Dear Members,
Alkem Laboratories Limited
Your Directors are pleased to present their 50th Annual Report on the
business and operations together with the Audited Financial Statements of the Company for
financial year ended 31st March, 2024. Consolidated performance of the Company
and its subsidiaries has been referred to, wherever required.
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
|
|
|
|
(Rs. in million) |
|
Standalone |
Consolidated |
Particulars |
Year ended 31st March, 2024 |
Year ended 31st March, 2023 |
Year ended 31st March, 2024 |
Year ended 31st March, 2023 |
Revenue from Operations |
97,477.2 |
90,545.5 |
126,675.8 |
115,992.6 |
Other Income |
3,059.9 |
2,662.9 |
3,108.4 |
2,160.8 |
Total Income |
100,537.1 |
93,208.4 |
129,784.2 |
118,153.4 |
Profit before Interest, Depreciation and Tax |
22,072.9 |
16,432.4 |
24,348.4 |
17,225.5 |
Less: Interest |
819.1 |
864.0 |
1,124.1 |
1,073.6 |
Less: Depreciation |
2,443.5 |
2,298.5 |
2,993.0 |
3,104.2 |
Profit before Tax |
18,810.3 |
13,269.9 |
20,231.3 |
13,047.7 |
Less: Provision for Taxation (net) |
1,338.8 |
1,925.2 |
2,116.7 |
2,979.6 |
Profit after Tax and before Non-Controlling Interest |
17,471.5 |
11,344.7 |
18,114.6 |
10,068.1 |
Less: Non-Controlling Interest |
- |
- |
156.9 |
226.4 |
Profit for the year |
17,471.5 |
11,344.7 |
17,957.7 |
9,841.7 |
Other Comprehensive Income |
(43.5) |
(21.9) |
200.4 |
1,149.0 |
Other Comprehensive Income attributable to NonControlling Interest |
- |
- |
6.1 |
4.1 |
Total Comprehensive Income attributable to owners of the Company |
17,428.0 |
11,322.8 |
18,164.2 |
10,994.8 |
Balance of other Equity as of 01.04.2023 |
93,259.4 |
87,197.5 |
90,213.8 |
86,139.9 |
Dividend on Equity Shares |
(5,380.4) |
(5,260.9) |
(5,380.4) |
(5,260.9) |
Employee Stock Option exercised Put Option Liability recognized |
- |
- |
(305.5) |
(1,660.1) |
Employee compensation expense for the year |
- |
- |
189.4 |
- |
Balance of other Equity as of 31.03.2024 |
105,307.0 |
93,259.4 |
102,881.5 |
90,213.8 |
OVERVIEW OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
During financial year ended 31st March, 2024, the Company's total revenue
including other income was Rs.100,537.1 million on Standalone basis as against Rs.93,208.4
million achieved in the previous year, registering a growth of 7.9%.
The export turnover of the Company during financial year 202324 was Rs.19,301.8 million
as against Rs.16,444.5 million achieved in the previous year, registering a growth of
17.4%.
During financial year ended 31st March, 2024, the Company and its
subsidiaries achieved a total revenue including other income of Rs.129,784.2 million on
Consolidated basis, as against a turnover of Rs.118,153.4 million achieved in the previous
year, registering a growth of 9.8%.
During financial year ended 31st March, 2024, Standalone Profit before
interest, depreciation and tax increased by 34.3% at Rs.22,072.9 million as against
Rs.16,432.4 million in the previous year, whereas Consolidated Profit before interest,
depreciation and tax increased by 41.4% at Rs.24,348.4 million as against Rs.17,225.4
million in the previous year. As a result, Standalone Profit before tax increased by 41.8%
over the previous year to Rs.18,810.3 million and Consolidated Profit before tax was
Rs.20,231.3 million, which grew by 55.1% over the previous year.
The Standalone Net Profit after tax for financial year ended 31st March,
2024 increased by 54% to Rs.17,471.5 million over the previous year while the Consolidated
Net Profit after tax increased by 82.5% over the previous year to Rs.17,957.7 million.
