Advanced Enzyme Technologies Limited (NSE:ADVENZYMES)
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Sep 11, 2026, 3:30 PM IST
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Q1 21/22

Aug 11, 2021

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, good day and welcome to Q1 FY 2022 earnings conference call of Advanced Enzyme Technologies Limited. As a reminder, all participant lines will be in the listen-only mode, and there will be an opportunity for you to ask questions after the presentation concludes. Should you need assistance during the conference call, please signal an operator by pressing star then zero on your touchtone phone. Please note that this conference is being recorded. I now hand the conference over to Mr. Ronak Saraf from Advanced Enzyme Technologies Limited. Thank you, and over to you, sir.

Ronak Saraf
Investor Relation Manager, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the Advanced Enzymes' first quarter 2022 earnings conference call. My name is Ronak Saraf, and I'm the Manager, Investor Relations here at Advanced Enzymes. I hope you all are doing well. Joining me on the call today are Mr. Vasant Rathi, Chairman, Advanced Enzymes; Mr. Mukund Kabra, Whole-time Director; and Mr. Beni Prasad Rauka, Group CFO. We have prepared a detailed presentation to supplement our comments during this conference call. This presentation is posted in the Investor Relations section of Advanced Enzymes' website and on stock exchange website as well. Before we proceed, I would request you all to please read the forward-looking statement disclaimer contained in the presentation. During our call, we will make forward-looking statements regarding our expectations or predictions about the future.

Because these statements are based on current assumptions and the factors that involve risk and uncertainty, our actual performance and results may differ materially from our forward-looking statements. With this, I will now hand the call over to Mr. Kabra. Over to you, sir.

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Thank you, Ronak. Good evening, everybody. I welcome you all again, along with the whole AETL family, to this conference call for the quarter ending June 30th 2021. First and foremost, we hope that you and your respective families are in good health and high spirits. COVID is still not gone, so I would request you all to take the necessary precautions. We at Advanced Enzymes are regularly being updated with the current COVID-19 scenario and safeguarding our employees' and customers' health and interest has always been our topmost priority. In the first segment of this call, we will be taking you through the earnings update and the business highlights, and then we will open up the floor for the question and answers. Quarter one of financial year 2022 began with the second wave of COVID hitting its peak.

Even during these challenging circumstances, we are proud to announce that Advanced Enzymes has demonstrated tremendous resilience. We are again positive on all the parameters driven by consistent performance by all business segments. Our revenue grew by 24% on year-on-year basis to INR 1,370 million. Our EBITDA grew by 21% to INR 628 million during the quarter. Our PAT grew by 15% to INR 628 million. EBITDA margin stood at 46%, while PAT margin stood at 29% during the quarter. I will take you through the segmental revenues. The human nutrition contributed 65%, animal nutrition contributed 10%, industrial bioprocessing contributed 15%, and specialized manufacturing contributed 10% in the total revenue during this quarter. The human nutrition segment grew by 3% to INR 892 million in quarter one financial year 2022 as compared to INR 886 million in quarter one financial year 2021.

The animal nutrition has shown a significant improvement and delivered a growth of 32% to INR 114 million in quarter one financial year 2022 as against INR 106 million in quarter one financial year 2021. The bioprocessing segment outperformed by 56% during this quarter. It accounted to INR 204 million in quarter one financial year 2022 as compared to INR 131 million in quarter one financial year 2021. This quarter, we have a newly added revenue stream, specialized manufacturing, which contributed INR 134 million to our revenue. On the geographical revenue front, our domestic sales accounted for 42%, while the international sales accounted for 58% of the total revenue during this quarter. Domestic sales grew by 11% to INR 579 million during this quarter on year-on basis, while the international sales grew by 35% to INR 791 million during this quarter.

We are retaining our guidance provided during the last con call until we see any major events happening. I hope you all have gone through our presentation for the focus area. We tried to make it comprehensive for more clarity. We are very close to our launch of B2C nutraceutical platform, which will be communicated to you soon. Let me hand over this to Mr. Rauka, our CFO, who will walk you through the quarterly financial review. Over to you, Rauka sir.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Thank you very much, Mukund. Good evening, everyone.

