Astra Microwave Products Limited (BOM:532493)
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Q1 23/24

Aug 14, 2023

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, good day, and welcome to the Astra Microwave Products Limited Q1 FY2024 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 the 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 the listen-only mode. There will be an opportunity for you to ask questions after the presentation concludes. Should you need assistance during the conference, please signal an operator by pressing star and then zero on your touchtone phone. I now hand the conference over to Mr. S. G. Reddy, Managing Director. Thank you, and over to you, sir.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Thank you. A warm welcome to all the participants to the fourth results call of our company. I am with my colleague, Mr. M. V. Reddy and Mr. Rakesh Kabra, and our SGA, our Investor Relations Advisors. The results and investor presentation for the Q1 FY2024 are uploaded on our company website and the stock exchanges. I hope you had a chance to look at it. The quarter gone by was a relatively tough quarter. Our top-line performance was in line with quarterly guidance that we have given in the previous quarters. Having said this, the top-line performance does not give a complete picture of where we stand as a company. The road ahead is very promising as we continue to have a robust order book of close to about INR 1,780 crore. This order book is a good indication of our long-term prospects.

During the quarter, we have booked about INR 191 crore worth of orders, which comprise of about INR 176 crore of domestic and INR 15 crore of exports. Coming to our standalone performance for this quarter, our business, which is lumpy in nature, we recorded a decline of about 17% in our top line on a year-on-year basis, which has resulted in a revenue of about INR 133 crore for this quarter, as against INR 161 crore for the corresponding quarter of last year. The mix of the top line is about 60% of exports and 40% of domestic, which was an entire reversal of our last Q1 performance. This is the reason why there is a negative impact on the top line of the company. Domestic sales, which have a higher margin as compared to export sales.

In Q1 of FY 2023, since they are close to about 60%, there was a clearly visible improvement in the margins. However, this quarter gone by has a lower amount of domestic business, coupled with lower-margin product mix, which has led to the overall lower margins. As a result, we saw a decline of about 7.6% in our gross margins as compared with 21.5% in last year's Q1. On the expenditure side, advances, as per the accounting standards, have contributed an amount of about INR 3 crore. I'd like to clarify, this is not an actual cost to the company, and it will get adjusted as we deliver the goods to the customers.

The company reported a loss after tax of about INR 4.3 crore for this quarter, compared to a profit of about INR 1.4 crore in the corresponding quarter of last year. We expect to turn back positively in the coming quarters, as major domestic business is scheduled to be delivered in the coming quarters, especially in Q3 and Q4. We maintain our overall guidance of about INR 900 crore-INR 950 crore for the entire year, with INR 300 crore of exports and the rest from the domestic segment. With this revenue mix panning out, we are targeting a business profit of about INR 140 crore-INR 150 crore. We maintain our guidance as given in the last quarter.

Government of India’s initiatives to foster local manufacturing, as well as raising the transfer of technology from DRDO and ISRO, would benefit firms like Astra. We have been taking steps to move up the value chain from the subsystem vendor to a system vendor, where opportunity size is huge. We have identified specific growth areas for the future expansion, such as SATCOM systems, wind profiler radars, ground surveillance radars, and Doppler weather radars, anti-drone systems, and so on. I would like to share with you some business updates, which has happened in the quarter. Astra has signed a tripartite agreement with LRDE and HAL for the supply of critical subsystems for AESA radar.

As you know, Astra has manufactured, expanded AAAU for AESA radar, and we'll be supplying-- we will be the industry partner for HAL, for supply of these critical subsystems. On NavIC front, we should have clearance for commercial production by end of September 2023. In the meantime, we have developed a prototype vehicle tracking unit by making use of the baseline chips and have completed the internal trials. We have also executed ISRO's orders for Coarse Time & Timing Receiver. In future, we are planning to develop these modules using our own chipsets. Our software-defined radar, based on the DRDO technology, is undergoing integrated testing and validation at LRDE. We will be able to commence internal field trials by mid-September.

In the last one month, we have concluded negotiations for a few contracts of about INR 160 crore from DRDO and DPSUs, including satellite modules, airborne EW modules, development of airborne radars, and production of radar modules. Recently raised QIP funds are put to use, as declared in the offer document. With this, I will hand over to Mr. M.V. Reddy and later on to Mr. Atin Kapur, to share their views and thoughts. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. First, thank you all for joining in Q1 earning call, that too in late in the evening hours. The last quarter was a soft one, as Mr. S. G. Reddy mentioned, in terms of P&L. On the positive front, we made a good beginning by bagging reasonably good orders in the line of in line with our plans.

