Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited (NSE:AWHCL)
India flag India · Delayed Price · Currency is INR
516.40
+2.45 (0.48%)
May 7, 2026, 9:40 AM IST
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Q3 25/26

Feb 2, 2026

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, good day and welcome to Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited Q3 FY 2026 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 participants' line 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 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 Mr. Jose Jacob Kallarakal, Chairman and Managing Director from Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited. Thank you, and over to you, sir.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining us for our Q3 FY 2026 Earnings Conference Call. With me, I have Mr. Mahendra Ananthula, our Group President, Operations, Business Development, and Diversification; Mr. N. G. Subramanian, our Group CFO; and SGA, our Investor Relations Advisor. Our investor presentation for Q3 FY 2026 is now available on the stock exchange and on our company website. Before turning to the company's performance, I would like to briefly touch upon a few encouraging developments from the Union Budget 2026-2027. The budget places a strong emphasis on strengthening municipal finances through market-based funding mechanisms, including an INR 100 crore incentive for single-tranche municipal bond issuance, along with continued support under the AMRUT scheme for small and mid-sized cities. Several cities including Surat, Indore, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Ghaziabad, and Pimpri Chinchwad are increasingly tapping municipal and green bonds.

These initiatives are expected to improve the financial health of urban local bodies, accelerate investment in urban infrastructure, and create a more enabling environment for long-term sanitation and waste management projects, an area where the company remains well-positioned to partner with municipalities. In addition, the proposed partial credit guarantee framework for private developers represents a positive structural reform for the urban infrastructure ecosystem. The proposed infrastructure risk guarantee fund is expected to enhance lender confidence, particularly during the development and construction phases of municipal-linked projects such as solid waste management, where revenue visibility typically strengthens over time. By mitigating early-stage risks and lowering the cost of capital, this framework can help attract long-term private investments into essential urban services, improving project viability and affordability, while reinforcing the overall financing framework for sustainable urban infrastructure.

During the quarter and the nine-month period, the company delivered a steady performance driven by strong execution across.

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, the line for the management got disconnected. Please stay connected while I reconnect them. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for patiently waiting. We have the line for management reconnected. Over to you, sir.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

During the quarter and the nine-month period, the company delivered a steady performance driven by strong execution across its integrated municipal solid waste management operations. Operating revenue for the quarter reached INR 240 crore, reflecting a 9% year-on-year growth, supported by higher volume across project sites and contractual tariff-linked escalation. Enhanced asset utilization and effective on-ground execution further reinforced the scalability of our operating model and disciplined management of long-tenure contracts, positioning the company well to meet India's evolving urban waste management needs and sustainability. From a segmental standpoint, the collection and transportation segment recorded steady growth, with receivables increasing 7% year-on-year to INR 175 crore. The processing segment continued to perform well, delivering a healthy 12% year-on-year growth, with revenues reaching INR 66 crore.

This balanced performance across both verticals highlights the strength of our integrated waste management approach, where consistent operational execution is complemented by target investment in processing infrastructure, supporting sustainable returns. Furthermore, our recent project win further strengthened our leadership position in India's urban waste management space. The award of two large collection and transportation contracts by BMC significantly expanded our presence in Mumbai, increasing operational coverage from two to seven wards through a consortium led by our wholly owned subsidiary, AG Enviro Infra Projects Private Limited, with a 51% stake. These contracts carry a combined revenue potential of approximately INR 1,330 crores over a seven-year tenure, enhancing long-term revenue visibility and providing annuity-like cash flow while offering operating leverage through fleet optimization and route rationalization.