I would like to brief you about, I think Mukund already spoke about year-on-year growth and the numbers. I'll just give you on quarter-on-quarter numbers and the growth. Our revenue is increased by INR 38 million, from INR 1,332 million to INR 1,370 million, and EBITDA is up from INR 549 million to INR 628 million, and a growth of 14%. Our profit before tax is up by 15%, from INR 478 million to INR 550 million. PAT is increased 18%. It is just to about INR 400 million. It's INR 399 million. Registered a growth of 18% in profit after tax. Our finance cost during the quarter remained at INR 5 million, and depreciation and amortization cost is slightly higher by about INR 16 million. This is because of inclusion of SciTech facilities and some amount of write-off on because of this acquisition, we need to do that purchase price allocations.

Whatever intangible assets are there, those has also been taken into account, and the depreciation is increased because of that. A couple of numbers which generally we share about our evoxx. Evoxx, our top line is INR 62 million. This quarter, we had a negative EBITDA in evoxx, about INR 10 million as compared to the previous year, where we were not positive, but there was no negative also in EBITDA as far as Q4 is concerned. JC Biotech sale is at $123 million and EBITDA of INR 31 million, and we had a PAT of INR 14 million as compared to INR 84 million, INR 16 million, INR 3 million respectively. Our largest anti-inflammatory enzyme sales stood at about INR 245 million, about 18% of our total sales, as compared to INR 217 million in Q1 of last year, about 20%. We have seen a 13% growth in that particular anti-inflammatory enzymes.

The Q4, our sale was about INR 281 million, roughly 21% of our total sales. Top 10 customers generally contributed about 34% of our total revenue as compared to 43% in Q1 of FY 2021 and 32% in Q4 of FY 2021. These are some of the numbers and I would request and we open the floor for question and answer session. Thank you very much and whatever questions you have, please go for raising your questions.

Operator

Thank you very much. We will now begin the question and answer session. Anyone who wishes to ask a question may press star one on the touch-tone telephone. If you wish to remove yourself from the question queue, you may press star two. Participants are requested to use handsets while asking a question. Anyone who would like to ask a question, please press star one at this time. Ladies and gentlemen, we will wait for a moment while the question queue assembles. Anyone who would like to ask a question, you may press star one. The 1st question is from the line of Rohit Sinha from Emkay Global. Please go ahead.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

Yeah. Thank you for taking my question. Congratulations for a good set of numbers. My first question is that we saw some good recovery in animal nutrition and human nutrition business after pandemic and bird flu impact, what we've seen last few quarters. Is there any pent-up demand contribution or it's the new normal growth run rate we could be seeing going forward?

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Rohit, we see that it's like in the food area, the run rate which is going forward will be the same. In the animal feed area, the demand is little bit more driven because of the inflation in the prices of soy flour and other commodities. Some of the product sale is increased. We hope that this trend will continue at least for second and third quarter, and probably the sale will be maintained as we move on.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

Okay. Tell me, if we remove SSPL revenue in this quarter, our sales growth was almost 12% on year-on-year basis.

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Yes, right.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

That is where, again, this is where 12% kind of growth is what I think we were also guiding previously. Are we confident on that kind of run rate in the remaining quarters, or it's again something?

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

The pandemic has affected somewhat of our human business to some extent because of the pandemic. Yes, the 12% growth rate, whatever we are talking about, is maintainable.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

Okay. Also, sir, in SSPL sales number, which has almost doubled from Q4 FY 2021, from INR 79 million to INR 134 million. Is there any seasonality nature in the business, or this is because of the integration with Advanced Enzymes growth?

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

It's a combination of both. In the last quarter, the SSPL sale was for the 79 days. In this quarter, the sale is for the whole quarter, some number has increased. We are trying to integrate, the numbers are going up.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

Okay. If you could help us have the SSPL Q1 FY 2021 number, just in case on year-over-year number, if you want to compare.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Rohit, what do you want exactly? You want the top line of?

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

Yeah. Top line of SSPL in Q1.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

I think Mukund has already spoke. It's about INR 134 million of top line as compared to INR 84 million for 79 or 80 days in the last quarter. Okay.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

If we can compare it with Q1 FY 2021, if at all you can provide the number?

