Ladies and gentlemen, good day and welcome to Aarti Drugs Limited Q4 FY23 earnings conference call. This conference call may contain forward-looking statements about the company, which are based on the beliefs, opinions and expectations of the company as on date of this call. These statements are not the guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. As a reminder, all participant lines will be in listen-only mode. There will be an opportunity for you to ask questions after the presentation concludes. Should you need assistance during this conference call, please signal an operator by pressing star then zero on your touch-tone phone. Please note that this conference is being recorded. I now hand the conference over to Adhish Patil, CFO at Aarti Drugs Limited. Thank you and over to you, sir.
Thank you. Good morning, everyone. Hope everyone is doing well. On behalf of Aarti Drugs Limited, I extend a warm welcome to everyone joining us today to discuss our financial results for year ended March 31, 2023. On this call, we are joined by Mr. Harshit Savla, Joint Managing Director.
Hello. Good morning, everyone.
Mr. Harit Shah, Whole-Time Director of Aarti Drugs Limited. Mr. Vishwa Savla, Managing Director, Pinnacle Life Science Private Limited and SGA, our Investor Relations Advisor. I hope everyone had an opportunity to go through the financial results carefully, and we'll be posting the investor presentation pretty soon for your ready reference on the stock exchange and also through the company's website. In the year combined, we are pleased with our financial and operational performance amid a challenging business environment. API segment revenue grew 12% year-over-year for FY 2023 due to volume profit from chronic therapies. Specialty chemicals, in which the company manufactures these high-margin fluorosulfonation products, continued to witness a high growth. Specialty chemicals grew about 28% year-over-year for FY 2023.
The company repeated good rate of performance in Q4 FY2023 with the operating growth of around 7% year-on-year on a consolidated basis. The company's performance improved considerably on a sequential basis due to ease in the input costs and efficient working capital management. On a sequential basis, the EBITDA margins improved by around 190 basis points due to operating leverage driven by improved capacity utilization. With high investing cost of raw materials and finished goods almost getting over, we expect improvement in the margins in the upcoming quarters. The margin expansion should be further accelerated by the upcoming foray into dermatology product segment and Jetro integration in the second half of FY2024. In addition to that, with stable increase costs. Our dermatology products are import substitute. The company already has good inquiry inflow from the customers for this product.
Once we get the validation done, we are well-situated to scale up the capacity immediately. The balance sheet position as on 31st March 2023 continued to remain healthy, with leverage remaining comfortably at around 0.51 times. We recorded the highest ever monthly sales in the month of March 2023. As a result, the receivables as of 31st March 2023 have increased at some extent on a temporary basis. The receivables are expected to normalize by the end of Q1 FY 2024. Coming to overall standalone performance from the quarter, the revenue for Q4 FY 2023 stood at INR 697.2 crores as against INR 642.1 crores, a growth of approximately 10% year-on-year. The standalone business contributed approximately 92% to the consolidated revenue for the quarter.
Around 62% of the revenues came from the domestic market and 68% from the export market for Q4 FY 2023 for the standalone business. Domestic revenue grew approximately by 13%, while exports grew by around 7% year-on-year from Q4 FY 2023. In the API business, the antibiotic therapeutic category contributed around 45%, anti-diabetic around 15%, anti-tuberculosis around 16%, anti-inflammatory around 13%, anti-fungal around 8%, and the rest contributed around 3% of the total API sales for Q4 FY 2023. Formulation segment revenues stood at INR 56.8 crores in the quarter. The formulation segment contributed around 8% of the consolidated revenue for the quarter. The company has substantially increased the share of exports on a year-on-year basis.
The share of exports is expected to improve further going forward, driven by various filings and ANDA files, especially in the regulated markets. The company will also continue to invest in new product launches, filings and capacity expansion. On a consolidated basis, the company has incurred CapEx of around INR 216 crores in the last two years. Which is approximately 15% of our INR 800 crore CapEx target, mainly towards capacity expansion, platform integration, and new product launches. As communicated earlier, the company will finish almost entire CapEx by the end of FY 2024. The only remaining CapEx would be a downstream expansion of anti-diabetes facility at Karams. As a result, the CapEx is expected to be in the range of INR 250 crores-INR 350 crores for FY 2024.