Out of INR 191 crore, which we booked in the Q1, INR 176 crore from domestic market, that's from DRDO and DPSUs. 80% of them are production in nature, with reasonably good gross margins. We are also delighted to inform that we have concluded contracts worth INR 160 crore, and approximately INR 140 crore worth of contracts are in the final stage of negotiations. We are seeing a good visibility to meet our order book plan in Q2, and for the rest of FY24, as per guidance given in the beginning of the year. To share a few business highlights of the last quarter, apart from what Mr. S. G. Reddy had mentioned, we secured a few strategically important development contracts in radar and EW segment from DRDO. We further strengthened our footprint in Doppler weather radar market segment by bagging more contracts from IMD and ISRO.

We are actively participating in many domestic and global opportunities in the domain of radars, EW, and communication segments. We have successfully developed AESA seeker head and terahertz proximity sensor, as we mentioned in the last earnings call. We have also delivered digital active array surveillance modules to DRDO. We have initiated development of high-frequency MMIC chipsets and a few radar systems to meet a modest future requirement. With these initial remarks, I hand over to Mr. Atin Kapur to share his thoughts. Thank you.

M. V. Reddy
Joint Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Thanks, M.V. Thanks, Ajay. Hello, everybody. As you know, our business mix comprises of low-margin exports, high-margin domestic business, which, which is born out of our R&D capabilities. It has been our attempt to change the lopsided nature of business, wherein revenue gets bunched up in the third and the fourth quarter, primarily. I must admit that we have not been very successful as yet in achieving the optimal mix as of now, even though we have managed to spread out the export orders over quarters, almost evenly. The effort made over the first couple of quarters lays the groundwork every year for the surge we normally see in the third and the fourth quarter.

While expenses have been more or less normalized, we are expecting a surge again, as mentioned by Ajay, on the revenue side in the third and fourth quarter. We are reiterating, as we have just reiterated that we are on course to achieve our stated guidance of INR 140-150 crore of PBT in the current year, which would be a substantial jump over the last year on a year-on-year basis. As Ajay and M.V. will discuss in the further details, the specific programs that we can talk about. I wish to talk about our prospects and how we are shaping the company for a very sizable spurt in the size and profitability over the next 3 to 5 years.

As long-term shareholders, we have all seen substantial value accruing to the shareholders, rest assured that we are laser focused on the continued growth of the company. I had touched upon Astra moving into solutions and systems in the last conference call, a lot of our efforts have been concentrated towards the same direction. As a systems entity and as a systems integrator, the company needs to take a hard look, relook at actually, at our organizational structure to ensure that the focused attention on the various growth strategies, which are being debated and deployed as we speak, towards our real assets, which is our employees and our talent pool, are functioning optimally in a, in a SBU kind of a concept. We are exploring adjacencies with our current businesses, which I shall briefly explain in detail, M.V.

has alluded to it, Ajay has alluded to it. As we finalize and get the board approvals for these initiatives, I'm sure you'll be equally excited as what we are. We believe that our core defense and aerospace business is very well poised to deliver growth on a consistent basis over the next few years. We want to push the envelope on the growth numbers and expect capability to create solutions will help us augment what hitherto was a tender-based approach towards business generation. We expect solutions to play an important role across both domestic as well as international markets, but we want to keep our focus on defense business and partner with companies in a possible B to B to B format for our solutions business.

The first solutions, which have been almost very for a deep evaluation by our board, uses our core products to deliver a very comprehensive surveillance capability. We intend providing military-grade solutions in a very cost-effective format, centered around multiple technologies within Astra, while partnering with multiple industry players to augment our capabilities to create an end-to-end solution. Which will find a very receptive market, both domestically as well as international, international, in the international markets. We will share more on this post the final approval by our board, but we expect revenues from this to start from next year onwards, and where we will be offering this solution as a systems integrator. The key change happening in the company is evident from the next solution which we are working on.

