Dear Members,
The Board of Directors are pleased to present the 5th
Integrated Annual Report covering the business and operations of Hitachi Energy India
Limited ("the Company") along with the Company's audited financials for the
year ended March 31,2024.
1. Financial Summary and Highlights:
(Amount in Rs Crores)
|
FY 2023-24 |
FY 2022-23 |
Particulars |
From April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024 |
From April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023 |
Revenue from Operations |
5,237.49 |
4,468.51 |
Add: Other Income |
9.29 |
15.14 |
Total Income |
5,246.78 |
4,483.65 |
Less: Total Expenses |
5,025.08 |
4,352.83 |
Profit before tax |
221.70 |
130.82 |
Tax expense |
57.92 |
36.92 |
Profit after tax |
163.78 |
93.90 |
Add: Other Comprehensive Income |
(4.81) |
1.74 |
Total Comprehensive Income |
158.97 |
95.64 |
Balance of retained earnings transferred pursuant to the
scheme of arrangement |
- |
- |
Balance brought forward from the previous year |
691.31 |
608.39 |
Amount available for appropriation |
850.28 |
704.03 |
Appropriations: |
|
|
Equity dividend paid |
(14.41) |
(12.72) |
Tax on equity dividend paid |
- |
- |
Debenture redemption reserve |
- |
- |
General reserve |
- |
- |
Balance carried forward |
835.87 |
691.31 |
Key ratios: |
|
|
Earnings per share (C) |
38.64 |
22.16 |
2. Performance Review:
During the financial year ended March 31, 2024, orders touched C
5,536.30 Crores as against C 6,817.20 Crores during the year ended March 31, 2023. The
orders witnessed a healthy growth reflecting the technology push and continued traction in
transformers and high voltage products. The order backlog at the end of the year stood at
C 7,229.53 Crores (March 31,2023 was C 7,070.91 Crores) which continued to provide
visibility to the future revenue streams. The total income for your Company for the
financial year ended March 31, 2024, stood at C 5,246.78 Crores (March 31, 2023 was C
4,483.65 Crores), reflecting stability of operations. Profit before tax was C 221.70
Crores (March 31, 2023 was C 130.82 Crores). Accordingly, net profit after tax was C
163.78 Crores (March 31, 2023 was C 93.90 Crores). The earnings per share for the
financial year ended March 31, 2024, stood at C 38.64 (March 31, 2023 was C 22.16).
For detailed analysis of the performance, including industry overview,
changes, and outlook, please refer to the Management's Discussion and Analysis
section of this Report.
There has been no change in the nature of business during the financial
year under review.
3. Management Discussion and Analysis:
Management Discussion and Analysis for the year under review, as
stipulated under the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and
Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 ("Listing Regulations"), is presented
in Annexure-A, forming part of the Boards' Report.
4. Glimpse of rebranding and consolidation:
Hitachi Energy India Limited ("the Company") underwent
significant transformations since its inception. Firstly, the Scheme of Arrangement
("Scheme") between (i) ABB India Limited ("INABBVTransferor") and (ii)
Hitachi Energy India Limited ("Company"/"Transferee") and their
respective shareholders and creditors, pursuant to the provisions of Section 230 to 232
and other applicable provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, ("Act") which
provided for inter alia the Demerger of the Power Grids Business of INABB ("Demerged
Undertaking") and the consequent issuance of equity shares by your Company to the
shareholders of INABB as per the share entitlement ratio, which was approved by the
National Company Law Tribunal, Bengaluru Bench ("NCLT") on November 27, 2019,
allowed Hitachi Energy India Limited to concentrate its resources on its core business
areas, enhance operational efficiency, and maximize value for its stakeholders.
In addition, 3,17,86,256 equity shares aggregating 75% of the paid-up
capital of your Company was transferred from ABB Asea Brown Boveri Ltd. to ABB Ltd. by way
of dividend in kind, and subsequently from ABB Ltd. to Hitachi Energy Ltd as contribution
in kind (as disclosed by the Shareholders) on February 5, 2021.
Consequent to this, your Company underwent a name change from "ABB
Power Products and Systems India Limited" to "Hitachi Energy India Limited"
with effect from November 12, 2021, following the rebranding of its parent company as
Hitachi Energy Ltd. and in keeping with its' vision of becoming a part of Hitachi Energy
group. This change reaffirms your Company's commitment to advance a sustainable energy
future for all in India, in the presence of key policy makers and industry leaders. With
its new brand name - Hitachi Energy India - the business will be able to effectively
position its pioneering technologies and services to existing and future customers
expanding beyond the grid - opening up a breadth of opportunities in areas such as
sustainable mobility and smart life, and contributing further economic, environmental and
social value. In continuation to the change in name of the Company, the Memorandum of
Association and Articles of Association of your Company were also amended involving name
change and the financial year of the Company was changed from January 1 - December 31 to
April 1 - March 31 during the financial period 2021-22. Necessary approvals from various
regulatory authorities, as applicable in this regard was secured by the Company from time
to time.