The CapEx is to be funded through internal accruals as well as some long-term debt. Tarapur greenfield CapEx for ophthalmology is expected to be completed by the end of Q2 FY 2024. Tarapur specialty chemical CapEx is also expected to be completed well within time by the end of Q1 FY 2024. The majority of the company's INR 600 crore CapEx is expected to be completed by FY 2024. These initiatives are expected to reduce the cost along with expansion into profit margins, better integration, and the top-line growth. The company is also investing in process improvement and R&D to further reduce the cost along with improvement in efficiency. Company will be also investing in the renewable energy for the upcoming years. Over and above the CapEx funded items, the company continues to evaluate multiple opportunities and will make strategic and tactical investments if required.
In the upcoming year, we plan to continue expanding our capabilities and enhancing our offerings to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers in terms of regulatory environment as well. Recently, we got two of our key products from antifungal and antidiabetes segment that just got audited by a regulatory body. One of our key goals for the ongoing financial year is to increase our production capacity, allowing us to better serve our growing exports as well as domestic customer base. We also plan to invest in new technologies and equipment that will help us streamline our processes, improve efficiency, and also reduce the environmental burden of the manufacturing of the API.
With new facility for ophthalmology coming up in FY 2024, along with commencing the operations of the expanded downfield facilities of specialty chemicals at Tarapur, the company expects growth in revenue as well as profitability in the coming years. With this, we can now begin question and answer session. Thank you.
Thank you very much. We'll now begin the question and answer session. Anyone who wishes to ask a question may press star and one on their touchtone telephone. If you wish to remove yourself from the question queue, you may press star and two. Participants are requested to use handsets while asking a question. Ladies and gentlemen, we will wait for a moment while the questions are assembled. Participants, you may press star and one to ask a question. The first question is from the line of Rashmi Shetty from Dolat Capital. Please go ahead.
Thanks for the opportunity. On FY23 business, if you could now give, you know, what is the Ciprofloxin contribution to the total sales and your top 10 products contribution now stands at what, and also your top 10 client contribution for your API business?
Right. Yes. The Ciprofloxin has remained to be one of our top products.
Sir, sorry to interrupt you. Your voice is breaking.
Can you hear me now, Ma'am? Is it okay?
No, sir.
Okay.
Sir, one moment. Let me disconnect and reconnect you, sir. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience. We have the line for Mr. Harish Patil connected. Sir, go ahead.
Yeah, sorry for the disturbance. The Cipro remains our top product. The contribution could be somewhere around 15%-20% of the standalone business from this antibiotic product. The top 10 would be more or less similar like last year in mid-seventies on the standalone basis and overall consolidated, it will be 30%. Thank you.
Yeah. I'm saying, the top 10... Sorry, I was not able to hear. Top 10, product contributions, on consolidation basis, how much is it?
Okay. The top 10 contribution members are pretty much the same as last year. Overall sales of the top 10 is mid-70s. Yeah.
Sir, sorry to interrupt you. Your voice is still not clear. Sorry, your voice is breaking. Participants, please stay connected while we rejoin Mr. Patil back to the call. Participants, thank you for your patience. We have Mr. Patil reconnected.
Yes. Can you hear me now?
Yes, sir. We can hear you.
Okay. the top 10 products contribution remains to be-
Yeah.
in the mid-30s, on a standalone basis and early seventies, on a consolidated basis.
Okay. What about your top 10 client contribution?
We will be posting our investor presentation very soon. There we'll be giving the exact numbers.
Okay.
Right now I wouldn't be able to share it with you, ma'am.
Okay. All right. On this Derma API, you know, if you could give more color on it, like, you know, what is the capacity installation that we are doing for the salicylic acid, what kind of demand we are seeing in this product? Whether this could be more, you know, export-driven product or it would be more domestic focused. In terms of, you know, potential sales also, if you can give some color on it would be great.
Okay. Mainly this is an import substituted product, so domestic sales will be more for this particular product. If we look at derivatives of this product, then it has more export potential as well. Overall domestic import for this product is anywhere between the range of INR 300 crore-INR 400 crore. That would be the overall domestic potential for this product. We call this specific lot of customers regarding salicylic acid, and they're pretty much interested in having an Indian source as compared to the Chinese source.
As of now, you know, for this, there is no Indian source. A lot of the companies are depending on the export for this specific product. That is why we have entered into this. If you can give any rationale behind entering into this product?
Yeah. One of the rationale is it is an import substituted product and we've got a good process for salicylic acid, and we feel we can very easily compete with the Chinese source. Earlier, this product was manufactured in India. Over the last two decades, slowly, the Indian manufacturers had closed down and Chinese imports had increased substantially. Almost, we believe that almost, more than 80%-90% of the India consumption was being imported. Probably there might be some salicylic manufacturers who are using locally, but mainly the entire product is being imported from China.