While under wraps, I can share with you the broad contours, where earlier we would have supplied our core products as hardware to solve pressing problems for somebody else to build a solution around our core products. The change happening now builds on the hardware as an input for a complete solution, which we shall be creating with applications, both again, on the military as well as civil industrial side. These ready-made products, in our opinion, will allow us also to diversify from our dependence on government spending and possible as a hedge, will serve as a hedge against possible lean, lean periods in government spending, and thereby deliver consistent, superior growth.

As Ajay alluded, just now, India has emerged as a key player in China+1 strategy, and we have been debating internally whether we should build up our capabilities to provide a low-cost, scalable production capacities, which we have, to, which, which we have honed in our export businesses and work on producing electronics in a large volume, though low margin. Internally, our belief is that we wish we have the capability to focus on higher value add and higher margins, which is where we should be focusing on, and we should not be moving into low value, large, no large-scale business.

These substantial value-added divisions, which exist within our company, be it space, where we will come to you with some very exciting news, as well as around chip design, which is one of our core capability, which has helped us tremendously to create products, right? We are exploring with due seriousness, multiple options, and will revert back to you as soon as strategies are finalized. To sum up, we are looking at comfortably meeting our year-end guidance and are considering multiple strategies for augmenting growth through adjacent businesses for significant and consistent growth with high profitability going forward. With this, I'll hand it over back to the floor for questions. Thank you.

Operator

Thank you very much. We will 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 withdraw 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 question queue assembles. The first question is from the line of Amit Dixit from ICICI Securities. Please go ahead.

Amit Dixit
Research Analyst, ICICI Securities

Hello. Yeah, hi. Good evening, everyone, and thanks for the opportunity. I have a couple of questions. The first one is essentially on the exports. While you have indicated in the press release that exports component was higher, is it possible to get that what was the execution of exports order in this quarter? The remaining export order book that we have, that is 19%, over how many quarters is it executable?

M. V. Reddy
Joint Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yeah, Amit, that is the only question? You said you had, you have a couple of questions, right?

Amit Dixit
Research Analyst, ICICI Securities

Yeah, sorry. Yeah. The second question is that while in long term, we are all, you know, conversant of the potential of Astra, but in more near term, I mean, in last 2 quarters, we have seen actually margins, are dependent, especially in this quarter. My question is on the near-term opportunities that we have, such as, if you could quantify that would be great, such as Akash or, you know, the naval ship orders that are coming up. What kind of opportunities we have in these spaces? In your annual report, you alluded to a radar for, you know, the, for Indian Navy. This, if you could throw some light on that, that would be very helpful. That's it from my side.

M. V. Reddy
Joint Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yeah. The first question is, as far as the exports, the execution plan for exports for the current quarter and the next two quarters, Q3 and Q4. The export front, the second quarter, we have a sales plan of INR 80 crores, and third quarter, INR 73 crores, and the Q4, we have plan of INR 70 crores. This is our execution plan for exports in three quarters. This is the first question. The second question is, as far as the flagship, you know, order contracts, like you mentioned about the naval SDR system and all, that we are planning to book sales in Q3.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

As we mentioned in our opening remarks, the maximum domestic, whatever we have planned in the current financial year, will happen in Q3 and Q4. We are, we are planning execution of almost INR 338 crore in Q3 and 300 in Q4. In Q3 and Q4 put together, we are expecting about INR 625 crore of gross execution. In that, the maximum, like, you know, the majority share will come from the domestic sector, and that too, the main programs of the production segment, like only the TR modules from the, you know, CAS. Also, we have few contracts from Akash, which we bagged in the Q1, we are planning to execute in Q4.

This is a product mix as far as the Q4 is concerned, so that should give us a reasonably good margin, in last 2 quarters.

Amit Dixit
Research Analyst, ICICI Securities

Yeah, great. That was a very elaborate answer. One follow-up, if I may. In these export orders that we executed in this quarter, did we make EBITDA level loss in any of them?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

We have not made any loss as such. We actually, the export, we have again, two categories, right? In one category, we have a very low margin, and the other category is we have a reasonably good margin, in the sense, around 10%. Whatever orders we have executed in Q1 all belongs to the lower margin category. Hence, we couldn't make overall good margin, if you see the overall sales as compared to the expenses.

Amit Dixit
Research Analyst, ICICI Securities

going ahead, you expect the

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Also, whatever the projects we have executed in Q1, also they are more development in nature, and we, we add it in a competitive scenario. Hence, these orders doesn't carry much good margin. Overall, we couldn't show profits, when compared with the last year Q1.