Furthermore, on December 28, 2022, Hitachi Ltd., the ultimate parent
entity of the Company has completed the previously announced acquisition of ABB Ltd.'s
remaining 19.9% equity stake in Hitachi Energy Ltd., a Joint Venture that was formed from
ABB's Power Grids business in 2020. Thus, Hitachi Ltd. now holds 100% of the equity stake
in Hitachi Energy Ltd., (Zurich, Switzerland), which is the holding company which
presently holds 75% stake in the Company. The solid commitment from Hitachi to the
announced acquisition of the remaining shares of Hitachi Energy ahead of plan will help
accelerating enabling the agile and committed team to support customers and partners
addressing the global challenge of the energy transition, while continuing to deliver
strong financial performance and creating value.
Re-classification of Promoter/Promoter Group entities of the Company:
During the year under review, the Board of Directors at their meeting
held on May 23, 2023 (which adjourned and concluded on May 24, 2023), approved the request
received from ABB Asea Brown Boveri Ltd, ABB Switzerland Ltd, and ABB Ltd ("Outgoing
Promoters") under Promoter/ Promoter Group, seeking re-classification from
Promoter/ Promoter Group Category' to Public Category' under Regulation 31A of
the SEBI Listing Regulations. Further, your Company had made an application to National
Stock Exchange of India Limited and BSE Limited (collectively referred to as the
"Stock Exchanges") on June 7, 2023, seeking approval for re-classification of
the Outgoing Promoters from Promoter/ Promoter Group Category' to Public
Category'.
On October 6, 2023, your Company had received the necessary approvals
from the Stock Exchanges vide their letters dated October 6, 2023 and accordingly, ABB
Asea Brown Boveri Ltd, ABB Switzerland Ltd, and ABB Ltd, have been reclassified from
Promoter/Promoter Group Category' to Public Category' in the shareholding of
the Company with effect from October 6, 2023. Accordingly, the above Promoters were
considered under the Public' category of shareholders with effect from October 6,
2023.
Also, your Company has received advisory letters from the Stock
Exchanges vide their letters dated October 6, 2023. Your Company had filed an application
with the Stock Exchanges on June 7, 2023 for re-classification of certain persons from
Promoter/Promoter Group Category' to Public Category' in accordance with
Regulation 31A of the SEBI Listing Regulations. The advisory letters were issued on
account of a delay (of 21.5 hours) in filing the intimation, in relation to submission of
the aforesaid application, with the Stock Exchanges pursuant to disclosure requirement
under Regulation 31A(8)(c) of the SEBI Listing Regulations. The intimation was required to
be filed within 24 hours of the filing of the application by the Company. However, there
was no impact on financial, operation or other activities of your Company pursuant to the
abovementioned advisory letters.
5. Dividend & Reserves:
a) Declaration and payment of dividend:
The Board of Directors at their meeting held on May 21,2024,
recommended a final dividend of C 4.00 (Rupees Four only) per equity share for the
financial year ended March 31, 2024, on 4,23,81,675 equity shares of C 2/- each fully
paid.
The dividend recommended is in accordance with the Company's Dividend
Distribution Policy.
b) Dividend Distribution Policy:
I n terms of the provisions of Regulation 43A of the SEBI Listing
Regulations, the Company has in place a Dividend Distribution Policy, which contains
various parameters, basis which the Board of Directors may recommend or declare Dividend.
The same is accessible at the Company's website at: https://www.
hitachienergy.com/in/en/investor-relations/corporate- governance#policies
c) Book Closure:
The Register of Members and Share Transfer Books of the Company will
remain closed from August 15, 2024 to August 21,2024 (both days inclusive) to determine
the eligible shareholders to receive the dividend for the year ended March 31, 2024 and
accordingly, the record date for dividend will be Wednesday, August 14, 2024.
According to the Finance Act, 2020, dividend income will be taxable in
the hands of the Members w.e.f. April 1, 2020, and the Company is required to deduct tax
at source from the dividend paid to the Members at prescribed rates as per the Income Tax
Act, 1961.
d) Unclaimed dividends:
Details of outstanding and unclaimed dividends previously declared and
paid by the Company are given under the Corporate Governance Report.
e) Transfer to Investor Education and Protection Fund:
As per Section 124 of the Companies Act, 2013, read with IEPF Authority
(Accounting, Audit, Transfer and Refund) Rules 2016 (the Rules') all unpaid or
unclaimed dividends are required to be transferred by the Company to the I EPF established
by the Central Government, after completion of seven years and the shares in respect of
which dividend has not been paid or claimed by the members for seven consecutive years or
more shall also be transferred to the Demat account created by IEPF Authority. In line
with the applicable provisions and after completion of seven consecutive years, the
Company will transfer the said shares, after sending an intimation of the proposed
transfer in advance to the concerned shareholders, as well as publish a public notice in
this regard.