Thank you. Sorry to interrupt you, Rashmi. I'll request you join back the queue for a follow-up question. The next question is from the line of Gérald Thede from DSC BlackRock. Please go ahead.
Yes, thank you for the opportunity. Sir, can you split the INR 600 crore CapEx program in new products, capacity expansion for existing products and backward integration? Just ballpark numbers will do.
Going forward for this financial year, that is FY 2024, we believe that, see apart from, say INR 40 crores, INR 40-50 crores of the model making capital expenses of the existing product and the maintenance CapEx as well, keeping aside that INR 50 crores, the rest of the CapEx would be divided mainly, say for example, 40%, 40% into two ground, two greenfield projects which are happening in, one in Kolhapur and other in Saykha. One will be for the backward integration and intermediates, that's 40% and other 40% would be for the dermatology project of which we just talked about. And rest 20% would be in some other products, you know, some new phase launches, say for example, anti-fungal or probably in a nutraceutical product.
Okay. Your, you know, the press release talks about 14%-16% margin for FY 2024 in that range. First of all, this range is for the full year, right, of FY 2024? Or is it towards the end of FY 2024?
No. Mostly it is for the full year because we expect things to improve in Q1 FY 2024 itself. Already for Q4 FY 2023, we had seen improvements in margins for lot of products. The gross contribution was subdued for one factor because of the fact that in March 2023 we had lot of antibiotic sales in that particular quarter. As of end of December 2022, that is the beginning of this quarter, we had lot of high cost inventory for antibiotic products, which has led to the squeeze in the gross margin because of the product mix. Across the board we have seen that gross contribution improvement has been taking place.
Understood. Understood. You know, the point was that most of the CapEx that you're going to do for backward integration is still not getting baked into this 14%-16%, right? I mean, the backward integration CapEx will kick in afterwards. Are you suggesting that FY25 margins will improve on this 14%-16% base?
Yes. If the backward integration projects go very smoothly, then definitely it can help us go beyond that 15%-16% EBITDA margins.
Understood. You, you suggested about 40% of the 300 odd, was about INR 120 odd crore kind of a number for backward integration, which is going to kick in into, which is going to be invested in FY 2024. That number is right, sir? About INR 120 odd crore?
Yes, yes. Correct.
Understood. Okay. The press release talks about a 9% volume growth for APIs. This is for fourth quarter or for the full year of FY 2023?
This is for the fourth quarter only. Especially we have seen a very high volume in domestic market for the fourth quarter. As I said, because of the antibiotic demand. For the entire year, it has been low. It was approximately around 1.8%, but that was mainly because of the fact that we started with lot of negative macro factors like the session was very high, interest rate grew prices and raw materials had shot up very high. The cherry prices on KCL were very high. Because of this, the formulation players also failed to increase in the margins for basic products, which is applicable because their final cherry prices are capped by the in this. Because of that, the demand was low in this.
Now since December quarter, the prices have started coming off, and that is why we have seen certain increase in the demand for antibiotic products again from the domestic market.
Understood, sir. Understood. Sir, if you think about API prices, and I'm talking about general, you know, sort of an price index kind of a thing. What was this number, let's say in the first quarter of FY 23, and what did we exit, like you said, in March, prices were very high. What did we exit the FY 23 at, sir?
No, no.
What are the numbers?
I understood. I understood. If we compare from March 2022 versus March 2023, the rate variance is not much. It is just below 2%. Below 2%. The quarter growth is entirely, most entirely because of this volume growth. We are exiting the exiting quarter is more or less same like last year's March quarter rates.
Thank you. Sorry to interrupt, Ishan. I'll request you join back the queue for a follow-up question. A request to all the participants. Please restrict it to questions per participant. If time permit, please come back in the question queue. The next question is from the line of Bharat Sheth, from Quest Investment Advisors. Please go ahead.
Hi. Congratulations, Rasheshbai, Adeshbai, and full management team. I have one question for, first on, of course, Rasheshbai, if she's there on the line. May I go ahead? Hello. Am I audible?
Yes, sir, you're audible.
Hello.
Please go ahead with the question.
Yeah. My question is, like, we have, say, in the whole Aarti Group, we have separated one is Aarti Pharma and here Aarti Drugs is also doing some pharma business. As a investor, we would like to understand what is the rationale and how the differentiation will be creating between these two company.