Amit Dixit
Research Analyst, ICICI Securities

Sir, is it we able to expect that as we go from Q2 to Q3 and Q4, the margins are going to improve from here, and this will be in upward trajectory?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yes, Amit, that is what we are stating, especially in Q3 and Q4, where out of, in Q3, out of INR 340 crore, the exports are going to be around INR 70 crore. Similarly, in Q4, which is around INR 300 crore, again, the exports are going to be around INR 70 crore. Therefore, the majority revenues in Q3 and Q4 are coming from domestic. Apart from that, there are 1 or 2 production orders in domestic business, which have a fairly higher margin. And hence, our statement that, you know, that we will be turning profitable and we will be able to meet the guided number of about INR 140 crore, is coming in because of this confidence what we have.

Amit Dixit
Research Analyst, ICICI Securities

Okay, wonderful, sir. Thank you and all the best.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yeah.

Operator

Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to ask a question, please press star and one. The next question is from the line of Hitanshu Bhatia from Khandwala Securities and Investment Private Limited . Please go ahead.

Hitanshu Bhatia
Analyst, Gandhi Securities and Investments Private Limited

Yeah. Hi, thanks for taking my question. Sir, I-- if you could just repeat the timeline, which you said that we'll be getting the commercial gateway from ISRO for our NavIC chip. I also assume that we would have received the qualification for our basic chip that was supposed to come, I think, in the last quarter. Sir, I also had a question with regards to SDR Manpack for the Army, if you could provide any updates on that front as well. Thank you.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yeah. On the NavIC front, yeah, you are right. We are supposed to get qualification in the last quarter. In the last final testing, there were a few observations, and that we have addressed that. We are going to, you know, test again in the next week. Probably by September, first week, we should have approval, and also we should have the production clearance by mid-September. As far as the SDR Manpack is concerned, as we mentioned, the NCTC trials being scheduled for sometime in October, November, and we gear up for the trials. We are fully ready with that.

Hitanshu Bhatia
Analyst, Gandhi Securities and Investments Private Limited

Okay, okay, sir. I think Accord Software also, previously in this year, after Elina has also launched its chip, right, for, NavIC?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yeah, Accord Software and Elina, we are aware of that. The product which we are going to launch will have a more few additional features. Anyway, that we will disclose once we have a product which approved.

Hitanshu Bhatia
Analyst, Gandhi Securities and Investments Private Limited

Okay, okay. Thank you.

Operator

Thank you. The next question comes from the line of Colonel Sarjeet Yadav from Mount Intra Finance Private Limited. Please go ahead.

Colonel Sarjeet Yadav
Venture Partner, Mount Intra Finance Private Limited

Good evening, sir. I would like to know, you know, there are some orders which are pending about the anti-drone and MPR Arudhra. Have you received these orders, or are you still awaiting these 2 orders?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Arudhra, we got RFP, and we have responded. Negotiations have just begin. We are expecting this contract only in Q3, because it's a huge con- a big contract, so we expect negotiations may go on for another 2 months. Probably in October, we should be in a position to close the contract. As far as the counter-drone is concerned, as we mentioned, our the radar is very pre-testing is going on, and we should be in a position to deploy from September last week onwards.

Colonel Sarjeet Yadav
Venture Partner, Mount Intra Finance Private Limited

Okay, sir. Can you just also throw some light about the some projects from which you are expecting this entire order book of about INR 992 crore?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

We cannot disclose all the projects. You know, major programs, like, you know, one is AWACS Mk-I, we have defense satellite subsystems. We have recently closed the negotiations, we have closed negotiations for a few development contracts from DRDO. That is one airborne radar, the other one is ground-based radar subsystems. We have declared L1 recently, we have closed negotiations for one more contract from ITR. It's about SRPR, short-range tracking radar, for INR 10 crore. In EW, we are expecting some orders from Shakhti, DR-118, that is RWR of 230, also Nayan, like IM Shakhti, IM Sruti.

These are all programs which we have already products qualified, and we are expecting production orders from DPSUs.

Colonel Sarjeet Yadav
Venture Partner, Mount Intra Finance Private Limited

Thank you, sir. Just a follow-up question. Can you, FDR received INR 150 crore worth of order for the JV. Is it included as part of the, order book of Astra, or it's, it's part of the, JV order book? Standalone or company, can you just clarify that?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

No, it is not included in standalone. In fact, it is a JV order, we, we expect orders, for on Astra maybe soon once again this month.