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

No, that is not available.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

Okay.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Whatever relevant is for us, it was Q4 and then Q1 of this year.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

Okay. Got it.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

I can provide you number separately if that is required.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

Okay. Sure. Lastly, on the gross margin side, the gross margin improved on year-on-year as well as Q-on-Q basis, even after SSPL inclusion. If you could help us how SSPL contributing to the gross margin level or what kind of benefits Advanced Enzyme has got in this quarter.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

I'll give it a little bit number side. SSPL contribution is in the sense on overall in absolute numbers, because INR 134 million of their revenue has given some gross contribution of INR 18 million. I'm talking about gross contribution, which is only raw material cost side. Other than that, whatever improvement as such you are saying about gross margin in terms of percentage is mainly because of change in our sales mix. Okay.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

Okay.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

That is different products in a different segment in that sense. If one product has gone up in this quarter as compared to the previous quarter, so that is mainly because of that reason.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

Okay. Lastly, if I can speak one more. Could you help us through the future product pipeline and any new product launches in the different segments in the near future?

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Mukund will take this question.

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Rohit, we already talk about our focus areas, right? The focus area, the products which will come in the biocatalyst areas, in the food areas, in the probiotic areas, and these are all our focus areas, right? New enzymes, new things, whatever we are developing are coming into these areas.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

Okay. That's it from my side, sir. Thank you.

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Thank you.

Operator

Thank you. Anyone who would like to ask a question, you may press star and one. The next question is from the line of Shikha Mehta from Equitree Capital. Please go ahead.

Shikha Mehta
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Good evening, sir. I just have a couple of questions. Could you tell us the R&D spend for this quarter?

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Yeah, just a moment. I'll give you the exact number of R&D spend. Shikha, it's about INR 38 million.

Shikha Mehta
Analyst, Equitree Capital

INR 38 million. The same quarter last year?

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

I'll come back to you with that number.

Shikha Mehta
Analyst, Equitree Capital

All right, sir. If you could give us how much we did from probiotics and biocatalyst separately this quarter?

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Okay.

Shikha Mehta
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Hello?

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Yeah. Just a moment. I'll give you those numbers.

Shikha Mehta
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Yeah.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

You want the separate number for probiotics, right?

Shikha Mehta
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Right.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Yeah. probiotic sale as such for this quarter is about INR 942 million.

Shikha Mehta
Analyst, Equitree Capital

We've spoken about the different areas in which we see growth coming in over the next couple of years. If you could just give a more detailed view on how we'd be ramping up, which sectors would be doing how, and by when we could see decent growth in the sectors we've been talking about for the last couple of quarters. It would be helpful.

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Shikha, we expect the growth to come from the third and fourth quarter from the biotech industry area, as we are talking about. Food will do little better, but not like what we expected because of the pandemic and because of the travel restrictions, whatever we have discussed. The same story is with the animal feed, even though we are ramping up the process of hiring the people in this quarter into all of these areas in the marketing units. We are working on it, and we will see how this pandemic goes and then how quickly we can just ramp up on the growth pattern.

Shikha Mehta
Analyst, Equitree Capital

All right, sir. Thank you.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Shikha, our R&D spend in Q1 of last year was INR 22 million, and Q4 it was INR 43 million.

Shikha Mehta
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Okay. Thank you so much.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

INR 34 million in this quarter.

Shikha Mehta
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Okay, great.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Yeah.

Shikha Mehta
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Yes. Thank you.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Thank you.

Operator

Thank you. Anyone who would like to ask a question, you may press star and one. The next question is from the line of Sesha Pattani from Anvil Share and Stock Broking. Please go ahead.

Sesha Pattani
Analyst, Anvil Share and Stock Broking

Hi. Thank you for giving me the opportunity. I wanted to know, there is a quite big jump in the other expenses and the employee cost. Is there any particular expenses which has increased during the quarter? When you compare it to the same quarter last year, it is at almost at INR 165.8 million compared to INR 248.82 million.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Yeah. The first question is why the other expenses are up in this quarter as compared to the last year quarter, right?