Yeah. Hi. Rasheshbai is not there in the call.
Okay.
I will tell. The Aarti Group we started back in 1980. The two main flagship companies at that time were Aarti Industries and Aarti Drugs. Aarti Industries, say somewhere around in 2000, they had invested heavily into trans business. Slowly, slowly, they started marketing very small volume but very high value niche APIs into highly regulated markets because of its trans business. That is how slowly that expanded and it entered into Aarti Pharmalabs. That is how the two businesses keep going. Aarti Drugs is mainly into very bulk volume products, high engineering products where you, along with chemistry, you also require very strong expertise in some engineering department.
The way you manufacture the material, the way you handle the material at such high volumes. That is Aarti Drugs' key focus area. That is how. Right now, this, we do discuss this which products are to be taken in which company, so that there is no unnecessary, you know, competition within the group.
Yeah. Okay. just say we are spending, say, our large CapEx of approximately INR 600 crore will be covering FY 2024, out of which is several projects are for the growth related, and some of is saved for a backward integration. Without being in... In FY 2023, also our engine effective did not operate at full capacity. If things improve, I mean, and normalize at this level, how much would be the additional, say on INR 2,500 crore is new CapEx as well as engine effective can add on the top line on a standalone number. In your estimate, if the raw material price remain, what is the current level will be your EBITDA margin?
Yes. The prices have already gone down. If you compare with entire FY 2023, the prices for FY 2024 are expected to be lower than the outgoing year, financial year. At a full scale, our current capacities can give around INR 2,800 crores to INR 3,000 crores of revenue in terms of standalone capacity of standalone company without including formulation. With further CapEx, which we are having, we can go till INR 4,000 crores of revenues with the current CapEx plans, what we have. Then formulation division will add extra on that.
What could be the standalone EBITDA that you expect with higher margin product, start contributing?
Last year was quite subdued in terms of margins and bottom line. Going forward, we do expect, you know, for FY 2024, we are aiming for around 25%-35% jump in the bottom line from the standalone business.
Going ahead for 26, what kind of, our budget, I mean, or your vision is or inspiration, whatever you would?
Historically, Mr. Sri, if you go back, two, three years back. When we operated at a higher utilization of capacities, we were able to maintain this 15%-16% EBITDA margins for lot of product, lot of financial years, which are OW margins. Now going forward with more vertical integration and more presence in regulatory market and definitely and also more exposure towards specialty chemical, which is slightly higher margin product. We do hope, you know, to try to take our EBITDA margins to 18% in next three, four years. That could be our.
Thank you. Sorry, Dr. Bharat. Thank you for joining back the queue for a follow-up question. The next question is from the line of Poojan Shah from Carnelian Asset Management & Advisors. Please go ahead.
Hello. Hi there. My question would be first of all on the formulation. As we have seen that we are getting a question on filings and we have seen, like we have been making filings in regulated, unregulated. Can you just give the split between regulated, unregulated filings or what are the markets we are expecting to share for them? Plus if you can share the formulation molecule size if we are targeting that market.
Yeah. I think Vishwa will answer your question.
Yeah. On the mix of, you know, formulation sales, it has, as of now, often, till the last few quarters our majority sales are coming from domestic contract manufacturing business, which has now gravitated more towards the semi-regulated side of the emerging market business, where we have invested over the last few years in various registrations. Mainly in Latin America, Asia and Africa, we are getting majority of our sales. Whereas the regulated market is where all our new filings are going through. We are filing multiple products in Europe and North America and Latin America.
Probably over the next 12 - 18 months, those approvals would start coming in and the regulated market business would start contributing towards a significant percentage of sales over the next 12 - 18 months.
Yeah. Sir, the market size for individual, if you can say any formulation, individual, like, ballpark number would work for me.
The market size? The just market size or?
The formulation. We have been filing that formulation, so what can be the market size for that molecule?
I mean, we are filing a lot of oncology as well as diabetic and cardiac products, and most of them would be kind of day one launches post FDA expiry. Potential per molecule would be quite significant, but it will also depend on the competitive landscape. With our new capacities increased, you know, with the new plants that we have set up, the actual potential we can see from the new launches and new products, we can see about INR 150-200 crores revenue in the next commercial life.
Okay. My second question would be on the, we have seen a spike in the March 2023 sales. What could be that reason? Are we seeing the same, are we expecting the same lines for April or you can say Q1 FY 2024?