Colonel Sarjeet Yadav
Venture Partner, Mount Intra Finance Private Limited

Okay, sir. Thank you, sir.

Operator

Thank you. Participants who wish to ask questions may please press star one. The next question is from the line of Vipul Kumar Shah from Sumangal Investment. Please go ahead.

Vipul Kumar Shah
Investor, Sumangal Investments

Hi, sir. Can you break your turnover between component subsystems and systems for the last financial year?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

For the last financial year?

Vipul Kumar Shah
Investor, Sumangal Investments

Yeah.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

We don't have that breakup for the last financial year.

Vipul Kumar Shah
Investor, Sumangal Investments

Okay. But, systems must have a higher margin naturally, right? If you can give me some rough breakup, that will also be very helpful.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

See, approximately we can consider 20% on systems and, you know, 80% in component and subsystems.

Vipul Kumar Shah
Investor, Sumangal Investments

Systems carry much higher margins, sir?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yeah. I mean, both the systems and subsystems, more or less carry the same margins. Unless we get large production quantity in systems, this will be remain like, you know, whatever we are executing on development contracts, that we are bagging from a, in a competitive mode. The margins are, you know, less, but in case we get production orders, obviously the margins will be higher.

Vipul Kumar Shah
Investor, Sumangal Investments

Okay, sir. Thank you.

Operator

Thank you. The next question is from the line of Siddharth Purohit from Investque Investment Advisors Private Limited. Please go ahead.

Siddharth Purohit
Fund Manager and Principal Officer, InvesQ Investment Advisors Pvt Ltd

Hello. Yeah, hi, sir. Sir, sorry, I missed out the earlier point. You highlighted certain reasons for the falling gross margin. Was there any a one-time cost probably you mentioned? Sorry for repeating, I missed out those points.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

No, there is no one-time cost, as such. What we have stated is in Q1, the exports is close to about 60%, the rest is the domestic. Exports carry a lower margin, very low margin, I would say around 5%-7% kind of thing, whereas the domestic has a better margin. Since the mix is skewed towards export, the overall margins have come down. That is what we have stated. That is number 1 point. Number 2, even within the domestic also, the product mix what we have executed in the Q1, have a lower margin compared to the general, higher margins what we enjoyed. These two things have contributed to the overall lower margins in the company.

Siddharth Purohit
Fund Manager and Principal Officer, InvesQ Investment Advisors Pvt Ltd

In the subsequent quarter, we expect that now the domestic business will pick up. Probably at the beginning of the year, we are expecting 65%-70% probably, from the domestic side for this year. Are we likely to achieve those sort of numbers based on the pipeline that you have?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yes, especially in the current financial year, we are expecting a major deliveries to happen in Q3 and Q4 with very high domestic deliveries. Hence we are expecting the recovery of the profits, everything to happen towards end of those Q3 and Q4.

Siddharth Purohit
Fund Manager and Principal Officer, InvesQ Investment Advisors Pvt Ltd

clarification: Is there any substantial change in the inventory levels? You had mentioned that, you know, probably it is likely to remain on a higher side because of the global supply chain issues. So for the first quarter?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

No, inventory levels, they are more or less, like what was there in the previous year. Since two or three domestic programs which are scheduled to deliver in the Q1 are being pushed to Q2 and Q3, the work in progress is at a higher side compared to normal WHS standards.

Siddharth Purohit
Fund Manager and Principal Officer, InvesQ Investment Advisors Pvt Ltd

Okay. Fine. Oh, thanks. I'll come back in queue, sir.

Operator

Thank you. Participants, to ask a question, you may please press star and one. The next question is from the line of Palak Shah from Billion Securities. Please go ahead.

Palak Shah
Financial Analyst, Billion Securities

Good evening, sir. I just have one question. Could you please elaborate on your plan to expand into anti-drone solutions? Where are we on that, and what is the potential from this segment going forward?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Palak, we have built the anti-drone radar with the technology know-how from DRDO. We have a collaboration with one other company for the jammers. With the integrated mode, on integration mode, we have been adjusting for last few weeks, and we should be in a position to complete in next couple of weeks. As I mentioned, we will be in a position to field the system with the soft skill of, you know, version of jam, counter-drone radar system. This will be fielded in sometime in September last week onwards. We have few customers who have been requesting us to arrange demonstrations, and that we are, you know, planning to demonstration in next four to five months. We expect few contracts by year-end or the first quarter of the next year.