DIVIDEND
During financial year 2023-24, the Board of Directors on 09th February, 2024
declared and paid an interim dividend of Rs.35/- (Rupees Thirty Five only) per equity
share of Rs.2/- (Rupees Two only) each, being 1750% of paid up share capital of the
Company. In addition, your Directors are pleased to recommend payment of Rs.5/- (Rupees
Five only) per equity share of Rs.2/- (Rupees Two only) each as final dividend for
financial year 2023-24, for the approval of the Members at the ensuing Annual General
Meeting (AGM) of the Company. If approved, the total dividend (interim and final) for
financial year 2023-24 will be Rs.40/- (Rupees Forty only) per equity share of Rs.2/-
(Rupees Two only) each as against the total dividend of Rs.50/- (Rupees Fifty only) per
equity share of Rs.2/- (Rupees Two only) each paid for the previous financial year.
In compliance with the requirement of Regulation 43A of the SEBI (Listing Obligation
and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 (hereinafter referred to as "SEBI LODR
Regulations"), the Company has formulated its Dividend Distribution Policy, which is
available on the Company's website at https://admin.
alkemlabs.com/uploads/977928327_Dividend_distribution_ policy_6b026313dc.pdf.
The said Policy is also annexed to this Report as Annexure A.
TRANSFER TO RESERVES
The Company has not transferred any amount to the General Reserve for financial year
2023-24.
SHARE CAPITAL
The paid up equity share capital of the Company as on 31st March, 2024 was
Rs.239.1 million. The Company has neither issued shares with differential rights as to
dividend, voting or otherwise nor issued shares to the Employees or Directors of the
Company, under any scheme (including sweat equity shares).
DEPOSITS
The Company has not accepted any deposits from the public/ members during the year
under review and accordingly no amount on account of principal or interest on public
deposits was outstanding as on 31st March, 2024.
SUBSIDIARIES
As on 31st March, 2024, the Company has 26 subsidiaries. The Company does
not have any joint venture / associate company(ies) within the meaning of Section 2(6) of
the Companies Act, 2013 (hereinafter referred to as "the Act").
During the year under review:
M/s. S & B Holdings, B.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company in
Netherlands was re-domiciled to Luxembourg under the name and style of M/s. S & B
Holdings S.a.r.l. w.e.f. 16th October, 2023;
M/s. Alkem Medtech Private Limited was incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary
of the Company on 27th March, 2024; and none of the companies ceased to be a
subsidiary of the Company.
Pursuant to the first proviso to Section 129(3) of the Act and Rule 5 and Rule 8(1) of
the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014, the salient features of financial statements,
performance and financial position of each subsidiary is given in Form AOC-1 as Annexure B
to this Report.
The Audited Financial Statements of the subsidiaries are available on the Company's
website at https://www.alkemlabs.com/ investors/subsidiary-accounts pursuant to Section
136 of the Act.
MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
A detailed report on the Management Discussion and Analysis is provided as a separate
section forming part of this Report.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
In compliance with Regulation 34 read with Schedule V of the SEBI LODR Regulations, a
Report on Corporate Governance for the year under review is provided as a separate section
along with a certificate from the Statutory Auditors conforming the Company's compliance
with the conditions of Corporate Governance, forming part of this Report.
BUSINESS RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
In compliance with Regulation 34 of SEBI LODR Regulations, the Business Responsibility
and Sustainability Report, describing the initiatives taken by the Company from an
environmental, social and governance perspective, is provided as a separate section
forming part of this Report.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
The Company's CSR initiatives are as per the Company's CSR Policy. The CSR program aims
to address the immediate and long term needs of the community and focus on where the major
impact on marginalized sections of the society can be made. The Company's CSR strategy
involves a multi-sectoral inclusive approach to focus on community needs. It strives to
improve the well-being of communities by focusing on key thematic areas of healthcare,
education, rural development, environment and sports. The Company implements these
activities directly or through reliable partnerships with various NGOs. During financial
year 2023-24, the Company has addressed the requirements of local communities in the
vicinity of its head office, manufacturing facilities and R&D centers through focused
projects in the said thematic areas.
Details about the Company's CSR Policy and initiatives undertaken by the Company during
financial year 2023-24 are outlined in the Report on CSR activities annexed to this Report
as Annexure C.
The CSR Policy is posted on Company's website: https://admin. alkemlabs.com
/uploads/csr_policy_e0e5ec8d61.pdf
DIRECTORS AND KEY MANAGERIAL PERSONNEL
Appointments:
The details of the appointments during the year under review are as follows:
Appointment of Dr. Vikas Gupta as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
The Board of Directors of the Company based on recommendation of the Nomination and
Remuneration Committee, approved the appointment of Dr. Vikas Gupta as the Chief Executive
Officer designated as the Key Managerial Personnel of the Company effective from 22nd
September, 2023.