Yeah. March, the thing is overall, years sales were subdued, especially for domestic market because of this very high inflationary pressure in input costs as well as the API selling prices. Because of which the offtake, the post demand was less for the last year. Since December quarter, the prices have been going down and now they are like at a very reasonable level if we compare to historical numbers. That is why we believe that with the upcoming monsoon season, now the formulation companies have really picked up the production volumes and hence the demand has gone up. We feel that whatever demand, subdued demand was there in F.Y. 23, that might be history. Now going forward it will be back to the original numbers. We feel that the demand will continue.
Okay, got it. Thank you so much.
Thank you. Next question is from the line of Tushar Manudhane from Motilal Oswal. Please go ahead. Sorry Dr. Tushar. May I request you to mute your handset please.
Is it better?
No, sir.
Is it better?
slightly okay.
Right. Thanks for the opportunity. While you have already highlighted on, let's say, the pricing with respect to, say, the start of FY 2023 till now with this, volume getting normalized and to some extent boosted with, the seasonality, factor, how do you see the price trend, let's say for next 12-15 months? Is there a scope for increase in prices or there is more scope for growth through volumes rather than prices?
Whatever budget we are building for the upcoming financial year, it is purely based on the volumes. In fact, we have factor in negative price growth. What we have seen observed that the three months, for example, Q1. Q1 selling prices might be slightly lower, you know, slightly lower, not much.
Okay.
Instead for, I would say around maybe 5%, not more than that, slightly lower, as compared to Q4. That would be, I think, that would be the bottom because the raw material prices has stopped going down since the month of February. Because of that lag, now by three months, the prices will stabilize on the sales side as well.
Understood. Subsequently, but, you don't see scope of-
Mm-hmm.
Price increase, so to say, but at least it is stable now.
Yes, yes, correct.
These stable prices, maybe product to product it would vary subject to their own sales month.
Correct.
Where do they stand today? In the overall life cycle, say, historical prices, where would we be laying? Compared to, say, two years, three years or five years prices. Are they more or less at that range, let's say three-year average or it will be there's still scope to go down?
Okay, okay. Slightly difficult to answer in current times, the reason being, in FY 20, the prices shot up because of COVID, then it came down, and then again, because of coal and other factors, again, it went up. It came down and again went up because of this Russian war and crude, and again came down. Before COVID, the prices of ciprofloxacin were somewhere in the range of, say, INR 1,800-INR 1,950 or something like that. Even now, as of today, they are in the same range. We don't feel that it will go down since it is as per the pre-COVID levels. Generally the prices stabilizes based on the input cost. It is all differing means the basic raw materials and on those factors.
Understood, sir. This is helpful. Thanks a lot.
Okay.
Thank you. The next question is from the line of Avnish Chheda from Motilal Oswal Capital Advisors. Please go ahead.
Yeah, hi. Am I audible?
Yes.
Yeah. Hi, Adhish. I have two set of questions. One is on the CapEx which you have given on the drummer side. You said, we should compensate by the first half and then... Can you give specific timeline on ramp up of the capacity, let's say, in your estimates, when do you see the ramp up in the capacity, going forward on this CapEx?
Yes. We, we have planned, we'll be ramping up every 15 days based on the and delivery. That will go hand-in-hand with the gestation period as well as demand and capacity utilization in, you know, regular way also. When we expand capacity, it takes time for sales, you know, for demand to pick up. It will go hand-in-hand with that. What we feel is that around March or April 2024, the entire, the full 100% CapEx capacity will come in. Anyways, whatever we will need for the initial sales, initial demand, that would be operational mostly by towards the end of second quarter.
Got it. My second question is on the exports market. Specifically now the, there is a lot of Chinese competition has come back in lot of other products. Can you talk about, the competitive scenario, in your products in the export market and, whether, we are at par in terms of pricing? Can you just talk about the environment?
Yes. Harit would you like to answer this?
Most of the products we are competing with China, and we are able to compete them in the export market, so we are not unduly worried. The cost of raw material for Chinese as well as us is more or less same. Efficiency wise also we are more or less good compared to China. We don't expect any price pressure on that front.
Harisha, my question is, what we hear is Chinese players are dumping a lot of products that they had capacity on hand which is already built up.
Yeah.
Are you seeing any kind of that?
No. As far as our products are concerned, we are not seeing similar situation in our range of products actually.
Okay, cool. Thank you so much for answering my questions.