In addition, our subsidiary, Antony Lara Enviro Solutions Private Limited, secured a 10-year DBOT concession from Thane Municipal Corporation to set up and operate a 600-800 tons per day municipal solid waste pre-processing and stabilization facility, backed by a fully reimbursable capital outlay of INR 67 crore. The project meaningfully expanded our processing capabilities and strengthened our focus on RDF generation, landfill diversion, and compliant legacy waste remediation, in line with sustainability and circular economy objectives. Additionally, I would like to highlight that the company successfully completed the merger of AG Enviro Infra Projects Private Limited with Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited, effective from December 31st, 2025, following NCLT approval. This consolidation streamlines operations, enhances organizational efficiency, optimizes cash flow, and strengthens the balance sheet, enabling more effective capital allocations towards growth and creating long-term shareholder value.

Looking ahead, our focus remains on expanding processing infrastructure, improving operational efficiency, and strengthening our presence across high-growth urban waste management projects. Backed by a strong operational and financial foundation, we are well-positioned to serve the evolving needs of urban India. As the nation accelerates its shift towards sustainability and circular economy policies, we are fully prepared to deliver solutions that are practical, scalable, and outcome-oriented, creating a long-term value for all our stakeholders. Thank you. I'm now turning to the operational aspect. Let me get Mahendra in. Mahendra, over to you. Thank you.

Mahendra Ananthula
Group President, Operations, Business Development, and Diversification, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Thank you, Jose. I would like to provide an update on the operational performance of Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited. During quarter three of FY 2026, our operations demonstrated strong resilience and consistent execution across all business segments. Our collection and transportation operations handled approximately 0.53 million tons of waste, while our processing facilities managed around 0.88 million tons of municipal solid waste, reflecting year.

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, the line for management got disconnected. Please stay on the line while I reconnect them. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for patiently waiting. We have the line for management reconnected. Over to you, sir.

Mahendra Ananthula
Group President, Operations, Business Development, and Diversification, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Yes. Overall, total tonnage for the quarter reached approximately 1.42 million tons, marking a solid 19% increase compared to the same period last year. For the nine-month period, cumulative tonnage stood at approximately 4.01 million tons, representing about 12% year-over-year growth, underscoring the scalability and efficiency of our operations. Our waste-to-energy plant at PCMC generated over 2 million green units in the quarter and more than 68 million units during the nine-month ending December 25. While quarter three generation was lower due to extended shutdown to carry out certain technical modifications, the plant is now fully operational, and we expect normalized operations during quarter four of FY 2026. The waste-to-energy operations have helped avoid about 1,215 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions in quarter three and 6,994 tons in nine-month ending December 25, contributing meaningfully to India's renewable energy targets and further reducing our carbon footprint.

The waste-to-energy facility's consistent performance also serves as a benchmark for the upcoming projects in Andhra Pradesh, reinforcing our leadership in sustainable energy from waste. Taking a moment to update on the two Andhra projects at Kadapa and Kurnool, both projects are identical in plant configuration, each with a processing capacity of 750 tons per day and a gross power generation capacity of 15 megawatts. Total project capex is expected to be around INR 600-650 crores, with debt equity ratio of around 75/25. The EBITDA margin would be similar to our PCMC site, which is upwards of 40%. The concession agreements and power purchase agreements have been executed for both projects, and the land is expected to be transferred within the next four to six weeks.

The planned construction period is 24 months, and the projects are expected to commence revenue generation from FY29 onwards for the next 20 years. Our construction demolition waste recycling facility maintained industry-leading efficiency with a 96% recycling rate, highlighting our ability to convert waste into valuable resources and reinforcing our commitment to circular economy principles. Across all facilities, these consistent operational standards reflect our focus on building scalable, sustainable, and infrastructure solutions. We also continue to advance our resource recovery initiatives during the quarter. In quarter three of FY 2026, the company sold about 37,840 tons of refuse-derived fuel and about 4,359 tons of compost, while cumulative sales for the nine-month period reached about 133,661 tons of RDF and about 14,217 tons of compost, demonstrating the scale, consistency, and the impact of our waste-to-resource efforts. In the area of ESG, we made significant progress in advancing our sustainability agenda.