Palak Shah
Financial Analyst, Billion Securities

Okay, sir. That's great. Thank you so much.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Thank you.

Operator

Thank you. The next question is from the line of Abhishek Poddar from HDFC Mutual Fund. Please go ahead.

Abhishek Poddar
Fund Manager and Senior Equity Analyst, HDFC Mutual Fund

Hi, good evening. Thanks for taking my question. Sir, could you give some understanding, you know, regarding the order inflows that you're expecting this year? What could be the quantum of order inflows, and also if you could highlight which are the key programs that you're looking at?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Order inflow, this quarter, we are expecting around INR 330 crore. The Q3 and Q4 put together, we should be in a position to bag INR 5 crore-INR 8 crore. Overall, as I mentioned, whatever the guidance was given in the beginning of the year, INR 1,000+ crore, we've been to the position to comfortably achieve that target. As well as the major programs, I think I have already mentioned few programs I have given, like, the current quarter. The orders for which we have already closed the negotiations, only I will be able to mention that.

One is the Defence Satellite Subsystem contract, the other one is few airborne radars of DRDO, also the subsystems for ground-based radar, which is Palak, we have builtfrom DRDO, and EW subsystems for DR-118 program of BEL. There are a few EW programs which, you know, for which BEL has received orders, and we are expecting the subsystem orders like Varuna, Shakhti, Nayan, IM Shakhti, and IM Ashwini. These are all orders which we are expecting from BEL. Yeah, these are all like likely to receive in next, you know, few months. Apart from that, we do have few more contracts, which I don't want to disclose at the moment.

We are very comfortable as we have a clear visibility to book, you know, 1,000-plus orders in this current year.

Abhishek Poddar
Fund Manager and Senior Equity Analyst, HDFC Mutual Fund

understood. Sir, Arudhra is not part of the list that you have here?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Arudhra is also there. I'm sorry, I forgot that. Arudhra is there in this.

Abhishek Poddar
Fund Manager and Senior Equity Analyst, HDFC Mutual Fund

Okay.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Actually, it's there in Q3, we have taken that.

Abhishek Poddar
Fund Manager and Senior Equity Analyst, HDFC Mutual Fund

understood. Arudhra, in the presentation, you have given INR 400 crore opportunity, so that is the similar number we are looking?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

It's a INR 300 crore+, and, we will expect some scale also, the scale we are yet to finalize. Minimum 300+ we are expecting from Arudhra.

Abhishek Poddar
Fund Manager and Senior Equity Analyst, HDFC Mutual Fund

Sir, what will be the export mix in the order expectation now? How would the revenue from export shape up in next two years? Would it be like 35%-40%, as you have done in the past, or should we think it will be 19% or lower in the future?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

See, exports for the current year, that is 2023, 2024, on the 900+ top end, we are expecting around INR 300 crore of exports. Going forward, 2024, 2025, the exports should be at a much lower level. Again, as Mr. Amrit Raj said sometime back, our exports again has two elements. One is what we actually export outside India. The other one is what we deliver to export-oriented units within India, which carries fairly good margin. In fact, the margins, gross margins are about 15%-18%. That business will be higher in the next year exports, whatever we are projecting. Therefore, that export mix may not be a bad thing from the next year onwards.

Abhishek Poddar
Fund Manager and Senior Equity Analyst, HDFC Mutual Fund

Okay. There will be a defocus from the direct outside India exports from next year?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yeah. Yes, yes.

Abhishek Poddar
Fund Manager and Senior Equity Analyst, HDFC Mutual Fund

Okay. Understood, sir. Thank you, and all the best, sir.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Thank you.

Operator

Thank you. Participants, you may press star and one to ask a question. The next question is from the line of Karpi with Suyash Advisors. Please go ahead.

Speaker 13

Yeah. Sir, good evening. Just wanted to understand the delivery status of the SDR orders from the joint venture there, and, any pipeline orders there?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Come again?