Thank you. Next question is from the line of Anil Desai from Dron Capital. Please go ahead.
Hi, Adhish. Good morning. The first question is, you know, we had a low volume growth last year, we had a low base and a lot of capacity is coming in this year. Are we expecting, you know, mid-teens or high teens kind of a volume growth on the FY23 base? To tie in with that, I think, you know, Q1 FY23, Q2 FY23, the prices were quite high. You know, on a Y-o-Y basis, the realization would be lower. In terms of revenue, how are we looking at? Are we looking at flat-ish revenue or are we looking at revenue growth of, you know, double-digit kind of a number?
Yes. Internally we are keeping targets high. In spite of all this negative price variation, we still hope that, you know, we want to touch this double digit value growth. Definitely as you suggested that for achieving that we will require means high teens kind of a volume growth in upcoming year. We feel that it is quite possible. I mean, because last year was exceptionally dull in terms of volumes in few of the acute therapies in domestic markets.
Okay. Second thing, Adish, you know, this US FDA thing has been lingering, for, you know, for a very long time, you know. I think we had appointed consultants and, done modification. Any idea what is kind of, you know, what is hindering the resolution of this, any updates on that?
Yes. The last response what we had given to final response to FDA was I think September 2022. In February 2023, couple of months back, US FDA wrote a letter back to us, highlighting that they need certain clarification on the response in certain aspects and some additional information as well. For that they had given one month timeline. That also we worked upon and that also we have sent. We also obviously we took help of US consultants as well for this. In mid-March, we have submitted additional info, furnished additional information to US FDA. Now it is like, you know, I don't think it will take time for them to go through that reply.
means as of now we are planning to send a reminder to them, you know, for the follow-up inspection or action. Because we feel that we are hoping that there might be unannounced audit anytime because we have submitted the final response as well. the good part is the file is active because they wrote from their end to us in February itself. that means that they are actively looking into it right now.
Last question. I, you know, on conferences, I think I saw INR 50 crore, you know, addition or WIP on the formulation side. I assume that we have enough capacity, you know, to kind of grow in that segment. Can you elaborate on that, what is that CapEx regarding?
Bishu would like to answer.
Yes, sure. We have added a new manufacturing facility in Baddi for an oral oncology manufacturing site, basically which will cater to regulated markets as well as emerging markets. That CapEx project has just very recently been completed. At the same time we are investing into building up portfolio, so a lot of product development investment. This site will operate dually as we will be marketing our own developed products as a contract manufacturer. We expect revenues to kick in from this project within the next 12 months.
To get a current formulation capacity, that you have with this CapEx, we should be able to go to INR 500 crore kind of a revenue?
Correct. Yeah. We can expect about a INR 200 crore growth from new CapEx. We can look at a INR 500 crore as revenue, with all the CapEx will be utilized.
Got it. Thanks. That's it from me.
Thank you. Next question is on the line of Manchan Gupta from Bambot Capital. Please go ahead.
Thanks for the opportunity. On the increased CapEx that we will be completing largely by end of FY 2024 or in fact Q1 and Q2 of FY 2024, how do you see the ramp-up of this project happening? When are we expected to reach optimal 70%-80% capacity utilization in both API and specialty chemical side?
Yes. As far as the API is concerned, we feel because our 100% capacity will be online by next financial year, that is FY 2025. Towards the end of FY 2024, we definitely hope in the second half of FY 2025 that we should cross that 70% mark in terms of utilization. As far as the specialty chemicals and intermediates are concerned, because we have our own captive consumption, we expect that ramp-up to happen very fast. 50%, in fact, we are hoping to achieve in the second half of this year itself.
Sure, sure.
8% that will also depend on further expansion of our own API products. Which will further increase the demand of this intermediate.
Sure. like the combined revenue potential from post-expansion from our API and specialty chemical facilities will be INR 2,000 crores, is what you say?
Yeah, for the standalone business, yes.
Standalone business.
Yeah.
Yeah. On the specialty chemical side or the intermediate side, you know, the new products that we'll be launching post the commercialization of our new greenfield plant. How has been the competition from the China, you know, existing products, as sir said, carrying on, there hasn't been much competition. For the new product that we'll be launching from our greenfield facility, how is the competition from China? We have been hearing that there has been a lot of dumping which is happening on intermediate and specialty chemical side from China over the past few months. How is the situation with our product which we plan to launch?