Further, pursuant to the Scheme of Arrangement [entered into between
(i) ABB India Limited ("INABB"/"Transferor") and (ii) Hitachi Energy
India Limited ("the Company") and their respective shareholders and creditors]
approved by National Company Law Tribunal, Bengaluru Bench vide its order dated November
27, 2019, the Company directly allotted 1,07,421 Equity Shares to the shareholders of ABB
India Limited in accordance with the share entitlement ratio pertaining to the relevant
shares of ABB India Limited lying with IEPF.
Accordingly, the Dividend declared up to financial year 2023-24
pertaining to the shares remaining with IEPF authorities has also been transferred to the
Investor Education and Protection Fund account from time to time.
The details of the above are provided on the website of the Company at:
https://www.hitachienergy.com/ in/en/investor-relations/shareholder-information#iepf
f) Transfer to Reserves:
For the financial year under review, your Company has proposed not to
transfer any amount to the General Reserves.
6. Share Capital:
As of March 31, 2024, the authorized share capital of the Company was C
10 Crores comprising of 5,00,00,000 equity shares of C 2 each, and the paid-up equity
share capital as of March 31,2024, was C 8.48 Crores comprising of 4,23,81,675 equity
shares of C 2 each.
During the year under review, the Company had neither issued any shares
nor instruments convertible into equity shares of the Company or with differential voting
rights nor has granted any sweat equity shares.
7. Material Changes and Commitment affecting the Financial Position:
There were no material changes affecting the financial position of the
Company that took place after the close of the financial year 2023-24 till the date of
this Report.
8. Subsidiary / Joint Venture or Associate Company:
During the financial year under review, the Company did not have any
subsidiary, joint venture, or associate Company.
9. Expansion / Addition of new manufacturing facilities:
Your Company added new manufacturing facilities, the details of which
are provided under Management Discussion and Analysis section of this Report.
10. Credit Rating:
The Company had outstanding short-term borrowings of C 150 Crores as on
March 31, 2024, utilized from the established credit lines with banks.
CRISIL Ratings Limited has reaffirmed the long-term and short-term
credit ratings for C 6,000 Crores bank loan facilities of the Company.
CRISIL has assigned CRISIL A1+' as Short-Term Rating and assigned
CRISIL AAA/Stable' ratings as a Long-Term Rating effective from August 29, 2023.
The Company's financial discipline and prudence are reflected in the
strong credit ratings ascribed by rating agencies. The details of credit ratings are also
disclosed in the Management Discussion and Analysis section, which forms part of the
Board's Report.
11. Board of Directors and Key Managerial Personnel:
The Board of Directors of the Company comprises of eminent persons with
proven competence and integrity. Besides the experience, strong financial insight and
leadership qualities, they have a significant degree of commitment towards the Company and
devote adequate time to the Meetings.
As at March 31, 2024, the Board of Directors comprised 6 Directors of
which 1 is Executive Director, 2 are Non-Executive, Non-Independent Directors and 3 are
Non-Executive, Independent Directors.
Mr. Nuguri Venu (DIN: 07032076), Managing Director and Chief
Executive Officer is the Executive Director.
Mr. Ismo Antero Haka (DIN:08598862) and Mr. Achim Michael Braun
(DIN:08596097) are the Non-Executive, Non-Independent Directors.
Mr. Mukesh Butani (DIN: 01452839), Ms. Akila Krishnakumar (DIN:
06629992) and Ms. Meena Ganesh (DIN: 00528252) are the Independent Directors.
The composition of the Board of Directors is in due compliance with the
Companies Act, 2013 and SEBI Listing Regulations.
None of the Directors of the Company are disqualified under Section
164(2) of the Companies Act, 2013.
Key Managerial Personnel:
Mr. Nuguri Venu (DIN: 07032076), Managing Director and Chief Executive
Officer, Mr. Ajay Singh, Chief Financial Officer, and Mr. Poovanna Ammatanda, General
Counsel, Company Secretary and Compliance Officer are the Key Managerial Personnel in
accordance with the provisions of Section 203 of the Companies Act, 2013. There was no
change in the Key Managerial Personnel during the year.
Change in Composition of Board of Directors:
During the year under review, Ms. Nishi Vasudeva (DIN: 03016991)
resigned from the position of Independent Director of the Company effective from May 24,
2023. The Board places on record its appreciation for the valuable contributions made by
Ms. Nishi Vasudeva during her tenure as an Independent Director of the Company.