Speaker 13

The SDR orders, the software-defined radio orders.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yes, software-defined radio, we have order for the Air Force version that is in the under execution. I think we'll be in a position to complete that. If you're asking for that Mk-2, Army, that as I said, we are ready for the trials to be scheduled in sometime in October, November.

Speaker 13

No, I was... You were, you were mentioning that you will be shipping it out in the first quarter or second quarter. I was just wondering whether those pending orders have been, you know, delivered or not?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yeah. I think I got your question. We, we mentioned to you last time there was some export license issue...

Speaker 13

Right.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

It is not yet resolved. We are expecting that the resolution to happen by the end of this month.

Speaker 13

Okay.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

The products are ready. The moment, the clearance comes in, the shipment will happen.

Speaker 13

Mm.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

The joint venture company is expected to close about INR 2,000 crore for this year, assuming that, you know, this export license issue is going to be resolved.

Speaker 13

Okay. Okay, sure. Thanks, sir. Thank you, and I appreciate it.

Operator

Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, to ask a question, you may press s tar and one on your touchtone telephones. The next question is from the line of Santanu Chatterjee from Mount Intra Finance Private Limited. Please go ahead.

Abhishek Poddar
Fund Manager and Senior Equity Analyst, HDFC Mutual Fund

Thank you very much for this opportunity, sir. My question is on your order book position, sir. Understand the loan and consolidated unaudited financial result, you have shown that on group basis, we have already booked INR 342.85 crore order. I suppose that, joint venture order that we have procured during the quarter, that is INR 150.44 crore, is that is included in this?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yeah, in the consolidated, it would have been included. It has got an order from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), for supply of ARS again. That was included in the consolidated order book.

Abhishek Poddar
Fund Manager and Senior Equity Analyst, HDFC Mutual Fund

Okay, sir. If that's so, on group basis, we have got order book of INR 1,942 crore, sir. Under joint venture, we have got order book of INR 422 crore. If we deduct that, this joint venture order from this INR 1,942 crore, we are getting more or less INR 1,520 crore order book. In our presentation, we have shown INR 1,580 crore order book. Why this mismatch, that INR 60 crore mismatch?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Mm. Yeah, we should be able to give a clarification to you. Any next question is there? We will get the clarification to you.

Abhishek Poddar
Fund Manager and Senior Equity Analyst, HDFC Mutual Fund

Yes, please.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

You want to have a reconciliation between the consolidated and standalone?

Abhishek Poddar
Fund Manager and Senior Equity Analyst, HDFC Mutual Fund

Yeah, yeah.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yeah, we'll give you that.

Abhishek Poddar
Fund Manager and Senior Equity Analyst, HDFC Mutual Fund

Okay, sir. Thanks.

Operator

Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, to ask a question, you may press star and one. The next question is from the line of Ketan Gandhi, from Gandhi Securities and Investment Private Limited. Please go ahead.

Ketan Gandhi
Analyst, Gandhi Securities and Investments Private Limited

Yes, sir. Recently, BDL has delivered to the Akash NG seeker, RF seeker. What is the size for this Akash NG seeker? I believe we are the supplier.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Your voice is not clear, Akash NG seeker. Can you just repeat your question?

Ketan Gandhi
Analyst, Gandhi Securities and Investments Private Limited

Yeah. BDL recently supplied Akash NG seeker, I believe we are the subsystem provider for Akash NG seeker, RF seeker. What is the opportunity size here, and when serial production will start for this?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Production may start, you know, soon, like in a 1 year timeframe. This subsystem, what we have supplied, it is already been qualified, and with that subsystem, we've been tested. Production, we expect a good number of orders for this. I think it should start in a 1 year timeframe.

Ketan Gandhi
Analyst, Gandhi Securities and Investments Private Limited

Any ballpark figures, sir? What is the total opportunity size into next five years?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Next to five years, I think, the subsystem, what we have developed, I think probably we should be in a position to get INR 120 crore-INR 150 crore.

Ketan Gandhi
Analyst, Gandhi Securities and Investments Private Limited

Okay. Sir, as per the presentation, we have a mission target of INR 10,000 crore turnover in next five years. If I just average it out, so it comes to around INR 2,000 crore run rate per year. When can we see a INR 2,000 crore run rate from each year?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

In fact, we are expecting FY26 onwards. I think it should be, we are planning about INR 2,000 crore. FY28, we should be in a, you know, position to touch somewhere around INR 2,500 crore-INR 2,800 crore. This is what we have as plan.