Appointment of Mr. Nitin Agrawal as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company.
The Board of Directors of the Company based on recommendation of the Nomination and
Remuneration Committee & Audit Committee, approved the appointment of Mr. Nitin
Agrawal as the President & Chief Financial Officer designated as the Key Managerial
Personnel of the Company effective from 01st February, 2024.
Re-appointments:
The following Directors are proposed to be re-appointed at the ensuing AGM, the brief
details of which are mentioned in the Notice of Annual General Meeting forming part of
this Annual Report:
Re-appointment of Mr. Basudeo N. Singh as an Executive Chairman of the Company.
The Board of Directors of the Company based on the recommendation of Nomination &
Remuneration Committee and Audit Committee and pursuant to the relevant provisions of SEBI
LODR Regulations, Sections 196, 197 and 198 read with Schedule V and other applicable
provisions of the Act, the Articles of Association of the Company and considering his
contribution towards the growth of the Company, approved the re-appointment of Mr. Basudeo
N. Singh as an Executive Chairman of the Company for a term of 03 (three) consecutive
years w.e.f 01st April, 2025 upto 31st March, 2028 subject to
approval of the Members of the Company.
Re-appointment of Mr. Sarvesh Singh as an Executive Director of the Company.
The Board of Directors of the Company based on the recommendation of the Nomination
& Remuneration Committee and Audit Committee and pursuant to the relevant provisions
of SEBI LODR Regulations, Sections 196, 197 and 198 read with Schedule V and other
applicable provisions of the Act, the Articles of Association of the Company and
considering his contribution towards the growth of the Company, approved the
re-appointment of Mr. Sarvesh Singh as an Executive Director of the Company for a term of
5 (five) consecutive years w.e.f. 11th November, 2024 upto 10th
November, 2029 subject to the approval of the Members of the Company.
Re-appointment of Mr. Narendra Kumar Aneja as an Independent Director of the Company.
The Board of Directors of the Company based on the recommendation of the Nomination and
Remuneration Committee and pursuant to the provisions of Sections 149 and 152 of the Act,
the Articles of Association of the Company and considering the integrity, expertise and
experience of Mr. Narendra Kumar Aneja, approved his re-appointment as an Independent
Director of the Company for a second term of 5 (five) consecutive years w.e.f. 16th
March, 2025 upto 15th March, 2030, subject to approval of the Members of the
Company.
Retirements
Mr. Rajesh Dubey, retired from the position of President & Chief Financial Officer
of the Company w.e.f. 31st January, 2024. The Directors placed on record
appreciation for the valuable contribution made by Mr. Rajesh Dubey during his tenure as
the President & Chief Financial Officer of the Company.
Directors liable to retire by rotation
Mrs. Madhurima Singh (DIN: 09137323) and Mr. Sarvesh Singh (DIN: 01278229) are liable
to retire by rotation at the ensuing AGM of the Company pursuant to the provisions of
Section 152 of the Act read with the Companies (Appointment and Qualification of
Directors) Rules, 2014 and the Articles of Association of the Company and being eligible
they have offered themselves for re-appointment, on the recommendation of the Nomination
and Remuneration Committee and the Board of Directors of the Company.
Particulars in pursuance of Regulation 36 of the SEBI LODR Regulations read with
Secretarial Standard - 2 on General Meetings relating to Mrs. Madhurima Singh and Mr.
Sarvesh Singh are given in the Notice of AGM.
Key Managerial Personnel
In accordance with the provisions of Section 203 of the Act read with the Companies
(Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014 the following are the
Key Managerial Personnel of the Company as on 31st March, 2024:
Mr. Sandeep Singh - Managing Director;
Dr. Vikas Gupta - Chief Executive Officer;
Mr. Nitin Agrawal - President and Chief Financial Officer; and
Mr. Manish Narang, President - Legal, Company Secretary and Compliance Officer
Independent Directors
The Independent Directors hold office for a term of 5 (five) years and are not liable
to retire by rotation. The Independent Directors of the Company fulfill the conditions
specified in the Act and SEBI LODR Regulations and are independent of the management.