Sesha Pattani
Analyst, Anvil Share and Stock Broking

Yes.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Number one, it is because of SciTech. SciTech, we have acquired in the month of January 2021. Last year in the Q1, there was no expenses of SSPL in our books. This is roughly about a big chunk of about INR 30 million. In addition to that, this year in the first quarter, our operational activities are more than last year first quarter, because last year first quarter was first time that pandemic has affected everyone very heavily. After that, lot of precautions were taken and then this year in the first quarter, we were operational. Operationally, we have done better. Our operational expenses like power and fuel expenses, stores, freight expenses, all these expenses has gone up. That has contributed in increase in our other expenses of about INR 83 million.

Employee benefit expenses, if you really compare with the Q1 of last year, then it is because of annual increments, some incentives, and then also the impact of inclusion of SciTech . The payroll cost of SciTech is also included during this Q1 of FY 2022. That has contributed in employee benefit expenses going up from INR 211 million to INR 269 million or so.

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

There was also one more contribution. Last year, we had given a salary raise in the month of August because of the pandemic, which was there. This year it was from the April. When we compare quarter-on-quarter, we can see there is a double impact rather than the single impact.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Yeah.

Sesha Pattani
Analyst, Anvil Share and Stock Broking

I'm sorry, can you come again on that point?

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Yeah. Last year, what he's saying, last year the increments were given effective from 1st of August 2020. Okay. This year, the increments are given from April 1st. Last year in the first quarter, the increase in salary was not there in payroll cost.

Sesha Pattani
Analyst, Anvil Share and Stock Broking

Okay.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Yeah.

Sesha Pattani
Analyst, Anvil Share and Stock Broking

Okay. That's all from my side. If I have anything, I'll come back in the queue. Thank you.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Yeah, please.

Operator

Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, you may press star and one to ask a question at this time. The next question is from the line of Alisha Mahawla from Envision Capital. Please go ahead.

Alisha Mahawla
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Hi, sir. Good evening, and thank you for taking my question. I just wanted to understand in our human health business, we see a constant decline in the run rate, if you see from Q3 to Q4 and coming into Q1 of this year. What is the reason for this decline, and how do we see this business picking up going forward?

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Alisha, we expect this thing will be the human nutrition will be constant for another quarter or so, and then it should again pick it up.

Alisha Mahawla
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Sure. What is the reason for this decline? Is it because?

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

It's because if you really look into the pandemic, all the focus is all on the pandemic rather than any other environments or any other areas. Even the people are not working completely. In the pharma company, they were working like the R&D is 50% or something. All the focus in the R&D was more towards the pandemic rather than other things, rather than any other areas. We expect this trend will continue for another one quarter, and then it should really pick it up. One or two quarters.

Alisha Mahawla
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Coming to your animal health segment, while you did respond to an earlier participant, is my understanding correct that one of the reasons we see a higher revenue run rate this quarter is because of higher feed prices, and maybe in a couple of quarters when that normalizes, it should go back to its earlier run rate?

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

It should not go to the earlier run rate, but this just gives us the opportunity to introduce the product where now once the prices are on the higher side of the feed, then people want to track. Otherwise, a lot of people don't want to track, right? This was the opportunity which we could encash to put up the products in the market, and that has given a good revenue. We expect that this should continue.

Alisha Mahawla
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Understood. Sir, just to comment on the gross margins, what was the reason for expansion in gross margins?

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

So.

Alisha Mahawla
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Huge expansion.

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

We always say that we should really look at our gross margin on a year-to-year basis rather than a quarter-to-quarter basis. It depends on, in the quarter, how the product mix was there, which was sold. On a yearly basis, it should more or less come to the same on averages. Like last quarter, our margins were lower because of the product mix. This quarter, it has given us a higher margin because of the product mix.

Alisha Mahawla
Analyst, Equitree Capital

On full year basis, a number closer to 80% would be sustainable?

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Roughly we can say that, but whatever that number is, we always say that our gross margins or the EBITDA will always be there between 40% to 48%, and we believe that is maintainable.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

No, 80% is something that please don't assume that. It can be anywhere between 70 to 75.

Alisha Mahawla
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Okay, sir. Thank you. Sorry, what is your capacity utilization currently?

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

It again depends, Alisha, but currently it's about 60%.

Alisha Mahawla
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Thank you, sir.

Operator

Thank you. Anyone who would like to ask question, you may press star and one. The next question is from the line of Amit Ganatra from HDFC Asset Management. Please go ahead.

