to strengthen our overseas aluminum
operations, scale up our Indian subsidiaries and add capacity in the domestic forging
business. Majority of these investments are concluded. With capex intensity coming down,
our free cash flows are likely to improve from FY202526.
In FY2025, over 37% of
our electricity came from renewable sources, and 99.18% of waste generated was recycled.
3.790
Women empowered
SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENT
We view sustainability
as a strategic imperative deeply embedded in our business model and culture. Over the
past year, we have advanced in our ESG journey through stronger governance, sharper
disclosures, and integrated decisionmaking. A dedicated ESG Committee at the Board level
provides oversight, while our updated materiality assessment ensures we focus on what
matters most to our stakeholders. We have aligned our priorities with global frameworks
such as the UN SDGs and SBTi, reinforcing our commitment to responsible growth and
transparent reporting. Our latest ESG ratings reflect this momentum, with significant
improvements across S&P, Sustainalytics, CDP, and EcoVadis assessments.
We continue to make
tangible progress across environmental, social, and governance pillars. In FY2025, over
37% of our electricity came from renewable sources, and 99.18% of waste generated was
recycled. We have also enhanced social impact empowering
3.790 women,
supporting over 36,000 youth through skill initiatives, and upgrading 32 rural health
centers. These outcomes mark our progress towards a resilient, lowcarbon, inclusive
future that creates longterm value for all stakeholders.
SHAPING THE FUTURE
For over two decades,
we've operated across every major continent. That experience brought scale, talent, and
global reach but it also taught us that global presence requires sharp selectivity.
Going forward, we will deploy our global footprint with greater caution. India will become
the center of gravity, with capital, engineering, and leadership attention aligned to
where demand visibility, policy support, and supplychain strength converge.
Our priorities reflect
this shift. We will accelerate growth at highreturn Indian verticals defence,
aerospace, advanced castings, and a growing electronics cluster while concluding the
review of our European steel forging assets. Overseas expansion will be pursued only where
riskadjusted returns justify the exposure. Digitization will streamline factories and
compress development cycles, while the AAM India CV business acquisition strengthens our
driveline platform and increases content on domestic vehicles.
External factors such
as tariffs, emissions policy and election cycles will continue to evolve. But with a
strong balance sheet and long domestic order books, we have the ability to adapt.
EMERGING STRONGER, TOGETHER
In retrospect, one
truth is clear: progress is a collective effort. Our customers raised the bar we
responded with performance. Our people embraced change with skill and resilience their
growth remains central to our purpose. Shareholders enabled decisive moves they can
expect the same clarity going forward. And the communities around us shared their trust
we remain committed to translating success into local opportunity and responsible growth.
This year proved that
purposeful transformation builds enduring strength. We acted swiftly where speed mattered,
and stayed the course where patience paid off. That balance decisive action and steady
execution will shape our path as we deepen our base in India and approach global
opportunities with sharper intent.
Thank you for being
part of this journey. Together, we'll keep building and keep emerging stronger.
Warm regards, |
B N Kalyani |
Chairman and
Managing Director |