Declaration of independence from Independent Directors
The Company has received declarations from all the Independent Directors confirming
that they meet the criteria of independence as prescribed under the provisions of the Act,
read with the schedules and rules issued thereunder, as well as Regulation 16(1)(b) of the
SEBI LODR Regulations (including any statutory modification(s) or re-enactment(s) thereof
for the time being in force). In terms of Regulation 25(8) of the SEBI LODR Regulations,
the Independent Directors have confirmed that they are not aware of any circumstance or
situation, which exist or may be reasonably anticipated, that could impair or impact their
ability to discharge their duties with an objective independent judgement and without any
external influence.
The terms and conditions of appointment of the Independent Directors are posted on
Company's website: https://admin. alkemlabs.com/uploads/Terms_of_appointment_Independent_
Directors_2a82f9dd72.pdf
Familiarization Program
In compliance with the requirements of SEBI LODR Regulations, the Company has put in
place a framework for Directors' Familiarization Programme to familiarize them with their
roles, rights and responsibilities as Directors, the working of the Company, nature of the
industry in which the Company operates, business model, etc. The details of the
Familiarization Programme conducted during financial year under review are explained in
the Corporate Governance Report. The same is also available on the Company's website at
https://www.alkemlabs.com/investors/ details-familiarization-program
Annual Evaluation of Board's Performance
The details of the annual evaluation of the Individual Directors, Board as a whole and
all the Committees of the Board have been provided in the Corporate Governance Report,
which forms part of this Report.
The Independent Directors, at a separate meeting held on 29th March, 2024
evaluated performance of Non-Independent Directors, performance of the Board as a whole
and performance of the Chairperson of the Company.
The evaluation of the Independent Directors was carried out by the entire Board of
Directors without the participation of the respective Independent Director.
The Company follows a policy for selection and appointment of Directors, Senior
Management and their remuneration, which is available on the Company's website at
https://admin.alkemlabs. com/uploads/1378936118_Nomination_and_Remuneration_
Policy_modified_27052016_307d64b304.pdf. The said Policy is annexed to this Report as
Annexure D.
PARTICULARS OF EMPLOYEES AND RELATED DISCLOSURES
The disclosure pertaining to remuneration and other details as required under Section
197(12) of the Act read with Rule 5(1) of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of
Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014 is annexed to this Report as Annexure E.
Further, a statement showing the names and other particulars of top ten employees in
terms of remuneration drawn and of employees drawing remuneration in excess of the limits
required under Section 197(12) of the Act read with Rule 5(2) and 5(3) of the Companies
(Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014 forms part of this
Report. However, in terms of first proviso to Section 136(1) of the Act, the Annual Report
and Annual Financial Statements are being sent by email to the Members and others entitled
thereto, excluding the aforesaid information. The said information shall be provided
electronically to any Member on a written request to the Company Secretary to obtain a
copy of the same.
NUMBER OF MEETINGS OF THE BOARD
The Board of Directors met 10 (ten) times during financial year 2023-24. The details of
the Board meetings and the attendance of Directors thereat are provided in the Corporate
Governance Report, which forms part of this Report.
COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD
Audit Committee
As on 01st April, 2023, the Audit Committee comprised of Mr. Arun Kumar
Purwar as Chairperson and Mr. Sandeep Singh, Mr. Mritunjay Kumar Singh, Ms. Sangeeta
Singh, Mr. Narendra Kumar Aneja and Dr. Dheeraj Sharma as Members.
The Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on 09th February,
2024, reconstituted the Audit Committee with effect from the said date to comprise of Mr.
Arun Kumar Purwar as Chairperson and Mr. Sandeep Singh, Mr. Mritunjay Kumar Singh, Ms.
Sangeeta Singh, Mr. Narendra Kumar Aneja and Ms. Sudha Ravi as Members.
The brief terms of reference of the Audit Committee and the particulars of meetings
held and attendance thereat are mentioned in the Corporate Governance Report which forms
part of this Report.
Nomination and Remuneration Committee
As on 01st April, 2023, the Nomination and Remuneration Committee comprised
of Dr. Dheeraj Sharma as Chairperson and Mr. Basudeo N. Singh, Mr. Arun Kumar Purwar and
Ms. Sudha Ravi as Members.
The Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on 09th February,
2024, reconstituted the Nomination and Remuneration Committee with effect from the said
date to comprise of Mr. Arun Kumar Purwar as Chairperson and Mr. Basudeo N. Singh, Ms.
Sudha Ravi and Mr. Narendra Kumar Aneja as Members.