Amit Ganatra
Analyst, HDFC Asset Management

Yeah. Slide number 22, you have provided some data points on how big is the opportunity. The addressable market for AETL over the next five years seems to be around INR 100 million. Plus, there is a probiotic opportunity, obviously. I just wanted to understand how do you address this market? I mean, are you already addressing part of this opportunity today, or this is completely new for you? It is over and above what you already are having as a part of your top line. Then I'll follow.

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Rauka, please take this.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Yeah, I mean, this addressable market is somewhere where we already started working on it, and we have couple of products. That's the reason we are saying it is something which we can address. Biocatalyst segment in India, this is only our targeted Indian market where we already have a couple of solutions and we have a sizable sale numbers in that segment. Baking is a area which is mainly now we are targeting in European countries and Americas. This is what we are saying is addressable because we have products and we have a kind of solutions which we will be offering to our customers. Animal nutrition, again, we have several products and we are at a different stages of appointing distributors and registering our products in various countries.

This is target based on the current, our competence and kind of a product portfolio in which we already work and we are working. Probiotic is, of course, again, a major market. This is very big market, and we already launched couple of products over there.

Amit Ganatra
Analyst, HDFC Asset Management

Can you also talk about the B2C initiative that you are now trying to take in India? I mean, what are you exactly trying to do there?

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Sir, our presence is there in the U.S. market in the B2C segments, particularly in the human nutraceuticals. We are trying to take the advantage of our knowledge from the U.S., and we are trying to launch these products in Indian market. Now, because of the SciTech, which we have acquired, we do have capabilities and capacities to get into the nutraceutical products and also the innovative effervescent technologies. We are trying to launch some of the products which are different, not only where we can use that as a delivery system to put the product in baking areas as well as detergent areas and other areas. On the B2C platform, we are going with our own selling our own website, which is like e-platform as well as some of the products we are trying to bring on the Amazon and other platforms.

Amit Ganatra
Analyst, HDFC Asset Management

Okay. Understood. Thank you.

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Thanks a lot.

Operator

Thank you. The next question is from the line of Lakshmi Narayan from ICICI Prudential AMC. Please go ahead.

Lakshmi Narayan
Analyst, ICICI Prudential AMC

Thank you. Two questions. First, in terms of the human nutrition, which is almost two-thirds of our sales, how does that break into different segments, mainly U.S., India, and Europe? In that human nutrition, we do some B2C product selling via websites as well as e-commerce in the U.S. What is the plan for this year in terms of sales on that front, essentially the B2C part or the D2C part of human nutrition and the geographical mix of human nutrition? That's my first question.

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Sir, Rauka , can you break the numbers?

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

I can give the numbers. Yeah, I will give you the numbers. As far as human nutrition is concerned, 45% of our business has come from India of the human nutrition I am talking about, out of which API is roughly 36% and probiotic is about 3%, biocatalysis is 7%. This is the different breakup of our sales in different segment. International sales is 55%, and out of that, 42% is nutrition sale and 13% is probiotic sales. This includes even D2C sales. Now as far as the numbers going forward, what kind of sale will be there in B2C, because I think we already spoke many times, Lakshmi Narayan ji , about this particular aspect, right?

Lakshmi Narayan
Analyst, ICICI Prudential AMC

Yes.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Hope these numbers are clear to you as far as, you know.

Lakshmi Narayan
Analyst, ICICI Prudential AMC

Yes.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

The human nutrition breakup is concerned.

Lakshmi Narayan
Analyst, ICICI Prudential AMC

Yes, sir. Yeah. Now, we directly sell in research, right? Where did we close for the last year, and what kind of markets we have for this year?

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Lakshmi Narayan ji , we closed B2C segment in U.S. around $5 million. Vik sir is there who can give you the guidance on the B2C sale in U.S. this year.

Vik Rathi
Chairman, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Lakshmi Narayan ji.

Lakshmi Narayan
Analyst, ICICI Prudential AMC

Yes, sir.