Based on the recommendation of Nomination and Remuneration Committee,
the Board of Directors at their Meeting held on May 24, 2023, has approved the appointment
of Ms. Meena Ganesh (DIN: 00528252) as an Additional Director in the capacity of
Independent Director for a term of 5 (five) consecutive years effective from May24, 2023
to May 23, 2028.
The Board of Directors is of the opinion that Independent Director
appointed during the year under review possess necessary expertise, integrity and
experience.
Appointment/ Re-appointment of Directors:
Based on the recommendation of the Board of Directors, the Shareholders
at the fourth Annual General Meeting held on August 17, 2023, approved the:
Re-appointment of Mr. Ismo Antero Haka (DIN: 08598862),
Non-Executive Director who retired by rotation.
Appointment of Ms. Meena Ganesh (DIN: 00528252) as an
Independent Director for a term of five (5) consecutive years effective from May 24, 2023
to May 23, 2028.
Further, in accordance with the Articles of Association of the Company
and the provisions of Section 152(6)(e) of the Companies Act, 2013, Mr. Achim Michael
Braun (DIN: 08596097), Director, will retire by rotation at the ensuing Annual General
Meeting, and being eligible, offer himself for re-appointment.
A brief resume of Mr. Achim Michael Braun (DIN: 08596097) proposed to
be re-appointed, the nature of his expertise in specific functional areas and names of the
Companies in which he holds Directorship/ Membership/ Chairmanship of the Board or
Committees, as stipulated under SEBI Listing Regulations has been provided as an annexure
to the Notice convening the 5th Annual General Meeting.
Details of Directors, Key Managerial Personnel and Composition of
various Committees of the Board are provided in the Corporate Governance Report forming
part of this report.
Declaration of Independent Directors:
The Company's Independent Directors have submitted requisite
declarations confirming that they continue to meet the criteria of independence as
prescribed under Section 149(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 and Regulation 16(1) (b) read
with Regulation 25 of SEBI Listing Regulations and they have registered their names in the
Independent Directors' Databank.
The Independent Directors have also given their undertaking that they
are not aware of any event or incident that exists or might reasonably be anticipated that
could impair or damage their capacity to fulfil their duties objectively and
independently.
Familiarization Program for Independent Directors:
The Company has a program in place to familiarize its Independent
Directors. The program's primary objective is to familiarize Independent Directors on our
Board with the Company's business, industry in which the Company operates, business model,
challenges, and so on, through a variety of programs that include regular meetings with
our business leads and functional heads, as well as interaction with subject matter
experts within the Company.
The familiarization program and other disclosures as specified under
the Listing Regulations is available on the Company's website at
https://www.hitachienergy.com/in/ en/investor-relations/board-of-directors.
Selection and Procedure for Nomination and Appointment of Directors and
Nomination and Remuneration Policy of the Company:
The Nomination and Remuneration Committee (NRC) of the Company is
entrusted to determine the criteria for the requirements of the Board. NRC, while
recommending candidature to the Board, takes into consideration the qualification,
attributes, experience and independence of the candidate.
Pursuant to Section 178(3) of the Companies Act, 2013, the Nomination
and Remuneration Committee of the Board has formulated, amongst others, a policy on
Nomination and Remuneration which provides the framework for remunerating the members of
the Board, Key Managerial Personnel, Senior Management and other employees of the Company.
This Policy is guided by the principles and objectives enumerated in Section 178(4) of the
Companies Act, 2013.
The details of the Nomination and Remuneration Policy are mentioned in
the report on Corporate Governance and the same is also placed on the Company's website at
https:// www.hitachienergy.com/in/en/investor-relations/board-of- directors.
Disclosures pertaining to remuneration and other details as required
under Section 197(12) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rule 5(1) of the Companies
(Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014 are provided in the
prescribed format and annexed as Annexure-B to this Report.
Annual Performance Evaluation of the Board, its Committees and
individual Directors:
The Board, along with the Nomination and Remuneration Committee,
approved a criteria framework in the form of a questionnaire for annual evaluation of the
Board, Board Committees and Individual Directors pursuant to the provisions of the
Companies Act, 2013 and the Corporate Governance requirements under Regulation 25(4) of
SEBI Listing Regulations read with SEBI's Guidance Note on Board Evaluation.
During the year under review, the Board of Directors have carried out
an annual evaluation of its own performance, Board Committees, and Individual Directors.
The Board evaluation was conducted through a questionnaire designed with qualitative
parameters and feedback based on ratings.
Further, the performance evaluation of the Independent Directors was
carried out by the entire Board. The performance evaluation of the Chairman, the Board as
a whole and the Non-Independent Directors was carried out by the Independent Directors at
their separate meeting held during the year.