Yeah. The thing is, right now we feel that because right now they don't have any competition for that particular product in India, there was no reason for them to come as such. Those prices have gone down for that product as well, which we are planning. Even with those selling prices, we can compete with China pretty well.
How many products will we be launching from our greenfield facility post its commercialization?
Around one and one API and around three-five intermediate as such.
Okay. Okay. Okay.
Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you. Next question is from the line of Zain from Collins Capital. Please go ahead.
Hello. Am I audible?
Yes. Zain, we can hear you, but there's a echo from your line. May I request you to speak to the handset?
Yeah. Is it better now?
Yes. Go ahead.
I want to know that, what is the demand right now for the API prices and KSM prices, and how they're affecting the gross margins?
API prices right now?
Yeah.
The API prices, there's been quarter-on-quarter there was decline in the prices, which was obvious because the raw material cost was coming down. What we have seen is for the, for Q1, the current ongoing quarter, it is Q1 FY 2024. There might be slight decline, say for another 2.5%-5%, up to 5% as compared to the March quarter prices. More or less, we have seen that now the fall in both input as well as the selling prices has stopped.
Hello?
Yeah.
Hello?
Yes.
Okay. Do you see gross margin improvement from the current level?
Yeah. Yes, we definitely hope that the gross margin will improve. Let's see means for this Q1 FY 2024, let's see how the numbers pan out, but we definitely are very hopeful for that.
Any call out numbers or any guidelines?
That, that way, ideally, we believe that means it should come back to historical numbers. Obviously it should. Means when everything is played out, we feel that around 2%-3% definitely it should improve very easily. In Q4, what that number would be is, we are slightly hesitant to comment right now, but it should definitely be in a positive manner.
Okay. The second is, you utilized high-cost, iron, in Q4 results, which you guided that you can utilize it completely through year through year. Can I have the number for that? Any, any approximate number, how much utilized, this quarter and this remaining?
That we'll see. Means, I will roughly tell you. Means not exactly what you are asking, but our raw material inventory, which was in early 50s, back in December end, it has gone down by 10 days. Even our FG inventory has gone down by around 8 days as in finished good inventory. WIP is more or less same because that is, that depends on the operations. Overall means in, it's around 15-20 days reduction is already there, you know, in the inventory days. That, that definitely helps us, means puts us in a better position as compared to what we were in as of March quarter.
Okay. Thank you.
Okay.
Thank you. Next question is from the line of Ankur Kumar from Alpha Capital. Please go ahead.
Hello, sir.
Hello.
Congrats for the set of numbers.
My first question is, as you were price decrease and we'll be passing that on to think more on terms of first half, how should we think in? As in, will it be like 20% volume growth kind of, and how much will be the realization decrease, sir?
Okay. Realization decrease, overall, last year, we had around 10%-11% positive rate variance. Means FY 2023 versus FY 2022.
Mm-hmm.
10%-11% positive rate variation. Now as we are exiting the March quarter, the earning rates are more or less similar as compared to March 2022. We feel that anywhere between 8%-10% might be the decline in the rate growth, rate variation.
Okay, sir. Sir, in terms of volume. As in press release also talked about some good things and things are improving. What kind of volume growth can we expect, like, 20% or will it be, like, lower in terms of volume growth?
We are hoping at least, you know, internally we are targeting around 15%-20% volume growth. That is what we will be trying to achieve. Let's see means how it pans out.
Sure, sir. sir, we used to do buyback earlier, but now we are talking about CapEx also. Any plans on buyback? Has that been postponed or like company has decided that they will not go for buyback because we have done four or five buybacks in last seven, eight years.
Yeah. As a company policy means, we have a company policy of having a shareholder payout, either through the way of buyback or dividend, at around 25% of the PAT. If at all means, we have missed anything in last year, we will definitely cover up. That you don't worry about. We do check means how much shareholder payout we have done, and we might complete that whatever is remaining in the current financial year.
Sir, in dividend has been lower in last.
Whatever is the balance we will cover.
That means we can expect some buyback.
We some sort of shareholder payout, yes.
Sure, sir. Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you. The next follow-up question is from the line of Rashmi Shetty from Dolat Capital. Please go ahead.
Yeah, thanks for the opportunity again. Ashish, if you can update on, metformin, you know, what is the current capacity? We had added some, capacity in that molecule. What is the current capacity, it looks like, I mean, the utilization and all. Whether we have launched into the European market or we are still yet to do that?