Vik Rathi
Chairman, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Our B2C sale in the U.S. market is pretty strong at this point in time. There are several areas which are really keeping a keen interest. Everybody wants to be in good health due to conditions which are worldwide right now, as you know it. Second part is there is new innovative ways we are introducing the product into the market. We believe that this B2C sale platform will keep on increasing in the U.S. market. As Mukund already explained to you, we are already trying to introduce these platforms here in Indian market also. Okay. It will be gradual. It is not going to be suddenly out of sight, but it is a very sustainable, long, consistent increase in the market.

Lakshmi Narayan
Analyst, ICICI Prudential AMC

Thank you. In terms of the industrial bioprocessing, there has been a strong growth that is seen. In the growth in industrial bioprocessing, can you talk about any new enzymes you have actually introduced? What is leading to such a strong growth in industrial bioprocessing, not only for this quarter, but even if you look at historically, the growth has been very strong in this. Thanks.

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Industrial bioprocessing, we divide it into the two areas. One is food and another one is non-food. The non-food area was affected, which compromises detergent and textile, and this area was affected during this pandemic badly, and we are at negative growth. While the food area has a better growth, as we were already talking about, they should pick it up as we move on. Some of the pickup has happened in this quarter. We expect whatever the guidance we are given, we should be able to achieve it in the next five years, whatever, in that area.

Lakshmi Narayan
Analyst, ICICI Prudential AMC

Got it. Any new enzymes you have introduced in industrial bioprocessing giving you a strong growth?

Vik Rathi
Chairman, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Always. We are always looking to introduce something new.

Lakshmi Narayan
Analyst, ICICI Prudential AMC

Sorry, I didn't catch it.

Vik Rathi
Chairman, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

No, it is always. There is always. We are trying to introduce something new.

Lakshmi Narayan
Analyst, ICICI Prudential AMC

Got it. Yes. Sir, in the animal health system, around I think two-thirds of the business is domestic and one-third will be international, right? How has been the journey so far and how do you look at it in the next couple of years? Even if we're talking about two to three years.

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Lakshimi Narayan ji. We were talking about this quarter, like our domestic business has again picked up, and it has come to the original level, what it used to be, which was really affected because of the pandemic. On the international front, yes, the growth opportunities are there, but the travel restrictions and other restrictions are still there, and that is where we couldn't do much better on the growth front. This is the situation. Now, I'm not in a position to predict how the third quarter or the fourth quarter will happen or the second quarter will happen in this area because till the pandemic is there or the curve is there or not there, it all depends on this, right? Yes, we are working on these areas. We are appointing few people into these areas.

We have already started to expand the marketing in this area right now internationally, so that we can cater to these areas as the situation normalizes.

Lakshmi Narayan
Analyst, ICICI Prudential AMC

Got it.

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Yes.

Operator

Thank you. Anyone who would like to ask a question, you may press star and one. The next question from the line of Ashwin Agarwal from Akash Ganga Investments Private Limited. Please go ahead.

Ashwin Agarwal
Analyst, Akash Ganga Investments Private Limited

Good evening, sir. Sir, you have highlighted in your press release your plans for inorganic expansion, and also in the past, you have successfully integrated three acquisitions. Which are the geographies you are looking for a marketing presence and what could be the size of these acquisitions? If you can give us some indication.

Vik Rathi
Chairman, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

We are continuously looking to expand inorganically in areas which are our prominent interest, which is Asia, Europe, and North America. Does that answer your question?

Ashwin Agarwal
Analyst, Akash Ganga Investments Private Limited

Sir, what would be the size of the acquisition, sales or something, if you can give? By when could you conclude it? You would be doing a few acquisitions this year or?

Vik Rathi
Chairman, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

No, we have no limits to size of acquisition. We are interested as long as they are compatible in our growth path and innovative companies. We are looking from small to any size. Financially, it gives us a lot of leverage and lot of different options to look into any size of the company. There is no limit.

Ashwin Agarwal
Analyst, Akash Ganga Investments Private Limited

Are you finding such opportunities available right now within the price band which you are looking at in terms of valuations? Are such opportunities available?

Vik Rathi
Chairman, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Yes. There is always opportunities available, provided what price you want to pay, obviously. It has to fit in our sequence to see that not only price is right, but also it is within our growth path.

Ashwin Agarwal
Analyst, Akash Ganga Investments Private Limited

Does that mean if we get an opportunity, we will also take on debt to fund the acquisition?