Ketan Gandhi
Analyst, Gandhi Securities and Investments Private Limited

We are geared all infra and manpower and everything?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yeah, actually.

Ketan Gandhi
Analyst, Gandhi Securities and Investments Private Limited

Proceed, yes.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

We are geared up with infrastructure, and we have initiated the development of few major systems. We are also participating in many In tenders, actively in, you know, domestic as well as in the international market. Towards that, we are planning.

M. V. Reddy
Joint Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Ketan if I may add, as we have discussed earlier also, right? Company will move into a different orbit, in our opinion, in FY26. We are working backwards as we speak, to get to reorganize the company to cater to this new orbit, where we would be operating. Our resources are human resources. We are actually very actively working on ensuring that the org structure is optimum for, for the enhanced level of activities.

Ketan Gandhi
Analyst, Gandhi Securities and Investments Private Limited

Yeah, that's very helpful. I have one last question. There was some newspaper article that China is not supplying gallium to the world, so-- and we do a lot of work of gallium arsenide and gallium nitride. Are we, I mean, do we find any issues acquiring gallium, or is it just hullabaloo from China? I think, did you answer that?

M. V. Reddy
Joint Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

I don't believe we are, we, we are impacted in our... We, we don't buy gallium as such, you know. The, the, where we are using the gallium, I don't think we are experiencing any issues out there. Yeah.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

See, actually, what we are using the foundry is based in Taiwan.

M. V. Reddy
Joint Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yeah.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

We, we also have a plan B. In fact, we have recently qualified for all our designs, for years, you know, in France, and also a few designs. Now we are making it qualified some years also in near future. In case if China waits, Taiwan also, you know, we have a backup plan for all our designs. That's the one. Then alternatively, GAETEC, which is a DRDO-based foundry, they have also upgraded their, you know, both GaAs and also GaN, so this is also will be operational. We started loading device with the GAETEC foundry also, so that, you know, we can even think of getting in the indigenous wafers. These are all our plans.

We will have a very short-term, you know, some issue, but otherwise, we have a plan for, you know, long term to see that, you know, our chips will not get affected, even in case if Taiwan is not cooperating with India.

Ketan Gandhi
Analyst, Gandhi Securities and Investments Private Limited

That's excellent, sir. That's very helpful. Thank you so much, sir.

Operator

Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to ask a question, you may press star and one. Participants, to ask a question, you can press star and one at this time. The next question is from the line of Abhijeet Mitra from Anived Sala Investment Management . Please go ahead.

Speaker 12

Yeah, thanks. Most of my questions have been answered. Just to understand, you know, in your press release, you have highlighted around INR 60 crore worth of service orders. If you can just, you know, give some more color on, on what's the nature of these orders. You know, yeah, I mean, some more light on them would be very helpful. Thanks.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yes. The service orders mostly pertains to our weather-related business. We have installation, commissioning, and AMC contracts, which are deferred in nature to the extent of about five years. In the overall order book, we have indicated what is the service order element, whose execution is going to spread over a period of time compared to the normal orders.

Speaker 12

These orders, you have not included in that INR 191 crore, or you, you have included?

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

No, it is there. It is a part of that. In the overall order book also, it is part of that. Since we are giving a time span of about, 24 months to 30 months for completion of, orders on hand, the service orders, which are different from that 24 to 30 months period, it is shown separately.

Speaker 12

Got it. In the presentation, the breakup of order that has been booked in the quarter that you have shown, where is the service order residing? It's residing under different-

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Probably in this quarter, I think we have not received any service orders. In this quarter, service.

Speaker 12

Got it. Got it. Got it. Yeah.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Yeah.

Speaker 12

Thanks. That's all for me.

Operator

Thank you. I now hand the conference over to Mr. S. G. Reddy, Managing Director, for closing comments. Over to you, sir.

S. G. Reddy
Managing Director, Astra Microwave Products

Thank you. Thank you, gentlemen, for your presence and interactions. Look forward to talking to you againn at the end of quarter results. Thank you very much.

Ketan Gandhi
Analyst, Gandhi Securities and Investments Private Limited

Thank you.

Operator

Thank you.

Speaker 12

Thank you. Bye.

Operator

On behalf of Astra Microwave Products Limited, that concludes this conference. Thank you for joining us. You may now disconnect your lines.

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