India’s telecom leader posted another strong quarter with ARPU hitting Rs 259 and free cash flow at Rs 194 billion. Bharti Airtel continues executing flawlessly, posting its third consecutive quarter of steady growth with average revenue per user climbing to Rs 259 and free cash flow generation hitting Rs 194 billion. The company added 4.4 … Read more
India’s largest two-wheeler maker posted 21% revenue growth while finally gaining traction in scooters and premium bikes. Hero MotoCorp is proving that market leadership doesn’t require standing still. The company that built an empire selling 100-125cc commuter motorcycles is systematically expanding into scooters, premium bikes, and electric vehicles—all while maintaining its core business momentum. Third-quarter … Read more
The country’s largest lender, SBI, is doing well on all fronts State Bank of India just delivered a class in how to navigate a tricky credit environment. While private sector banks grapple with slowing loan demand and margin pressure, the government-owned behemoth posted 6% quarterly loan growth while keeping net interest margins above the psychologically … Read more
The state-owned behemoth is shedding its mass-market legacy for higher-margin products. Life Insurance Corporation of India is pulling off something remarkable: teaching an elephant to dance. The state-owned insurance giant, long synonymous with low-margin, mass-market policies sold door-to-door by millions of agents, is executing a pivot that’s starting to show in the numbers. Third-quarter results … Read more
India’s fifth-largest drugmaker is thriving in diabetes and cardiac care while waiting for its infection-treatment business to recover Mankind Pharma is executing a textbook transition from acute to chronic therapies, and the third-quarter numbers prove the strategy is working—mostly. The company posted 11.5% revenue growth to Rs 35,672 million, beating estimates, while margins expanded to … Read more
India’s Jockey licensee is managing margins brilliantly while volume growth stalls. Page Industries delivered a technically clean third quarter, beating Street estimates on both growth and profitability. Yet beneath the headline numbers lies a more nuanced story—one of a premium brand navigating the delicate balance between maintaining margins and reviving volume growth in a subdued … Read more
The financial conglomerate’s long-suffering insurance arms are rebounding. But is that enough to justify a valuation that’s relied heavily on its stellar lending business? For years, investors saw the financial conglomerate’s underperforming life and general insurance subsidiaries because its flagship lending arm, Bajaj Finance, delivered spectacular returns. Now the insurance businesses are pulling their weight. … Read more
India’s state-owned iron ore miner is digging itself into a profitability hole. Higher output can’t compensate for soaring costs and weak pricing power. NMDC is learning a that in commodities, volume isn’t everything. India’s largest iron ore producer posted impressive production numbers in the December quarter—14.7 million tonnes, up 44% sequentially—yet investors have little to … Read more
India’s second-largest paint maker is chasing market share at the expense of profitability, why that may not paint a good hue on the stock Berger Paints India is discovering that winning the volume war doesn’t necessarily translate into shareholder value. The country’s second-largest decorative paints company delivered 8.5% volume growth in the December quarter, yet … Read more
India’s hotel operator is mastering the art of rate increases while learning the hard way that filling new inventory takes time. . For Chalet Hotels, the average room rates surged 16% year-on-year in the December quarter while revenue per available room climbed 12%, according to Philip Capital. But occupancy slipped to 67.9% from 70.2% a … Read more