The brief terms of reference of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee and the
particulars of meetings held and attendance thereat are mentioned in the Corporate
Governance Report which forms part of this Report.
Corporate Social Responsibility Committee
As on 01st April, 2023, the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee
comprised of Mr. Arun Kumar Purwar as Chairperson and Mr. Basudeo N. Singh, Mr. Sandeep
Singh, Mrs. Madhurima Singh, Ms. Sangeeta Singh and Ms. Sudha Ravi as Members.
The Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on 09th February,
2024, reconstituted the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee with effect from the
said date to comprise of Mrs. Madhurima Singh as Chairperson and Mr. Sandeep Singh, Mr.
Srinivas Singh, Ms. Sangeeta Singh and Ms. Sudha Ravi as Members.
The brief terms of reference of the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee and the
particulars of meetings held and attendance thereat are mentioned in the Corporate
Governance Report which forms part of this Report.
Stakeholders' Relationship Committee
The Stakeholders' Relationship Committee comprises of Mr. Sujjain Talwar as Chairperson
and Mr. Mritunjay Kumar Singh, Mrs. Madhurima Singh and Mr. Srinivas Singh as Members.
The brief terms of reference of the Stakeholders' Relationship Committee and the
particulars of meetings held and attendance thereat are mentioned in the Corporate
Governance Report which forms part of this Report.
Risk Management Committee
As on 01st April, 2023, the Risk Management Committee comprised of Mr.
Mritunjay Kumar Singh as Chairperson and Mr. Sandeep Singh, Mr. Srinivas Singh, Ms. Sudha
Ravi, Dr. Dheeraj Sharma and Mr. Narendra Kumar Aneja as Members.
The Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on 09th February,
2024, reconstituted the Risk Management Committee with effect from the said date to
comprise of Mr. Mritunjay Kumar Singh as Chairperson and Mr. Sandeep Singh, Mr. Srinivas
Singh, Ms. Sudha Ravi, Mr. Narendra Kumar Aneja and Mr. Sujjain Talwar as Members.
The brief terms of reference of the Risk Management Committee and the particulars of
meeting held and attendance thereat are mentioned in the Corporate Governance Report which
forms part of this Report.
RISK MANAGEMENT
The Company's Board of Directors has overall responsibility for the establishment and
oversight of the Company's risk management framework. The Company has a Board approved
Risk Management Policy. The Board of Directors has constituted a Risk Management Committee
which is delegated with the responsibility of overseeing various strategic, operational
and financial risks that the organization faces, along with assessment of risks, their
management and mitigation procedures. A detailed analysis of the business risks and
opportunities is given under Management Discussion and Analysis Report forming part of
this Report.
DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
To the best of their knowledge and belief, your Directors confirm that:
(a) in the preparation of the annual accounts for financial year ended 31st
March, 2024, the applicable accounting standards have been followed along with proper
explanation relating to material departures, if any;
(b) they have selected such accounting policies and applied them consistently and made
judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent so as to give a true and fair
view of the state of affairs of the Company as at 31st March, 2024 and of the
profit of the Company for the year ended on that date;
(c) they have taken proper and sufficient care for the maintenance of adequate
accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Act, for safeguarding the
assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting fraud and other irregularities;
(d) they have prepared the annual financial statements on a going concern basis;
(e) they have laid down internal financial controls to be followed by the Company and
that such internal financial controls are adequate and operating effectively; and
(f) they have devised proper systems to ensure compliance with the provisions of all
applicable laws and that such systems are adequate and operating effectively.
SECRETARIAL STANDARDS
The Company has devised proper systems to ensure compliance with the provisions of all
applicable Secretarial Standards issued by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India
and that such systems are adequate and operating effectively.
AUDITORS AND AUDITORS' REPORT
Statutory Auditor
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 139 of the Act and the Companies (Audit and
Auditors) Rules, 2014 (including any statutory modification(s) or re-enactment(s) thereof,
for the time being in force), M/s. B S R & Co. LLP (Firm Registration No:
101248W/W-100022), Chartered Accountants, the Statutory Auditors of the Company, were
re-appointed by the Shareholders at the 45th AGM of the Company held on 27th
August, 2019, for another term of 5 (five) years from the conclusion of 45th
AGM of the Company until the conclusion of the 50th AGM, on such fees,
inclusive of applicable taxes and reimbursement of travelling and out of pocket expenses
incurred in connection with the audit, as recommended by the Audit Committee and as may be
mutually agreed between the Board of Directors of the Company and the Statutory Auditors.