Yes. As far as numbers are concerned, means, we are already means, you know, almost capacity is almost utilized, whatever we are manufacturing. We are going to take a very small incremental expansion. Though small means it will be around 40% increase, but still small from what we are targeting. That expansion will complete in this quarter itself, in the current ongoing quarter, that is Q1. Definitely we will plan a bigger jump later on towards the end of the financial year. You were asking, you had another question, right, regarding metformin, was that?
Yeah. metformin as of now, like, capacity stands at per month?
As of now we are manufacturing around, 1,000 to 1,050.
INR 1,000-INR 1,050.
Yeah.
Okay. We have around 1,100 installed capacity, right?
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Okay.
We are planning to expand it by 40% in the current quarter itself.
My another question on metformin was that, you know, 70% we were catering to the domestic market only. Is there increase in the, has the export share increased and what about our European launch?
Europe, yeah, Europe. Arif, would you like to answer that about the Europe?
Sure. Our current volume in export as a domestic is around 50%-50%, not 70%-30% domestic. It is 50% export and 50% domestic. We expect the same ratio once we expand the capacity to 1,500 or 15 million tons in percentage of export as well as domestic market. As far as Europe is concerned, we are talking to three, four big companies. Our approval process is going on, but it will take some more time, yeah.
Okay, sir. Understood. Thank you. That's it from my side.
Thank you. Next question is from the line of Nikhil from Securities Investment Management. Please go ahead.
Hi. Good morning. I hope I'm audible.
Yes.
Yeah. Three questions, Adhish. One is on, you mentioned that the end prices for... In one of the questions you mentioned that ciprofloxacin end prices are back to what it was pre-COVID. If you have to generalize for our top 10 products, would it be like 70%-80% of the products, the pricing would be back to pre-COVID or, what could that percentage be where prices have completely normalized?
See, there are few products, like an antiviral space where, you know, the inflationary part is that that has factored in.
Yes.
Those prices are high.
Okay.
Being high means they're quite stable, as in they are not fluctuating much. That is built in. What happens is, in the API business, usually it is a cost plus formula, you know. See, the overhead part, that has also a certain inflationary pressure built into it, like salaries and like power and fuel, et cetera. Whatever gross contribution gap means all the API manufacturers expect, say four years back. That gap, that expectation must have definitely increased as of today.
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
So that will be covered. Typically, hypothetically, in long term, the mean, in terms of percentage margin, the long term mean, it comes back to that.
Okay.
That is the reason why we feel that once everything is stable, it is not moving for three, four, five months, then definitely we feel that our EBITDA margins should come back to 14%-16%.
Okay. For, most, so for our portfolio of products, that mean, inflation-adjusted mean is, stable now. That is why we are saying our 11% should be around 14%-16% for 2024.
Yes. Right now, for the last outgoing quarter, as far as our standalone performance is concerned now, we already neared that 18% mark, 12.84%, on a standalone basis.
Okay.
EBITDA margin. We are inching towards that. In the December quarter it was lower.
Yeah.
By almost 1.8%.
Okay. Second question was you mentioned that, in March quarter you had a high sales of antibiotics. I think over the last two years, because of Covid, the inventory at the customer or the formulator side and even in the market has been fluctuating.
Right.
If you have to look at now, would you say that the inventory in the marketplace at the customer level, the formulator, then even in the end channel is largely stable? Do you think there is some more pain on the inventory side which can happen? Broadly for the whole portfolio, not for any specific products.
This kind of pinch we did not suffer in anti-diabetic space. That remained stable throughout the last financial year as well, and even now it is okay. In antiviral space also we saw that the demand was quite good for the entire year. It was mainly the antibiotics space which suffered a lot in last year and at least for our product portfolio, that is.
Mm-hmm.
What we feel is that because March quarter itself was so good, which means that issue of inventory pile up has, should be gone away. Otherwise they would not have bought so much in the last quarter.
Okay.
It seems like the things are stabilized right now.
Okay.
Thank you. Sorry to interrupt you, Nikhil. Due to time constraint, ladies and gentlemen, we will take that as the last question. I will now hand the conference over to Mr. Adhish Patil for closing comments.
Okay. Thank you everyone for joining us today on this earnings call. We appreciate your interest and all the questions you asked regarding the financial results of Aarti Pharmalabs and about our future. If you have any further queries, please contact SGA, our investor relations advisor, or you can reach us to us directly as well. Thank you.
Thank you very much. On behalf of Aarti Pharmalabs Limited, that concludes this conference. Thank you for joining us. You may now disconnect your lines. Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.