The questionnaire was circulated to all the Board members of the
Company in a transparent and confidential manner. The key parameters considered for Board
evaluation are Board Membership, Board's Culture and Relationships with Key
Constituencies, Board Responsibilities, Decision- Making and Board Committees. During the
evaluation process, the Directors have given ratings of either Strongly agree' /
Agree' on various assessment questions.
A consolidated report was shared with the Chairman of the Board for his
review and giving feedback to each Director. Accordingly, feedback was provided to
Directors.
12. Board Meetings:
During the year under review, the Board of Directors of the Company met
four (4) times viz., (1) May 23, 2023 (which was adjourned and concluded on May 24, 2023);
(2) July 25, 2023; (3) November 6, 2023 and (4) January 23, 2024.
In accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, a
separate meeting of the Independent Directors of the Company was held on July 25, 2023.
The attendance of the Directors in the meetings are provided in the
Corporate Governance Report forming part of this Report.
Committees of the Board:
As required under the Act and the Listing Regulations, the Company has
constituted the following, including the statutory committees:
i. Audit Committee
ii. Nomination and Remuneration Committee
iii. Stakeholders' Relationship Committee
iv. Risk Management Committee
v. Corporate Social Responsibility Committee
vi. Environment, Social and Governance Committee
A detailed note on the composition of various Committees of the Board
and their Meetings including the terms of reference are given in the Corporate Governance
Report forming part of the Board's Report.
Further, pursuant to resignation of Ms. Nishi Vasudeva and appointment
of Ms. Meena Ganesh as Independent Director of the Company, the Board of Directors at
their Board Meeting held on May 23, 2023 (which adjourned and concluded on May 24, 2023)
has reconstituted the composition of certain Committees with effect from May 24, 2023,
details have been included in Corporate Governance Report which forms part of this Board's
Report.
13. Directors' Responsibility Statement:
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 134(5) of the Act, the Directors
confirm that, to the best of their knowledge and belief:
a) in the preparation of the annual financial statements, the
applicable accounting standards have been followed along with proper explanation relating
to material departures;
b) they had selected such accounting policies and applied them
consistently and made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent so as to
give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company at the end of the
financial year and of the profit and loss of the Company for that period;
c) they had taken proper and sufficient care for the maintenance of
adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of this 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 were operating
effectively; and
f) they have devised proper systems to ensure compliance with the
provisions of all applicable laws and that such systems were adequate and operating
effectively.
14. Corporate Governance Report:
The Company is committed to upholding the highest standards of
Corporate Governance and follows the Corporate Governance requirements set out by the
Securities and Exchange Board of India ("SEBI"). In addition, the Company has
included various best governance practices.
In terms of Regulation 34(3) read with Schedule V of the SEBI Listing
Regulations, a separate section on Corporate Governance including a certificate from M/s
V. Sreedharan & Associates, Practicing Company Secretaries confirming compliance is
annexed as Annexure-C, forming an integral part of this Report.
15. Statutory Auditors:
Pursuant to provisions of Section 139 of the Act read with the
Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014, M/s. S. R. Batliboi & Associates LLP,
Chartered Accountants (Registration No. 101049W/ E300004) were appointed as Statutory
Auditors, for a period of five years, to hold office from the conclusion of first Annual
General Meeting until the conclusion of the sixth Annual General Meeting at such
remuneration as may be mutually agreed amongst by the Board of Directors and the Statutory
Auditors.
The Statutory Auditor's Report on the financial statements for the
financial year ended March 31, 2024, does not contain any qualifications, reservation,
adverse remarks or disclaimer which requires any explanation from the Board of Directors.
16. Cost Audit and Cost Auditors of the Company:
As per requirements of Section 148 of the Act read with the Companies
(Cost Records and Audit) Rules, 2014, the Company is required to make and maintain cost
records for certain products as specified by the Central Government. Accordingly, the
Company has, during the year under review, in accordance with Section 148(1) of the Act,
the Company has maintained the accounts and cost records, as specified by the Central
Government.
i n terms of the provisions of Section 148 of the Act read with the
Companies (Cost Records and Audit) Rules, 2014, the Board of Directors, on the
recommendation of the Audit Committee, appointed M/s. Ashwin Solanki & Associates,
Cost Accountants (Registration No: 100392) as Cost Auditor of the Company, for the
financial year 2024-25, on a remuneration as stated in notice convening the Fifth Annual
General Meeting Notice dated May 21,2024 for conducting the audit of the cost records
maintained by your Company.
A certificate from M/s. Ashwin Solanki & Associates, Cost
Accountants has been received to the effect that their appointment as Cost Auditor of the
Company, if made, would be in accordance with the limits specified under Section 141 of
the Act and Rules framed thereunder and they are not disqualified to be appointed as Cost
Auditor.