The second term of M/s. B S R & Co. LLP, Chartered Accountants, the Statutory
Auditors of the Company shall expire at the conclusion of ensuing AGM of the Company.
Hence, the Board of Directors of the Company, based on the recommendation of the Audit
Committee and subject to approval of the shareholders, has recommended the appointment of
M/s. Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP (Firm Registration No. 117366W/W-100018), Chartered
Accountants as the Statutory Auditors of the Company for a term of 5 (five) consecutive
years to hold office from the conclusion of the 50th AGM untill the conclusion
of the 55th AGM of the Company to be held in the year 2029.
M/s. Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP, Chartered Accountants, have informed the Company
that their appointment, if made, shall be in compliance with Sections 139 and 141 of the
Act and Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014 and also confirmed that the Auditors
hold a valid certificate issued by the Peer Review Board of the Institute of Chartered
Accountants of India.
The Auditors' Report for financial year ended 31st March, 2024, is an
unmodified one. However, following are the unfavorable remarks in the auditor's report:
Delay in depositing Provident Fund for certain employees during the year which
was mainly due to their Aadhar number not being linked to the Universal Account Number
(UAN). The Company is however in the process of resolving the said issue so that dues can
be deposited.
Occurrence of Cyber Security incident in the month of November, 2023 which
compromised business email IDs of certain employees at one of the Company's subsidiaries
which resulted in a fraudulent transfer of INR 513 million. The Company had employed
independent external agencies to investigate the incident and based on their report, the
Company concluded that the impact of the incident did not extend beyond the
above-mentioned amounts nor did it occur due to any fraudulent act on part of any of the
promoters, directors, key managerial personnel or any member of the senior management or
any other employee of the Company.
The Company has since strengthened its cybersecurity infrastructure and is in the
process of implementing improvements to its cyber and data security systems to safeguard
against such risks in the future. The Company is also implementing certain long term
measures to augment its security controls systems across the organization. The Company
believes that no legal violations have occurred because of this incident, and all known
impacts on its standalone financial statements for the year ended 31st March,
2024 on account of this incident have been considered. Further, subsequent to this event,
the Company has been able to recover an amount of INR 290.4 million out of the above
mentioned. The net amount of INR 222.7 million has been shown as 'Exception item' in the
Statement of Profit and Loss.
Additionally, the below observation (not considered as an unfavorable remark) was
reported by the Auditors in their report for financial year ended 31st March,
2024:
Audit trail was not enabled at the database level to log any direct data changes
and at the application level for changes made by privileged users for the period from 22nd
July 2023 to 11th January 2024 as the table logs were inadvertently disabled
for the said intermittent period due to a planned system migration and continuous upgrade
and advancement of Company's ERP systems. The Company has ensured that adequate
compensatory controls such as controlled access rights, transaction logs, etc. were
available during the said period and working effectively.
Cost Auditor
The Company is required to maintain cost records for certain products as specified by
the Central Government under Section 148(1) of the Act and accordingly such accounts and
records are made and maintained in the prescribed manner.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 148 of the Act and the rules made thereunder read
with notifications/ circulars issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs from
time-to-time and as per the recommendation of the Audit Committee, the Board of Directors
at its meeting held on 19th May, 2023, had re-appointed Mr. Suresh
D. Shenoy, Cost Accountant (Membership No. 8318), as the Cost Auditor of the Company
for financial year 2023-24 to conduct the audit of the cost records of the Company. A
resolution for ratification of the fees payable to the Cost Auditor is included in the
Notice of AGM for seeking approval of Members. The Cost Audit Report will be filed within
the period stipulated under the Act.
Secretarial Auditor
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 204 of the Act read with the Companies
(Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, the Board of Directors
had appointed M/s Manish Ghia & Associates, Practicing Company Secretaries,
(Membership No. F6252, COP No. 3531) to conduct the Secretarial Audit of the Company for
financial year 2023-24. The Secretarial Audit Report is annexed to this Report as Annexure
F. The said Report does not contain any qualification, reservation or adverse remark.
ANNUAL RETURN
The Annual Return of the Company in prescribed Form MGT-7 is available on the website
of the Company at https://www. alkemlabs.com/investors/annual-returns
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
All the Related Party Transactions entered into during financial year 2023-24 by the
Company, were at arm's length basis and in compliance with the applicable provisions of
the Act and the SEBI LODR Regulations and are in conformity with the Company's Policy on
Related Party Transactions.