Vik Rathi
Chairman, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

If necessary, yes.

Ashwin Agarwal
Analyst, Akash Ganga Investments Private Limited

Lastly, can we expect the acquisition to happen this year?

Vik Rathi
Chairman, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

You can expect anything. It's a constant process of looking at it and evaluating. We do that. One of our department constantly looking into those things.

Ashwin Agarwal
Analyst, Akash Ganga Investments Private Limited

All the best.

Vik Rathi
Chairman, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Thank you.

Operator

Thank you. The next question from the line of Alisha Mahawla from Envision Capital. Please go ahead.

Alisha Mahawla
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Thank you so much for the follow-up. Sir, your tax rate is not at 25%. Is there any plan of moving to that tax regime or can you explain the reason for higher tax rate?

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Yeah, because we have different subsidiaries. We do have a subsidiary in USA. U.S., the tax rate is higher.

Because of that, it is not exactly 25.12%, which you are, I think, probably looking at it.

Alisha Mahawla
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Okay. It should be in this 27%-28% range.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Yeah. Right.

Alisha Mahawla
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Got it. Sir, just on evoxx, we acquired this company more than 3.5 years ago. It's still making loss, and I think we had big plans of scaling this and also leveraging their portfolio. While I understand on the leveraging of portfolio, could you explain why is this company still not profitable at operating level also, and how do we see this business scale going forward?

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

No, this is R&D company, madam. This is basically a research and development company that will be doing only research as such. Apart from that, what you are saying, it is constantly, I mean, not a loss-making company as such. This is the first quarter where, again, we have seen that it's the EBITDA negative because of Europe is highly affected because of this pandemic. The activity is at a very minuscule level in that sense. This quarter we have faced this problem, but otherwise, I think evoxx is as such, kind of a company which is, in spite of being in research and development and of late, we are also in a position to some extent leverage our exports to Europe through that company. Yes, because of last 15 months, the situation is being different.

As Mukund has already mentioned, many things could not be. We wanted to do a lot of things, and still we could not do because of this pandemic situation. We are looking into it, that how we make this company sustainable and, of course, always on yearly basis as last two years, you might have seen that it's EBITDA positive as such. We are working very aggressive on that front. In spite, because of this COVID situation, much could not be done because of this issue.

Alisha Mahawla
Analyst, Equitree Capital

Okay. Got it. Thank you.

Operator

Thank you. Anyone who would like to ask a question, you may press star one. The next question from the line of Rohit Sinha from Emkay Global. Please go ahead.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

Yeah, thank you for the follow-up, sir. Just one clarification if you could provide. I mean, the inclusion of this SSPL revenue, how much domestic and export sales were there for the SSPL, and if any sense we can get on the geographical side, basically where this SSPL revenue is contributing to our growth?

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Okay, out of INR 134 million, INR 84 million is exports, Rohit, in Q1. Okay?

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

Okay.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

On Q4, the exports were about INR 41 million out of INR 79 million of revenue of SciTech.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

Okay.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

What is your next question? Sorry.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

In geographical terms, if at all we can get something that where this SSPL contribution is actually reflecting on the numbers.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

It is, you rightly said it is in different segments, in the different geography. I think major is in European countries and followed by rest of world, and I think some kind of exports are in Russia, ex India. I'll give you exact numbers later on.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

Yes. Okay.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

We'll come back with it. Yeah.

Rohit Sinha
Analyst, Emkay Capital

Okay. Thank you. That's all from my side. Thank you.

Operator

Thank you. As there are no further questions from the participants, I now hand the conference over to Mr. Mukund Kabra for closing comments.

Mukund Kabra
Whole-time Director, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Thank you everyone for your questions and participating in our conference. I hope that you all will be safe from this pandemic. Please take care, and bye. Thank you again. Once again.

Beniprasad Rauka
Group CFO, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

Thank you everyone. Thank you so much for your participation and your questions.

Vik Rathi
Chairman, Advanced Enzyme Technologies

No, it was. Thank you for these good question answers and participation in this conference call. We highly appreciate your participation. Thank you.

Operator

Thank you. On behalf of Advanced Enzyme Technologies Limited, that concludes this conference. Thank you for joining us, and you may now disconnect your lines.