A Resolution seeking Shareholders' approval for remuneration payable to
Cost Auditor forms part of the Notice convening the 5th Annual General Meeting
of your Company and same is recommended for your consideration. Cost Audit and Compliance
reports for the financial year 2022-23 were filed with the Registrar of Companies, within
the prescribed time limit.
17. Secretarial Audit:
Pursuant to provisions of Section 204 of the Act read with Rule 9 of
the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014 and
amendments thereto, the Board of Directors of the Company have appointed BMP & Co. LLP
(LLPIN: AAI-4194), Company Secretaries, Bengaluru, to conduct the Secretarial Audit for
the financial year 2023-24.
The Secretarial Audit Report (Form MR-3) for the financial year ended
March 31, 2024, is annexed herewith and marked as Annexure-D to this Report.
The Secretarial Audit Report does not contain any qualification,
reservation, adverse remark or disclaimer.
18. Secretarial Standards:
The Board of Directors affirms that the Company has complied with
applicable Secretarial Standards on board meetings and general meetings issued by the
Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI).
19. Branch Offices:
During the year under review, the Company had branch offices in Nepal,
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. All these branch offices continue to be operational. The branch
offices are undertaking business operations in respective countries. The branches play a
key role in supporting the Company to penetrate the market, by providing local support for
various business activities.
Through these branches, your Company is engaged with a wide spectrum of
customers (Utilities, Industries, Distributors, OEMs etc.) in their respective countries.
20. Branch Auditors:
In terms of provisions of sub-section (8) of Section 143 of the Act
read with Rule 12 of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014, the audit of the
accounts of the branch offices of the Company located outside India is required to be
conducted by the person(s) or firm(s) qualified to act as Branch Auditors in accordance
with the laws of that country.
In this regard, the Company has secured the Shareholders' approval in
the Third Annual General Meeting held on July 22, 2022, for authorizing the Board of
Directors/ Audit Committee to appoint Branch Auditors of any branch office of the Company
from time to time.
The Board of Directors at their Meeting held on May 23, 2023 (which
adjourned and concluded on May 24, 2023) has appointed the following branch auditors for
the Branch Offices of the Company to conduct the audit for the financial year 2023-24:
Branch office of the Company |
Name of Branch Auditors |
Bangladesh Branch |
Md. Abdus Satter Sarkar, FCA, Partner of Mahfel Huq &
Co., Chartered Accountants (Firm Registration Number: P-46323) |
Sri Lanka Branch |
Keerthi Mihiripenna & Co., Chartered Accountants (Firm
Registration Number: WP 1419), Colombo |
Nepal Branch |
Shashi Satyal, Partner of TR Upadhya & Co., Chartered
Accountants (Firm Registration Number: 6) |
21. Environment, Social and Governance Committee and Business
Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR):
The Company is on a continuous improvement journey for creating
long-term value for its stakeholders.
The Company has constituted Environment, Social and Governance (ESG)
Committee in the Board Meeting held on October 22, 2021.
During the financial year under review, the Environment, Social and
Governance Committee was reconstituted by inducting Ms. Meena Ganesh, Independent Director
as member of the Committee with effect from May 24, 2023 in place of Ms. Nishi Vasudeva,
Independent Director, who ceased to be a member of the Environment, Social and Governance
Committee upon her resignation as a Director of the Company with effect from May 24, 2023.
The details of the performance and reporting under ESG as a part of
mandatory disclosure from the financial year under review are included under the Business
Responsibility and Sustainability Report forming part of the Board's Report.
Further, the sustainability initiatives taken by the Company including
sustainable development goals from an environmental, social and governance perspective is
available on the Company's website and can be accessed at
https://www.hitachienergy.com/in/en/sustainability/ sustainability-overview.
22. Significant and material orders passed by the regulators or courts
or tribunals impacting the going Concern status of the Company:
During the financial year under review, no significant and material
orders were passed by the regulators or courts or tribunals impacting the going concern
status of the Company.
23. Deposits:
During the year under review, the Company has neither invited nor
accepted any deposits falling under the ambit of Section 73 of the Act and the Companies
(Acceptance of Deposits) Rules, 2014 framed thereunder.
24. Particulars of Loans, Guarantees or Investments:
During the financial year under review, the Company has not granted any
Loans, or made investments within the meaning of Section 186 of the Act.
25. Borrowing Limits:
The existing borrowing limits of the Company is C6,500 Crores (Rupees
Six Thousand Five Hundred Crores only) consisting of C1,500 Crores towards fund-based
limits and C5,000 Crores towards non-fund based borrowings facilities.
26. Related Party Transactions:
The Board of Directors have adopted a policy on Related Party
Transactions. The objective is to ensure proper approval, disclosure, and reporting of
transactions as applicable, between the Company and any of its related parties. The policy
on related party transactions is available at
https://www.hitachienergy.com/in/en/investor-relations/ corporate-governance#policies
Particulars of the Contracts or Arrangements with related parties
referred to in Section 188(1) in the format specified as Form AOC-2 forms part of this
Report as Annexure-E. Further details of related party transactions are provided in
Notes to Financial Statements.