The disclosure of material related party transactions entered into by the Company
during financial year 2023-24, as required under Section 134(3)(h) of the Act read with
Rule 8(2) of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 in Form AOC-2 is annexed to this Report
as Annexure G. The Policy on Related Party Transactions as approved by the Board of
Directors is posted on the Company's website at
https://admin.alkemlabs.com/uploads/Policy_on_Related_Party_ Transactions_99b0363aec.pdf
PARTICULARS OF LOANS/ GUARANTEES GIVEN/ INVESTMENTS MADE AND SECURITIES PROVIDED
The particulars of loans, guarantees, investments and securities provided covered under
the provisions of Section 186 of the Act have been disclosed in the notes to the financial
statements forming part of the Annual Report.
VIGIL MECHANISM / WHISTLE BLOWER POLICY
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 177(9) of the Act, the Board of Directors of the
Company have framed the Vigil Mechanism / Whistle Blower Policy for employees and/ or
volunteers of the Company. The said Policy encourages to report any action or suspected
action taken within the Company that is illegal, fraudulent or in violation of any adopted
policy of the Company including reporting of instances of leak or suspected leak of
unpublished price sensitive information. The Policy also provides access to the
Chairperson of the Audit Committee under certain circumstances. The Whistle Blower Policy
is posted on the website of the Company at https://admin.alkemlabs.com/uploads/
Whistle_Blower_Policy_new_5d094b8491.pdf
PREVENTION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT WORKPLACE
The Company has adopted a policy in line with the provisions of Sexual Harassment of
Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and the Rules made
thereunder.
Internal Complaints Committees have been set up at the head office of the Company as
well as at all the Company's plants, depots and R&D centers to redress complaints
received on sexual harassment. During financial year 2023-24, the Company had received 1
complaint of sexual harassment and the same was disposed off during the year.
DISCLOSURES UNDER THE ACT
Change in Nature of Business, if any:
During financial year 2023-24, there has been no change in the nature of business of
the Company.
Material Changes and Commitments affecting the financial position of the Company:
There are no material changes and commitments, which have occurred between the end of
financial year and the date of the Report which have affected the financial position of
the Company.
Significant and Material Orders:
The Company has not received any significant or material orders passed by any
regulatory authority, court or tribunal which may impact the going concern status and
Company's operations in future.
Reporting of Frauds by Auditors:
During the year under review, there were no frauds reported by Auditors under Section
143(12) of the Act.
Details on Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code:
During the year under review, no application has been made by the Company under the
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and accordingly the requirement of disclosing the following
details are not applicable to the Company:
(i) the details of application made or any proceeding pending under the Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (31 of 2016) during the year alongwith their status as at the end of
the financial year; and
(ii) the details of difference between amount of the valuation done at the time of
onetime settlement and the valuation done while taking loan from the Banks or Financial
Institutions along with the reasons thereof.
DETAILS ON INTERNAL FINANCIAL CONTROLS RELATED TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Company has designed and implemented a process driven framework for Internal
Financial Controls (IFC) as mandated under the Act. The Company's policies, guidelines and
procedures provide for adequate checks and balances and are meant to ensure that all
transactions are authorized, recorded and reported correctly.
During the year under review, Internal Auditors of the Company with the external audit
consultants have reviewed the effectiveness and efficiency of these systems and
procedures. As per the said assessment, Board is of the view that IFC were adequate and
effective during the financial year.
CONSERVATION OF ENERGY, TECHNOLOGY ABSORPTION AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS AND OUTGO
The information on conservation of energy, technology absorption and foreign exchange
earnings and outgo as stipulated under Section 134(3)(m) of the Act and the Rules framed
thereunder is annexed herewith as Annexure H to this Report.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Your Directors would like to express sincere gratitude to all valuable stakeholders of
the Company viz., the Central and State Government Departments, organizations, agencies,
our customers, shareholders, dealers, vendors, banks, medical fraternity, patients and
other business associates for their excellent support and co-operation extended by them
during the financial year under review.
The Board of Directors also places on record its appreciation for the significant
contribution made by the employees of the Company through their dedication, hard work and
unstinted commitment.
For and on behalf of the Board
Alkem Laboratories Limited
Basudeo N. Singh
Executive Chairman
DIN: 00760310
Mumbai, 29 May, 2024