All contracts or arrangements with related parties were entered into
only with prior approval of the Audit Committee, except transactions that qualified as
Omnibus transactions as permitted under law. In addition, during the financial year
2023-24, the Company has obtained the Shareholder approval through Postal Ballot for
material related party transactions with Hitachi Energy Sweden AB for the financial year
2023-24.
There were no materially significant related party transactions that
could have potential conflict with the interests of the Company at large.
Details of the transaction(s) of the Company with the entity(ies)
belonging to the promoter/promoter group which hold(s) more than 10% shareholding in the
Company as required under para A of Schedule V of the Listing Regulations are provided as
part of the financial statements.
27. Internal financial control systems and their adequacy:
Your Company has in place adequate internal financial controls with
reference to the Financial Statements commensurate with the size, scale and complexity of
its operations and is in line with the requirements of the regulations. Further, the
Directors have laid down internal financial controls to be followed by the Company and
such policies and procedures adopted by the Company for ensuring the orderly and efficient
conduct of its business, including adherence to the Company's policies, the safeguarding
of its assets, the prevention and detection of frauds and errors, the accuracy and
completeness of the accounting records and the timely preparation of reliable financial
information.
The Audit Committee evaluates the internal financial control system
periodically. The details of Internal Control System and their adequacy are provided in
the Management Discussion and Analysis section of this report which forms part of this
report.
28. Audit Committee:
During the year under review, the Audit Committee was reconstituted by
inducting Ms. Meena Ganesh, Independent Director as member of the Audit Committee with
effect from May 24, 2023 in place of Ms. Nishi Vasudeva, Independent Director, who ceased
to be a member of the Audit Committee upon her resignation as a Director of the Company
with effect from May 24, 2023.
The powers and role of the Audit Committee are included in the
Corporate Governance Report, which forms an integral part of the Integrated Annual Report.
All the recommendations made by the Audit Committee were accepted by the Board of
Directors.
29. Reporting of frauds:
During the year under review, there have been no instances of fraud
reported by the Statutory Auditors, Cost Auditors and Secretarial Auditors under Section
143(12) of the Act and Rules framed thereunder either to the Audit Committee and/or Board
or to the Central Government.
30. Whistle-Blower Policy/Vigil Mechanism:
Pursuant to Section 177(9) of the Act and Regulation 22 of LODR, the
Company has adopted a whistle-blower policy/ vigil mechanism for Directors, Employees and
third parties to report their concerns about unethical or inappropriate behavior, actual
or suspected fraud or violation of the Company's Code of Conduct, leak of unpublished
price sensitive information and related matters.
This mechanism also provides adequate safeguards against the
victimization of whistle blowers who avail of the whistle blower / vigil mechanism. The
whistle blowers may also access their higher level/ supervisors and/ or the Audit
Committee. The Whistle Blower Policy is available at https://
www.hitachienergy.com/in/en/about-us/integrity/reporting-
channels/whistleblower-protection-policy.
During the year under review, the Complaints received under the said
policy were / are being investigated.
31. Risk Management Policy:
The Company has in place the Risk Management Policy and constituted the
Risk Management Committee as required under the Companies Act, 2013 and Regulation 21 of
SEBI Listing Regulations. The Committee is chaired by an Independent Director, which
assists the Board in monitoring and overseeing implementation of the risk management
policy, including evaluating the adequacy of risk management systems and such other
functions as mandated under the SEBI Listing Regulations and as the Board may deem fit
from time to time.
The Committee oversees the Risk Management process including risk
identification, impact assessment, effective implementation of the mitigation plans and
risk reporting. The purpose of the Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in
fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with regard to enterprise risk management.
During the financial year under review, the Risk Management Committee
was reconstituted by inducting
Ms. Meena Ganesh, Independent Director as member of the Committee with
effect from May 24, 2023 in place of Ms. Nishi Vasudeva, Independent Director, who ceased
to be a member of the Risk Management Committee upon her resignation as a Director of the
Company with effect from May 24, 2023.
The details of the Committee and its terms of reference are set out in
the Corporate Governance Report and Management's Discussion and Analysis Report forming
part of this Report.
32. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR):
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee has been constituted in
accordance with Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013. The details of the composition of
the Committee, scope and functions are listed in the Corporate Governance Report annexed
to this Integrated Annual Report.
The CSR Policy formulated by the Corporate Social Responsibility
Committee and approved by the Board continues unchanged. The policy can be accessed at
https://www.hitachienergy.com/in/en/investor-relations/ corporate-governance#policies
For the financial year 2023-24, the Company has spent C 1.51 Crores on
CSR activities. The Annual Report on CSR activities as required under Section 135 of the
Companies Act, 2013 read with Rule 8(1) of the Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility
Policy) Rules, 2014 is annexed as Annexure-F to this Report.
33. Annual Return:
Pursuant to Section 92(3) of the Companies Act, 2013, the Company has
placed a copy of the annual return on its website and the same is available at
https://www. hitachienergy.com/in/en/investor-relations/general-
meetings#annual-general-meeting.
34. Conservation of energy, technology absorption, foreign exchange
earnings and outgo:
The particulars relating to the Conservation of Energy, Technology
Absorption, Foreign Exchange Earnings and Outgo, as required to be disclosed under Section
134(3)(m) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rule 8(3) Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014,
is provided in Annexure-G to this Report.
35. Particulars of Employees including Remuneration of Directors and
Employees:
The details related to remuneration and other details of the employees
drawing remuneration under Section 197(12) of the Act read with Rules 5(2) and 5(3) of the
Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014 forms part of
this Report. None of the employees listed as per above are related to any Director / KMP
of the Company.
In terms of Section 136(1) of the Companies Act, 2013 and the
Integrated Annual Report is being sent to the Shareholders and others entitled thereto
excluding the aforesaid disclosure. In pursuance of second proviso of Rule 5 of the
Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, if any
Shareholder interested in obtaining the same may write to the Company Secretary &
Compliance Officer at investors@hitachienergy.com.
In accordance with Section 136 of the Act, this disclosure is available
for inspection by Shareholders through electronic mode.
36. Disclosure as per the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace
(Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013:
The Company has in place a policy in accordance with the provisions of
the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act,
2013, and the Rules thereunder that mandates no tolerance against any conduct amounting to
sexual harassment of women at the workplace.
The Company has also constituted an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC)
for reporting and conducting inquiries into the complaints made by the victim on
harassment at the workplace. Throughout the year, training and awareness events are held
to instill sensitivity toward creating a respectful workplace.
During the financial year under review, no complaints pertaining to
sexual harassment of women employees were received. Further, the Company has a web portal
known as "Hitachi Energy Ethics Web Portal" wherein employees can report/ raise
inter-alia workplace harassment concerns/ related incidents. The sexual harassment
complaints as received via this portal was investigated / being investigated and brought
to the attention of the Audit Committee of the Board from time to time.
37. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016:
During the financial year under review, neither any application nor any
proceeding was initiated against the Company under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code,
2016.
38. Details of difference between amount of the valuation done at the
time of one-time settlement and the valuation done while taking loan from the banks or
financial institutions along with the reasons thereof:
During the financial year under review, the Company has not made any
one-time settlement with the banks or financial institutions, therefore, the same is not
applicable.
39. Fractional Shares:
Pursuant to the Scheme of Arrangement, entered into between (i) ABB
India Limited ("INABB"/ "Transferor") and (ii) the Company
("Company"/ "Transferee") and their respective shareholders and
creditors, pursuant to the provisions of Section 230 to 232 and other applicable
provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, the Company has allotted shares of the Company to
the shareholders of ABB India Limited in accordance with the share entitlement ratio.
Out of the total shares allotted to the shareholders of ABB India
Limited, the Company allotted 9,266 Equity shares (pursuant to fractional entitlements of
Members of ABB India Limited as per share entitlement ratio) to Hitachi Energy India
Limited Fractional Shares Trust 2019 ("Trust") on December 24, 2019. Catalyst
Trusteeship Limited ("Catalyst") is acting as Trustee to the Trust effective
April 30, 2020.
The total amount paid as on March 31,2024, stood at C 61.17 lakhs
consisting of 19,897 Members eligible for the value of such fractional shares and the
total amount remained unpaid as on March 31,2024, stood at C 2.10 lakhs pertaining to 722
Members eligible for the value of such fractional shares.
Further, on November 26, 2022 and May 30, 2023, reminder letters were
sent through registered post to all
unpaid shareholders wherein the Company has requested the unclaimed
shareholders to claim the unclaimed fractional share sale proceeds by submitting the
Letter- Cum-Indemnity in the format shared with them.
40. Acknowledgments:
The Board of Directors wishes to place on record their appreciation for
the guidance and cooperation received from its parent Company, its customers, members,
suppliers, investors, vendors, partners, bankers, associates, government authorities and
other stakeholders for their consistent support to the Company in its operations.
The Board of Directors also records their appreciation of the
dedication of all the employees at all levels and their commitment to ensuring that the
Company continues to grow.
|
By order of the Board |
|
For Hitachi Energy India Limited |
|
Achim Michael Braun |
Place: Bengaluru |
Chairman |
Date: May 21, 2024 |
DIN: 08596097 |