Over the nine-month period, Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions were about 19,900 tons and 2,650 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, respectively, while avoided emissions reached around 7,000 tons, highlighting our focus on efficient resource utilization and carbon footprint reduction. Additionally, our on-ground workforce grew to 10,951 employees, reflecting our ongoing commitment to nurturing a skilled and dedicated team that drives operational excellence across all our operations. Moving forward, our priority will be to integrate sustainability more deeply across all operations, improve efficiency in waste recovery, and advance process optimization through technology and innovation. With a proven track record of disciplined execution and a focus on technology-driven solutions, we are confident in our ability to surpass evolving environmental standards, set new industry benchmarks in responsible waste management, and create enduring value for all our stakeholders. Thank you. And now, I hand over the call to NG for financial highlights.

N.G. Subramanian
CFO, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Thank you, Mahendra. Good afternoon, everyone. Let me take you through the consolidated financial performance of Q3 and nine months ending December 25. In Q3 FY 2026, our total operating revenue witnessed a growth of 9%, reaching up to INR 240 crores compared to the same period last year. For the nine-month period, our total operating revenue stood at INR 696 crores, marking a steady growth of 12%. The Q3 revenue was softer than our expectation, primarily due to lower power sales.

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, the line for management got disconnected. Please stay on the line while I reconnect them. Thank you for patiently holding. We have the line for the management reconnected. Over to you, sir.

N.G. Subramanian
CFO, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Thank you. Welcome back, and I'm sorry for the disconnect. Just to go back, in Q3, the operating revenue grew by 9% to INR 240 crores, and for the nine-month period, it stood at INR 696 crores. The revenue was softer in Q3, primarily due to lower power sales. In Q3 FY 2026, the revenue mix remained largely consistent with the prior year, with C&T contributing to 65% of our revenue, processing being 24%, and contracts and other making up the balance 11%. This compares with Q3 FY 2025, where the contributions were 65%, 23%, and 12%, respectively. The stability and diversification of our revenue streams provide the company with strategic flexibility and a foundation for sustained long-term growth. For the quarter, the company reported an EBITDA of INR 50 crores, with margins at 18.4%.

The operating margins were impacted by higher employee costs, a normal occurrence in Q3 due to the annual appraisal and the incentive cycle, along with incremental manpower additions to support significant volume increases at select C&T sites. Antony Waste Handling Cell has long prioritized a pro-employee approach, with 95% of his workforce already compliant under the minimum wages categories per the Wage Code and the management staff basic pay, averaging 40%, allowing seamless adjustment to meet the 50% threshold with minimal impact on gratuity and no change to cap-provided in front contributions. For the remaining workmen, 88% faced no Wage Code effect, while the 12% saw only slight incremental adjustments offset by ESIC contributions effective January 2026 that neutralized prior medical claim costs. The company has appointed experts to assess its correctness, and this matter will be resolved in Q4.

For the nine-month period, our EBITDA was INR 169 crores, with margins standing at 21.4% as per our stated guidance. Depreciation costs have risen by 21% year-on-year. This is post-capitalization of new project vehicles, with 335 vehicles being added at new NMMC projects and few incremental deployments at PCMC and Nagpur sites. The profit after tax for the quarter was INR 15 crores, and for the nine-month period, our PAT was INR 55 crores. As of December 2025, the group's gross debt stands at approximately INR 425 crores, with cash and bank balance of around INR 75 crores, resulting in a net debt of approximately INR 350 crores. This indicates a net debt to equity of 0.4x. The group's weighted average cost of debt is approximately 9.1%.

We know that the Days Sales Outstanding remained elevated at approximately 114-115 days during the period, which continues to be a key area of focus for us. Encouragingly, subsequent collections efforts have yielded positive results, bringing the DSO down to around 96 days. We remain committed to further optimizing our collection processes to sustain this improvement. Looking ahead over the next two years, our recent project wins, coupled with steady execution at existing operations, position us strongly for sustained growth. Key additions include the Atkoli project, the two BMC CNT contracts, and the two Andhra Pradesh waste-to-energy projects. These align seamlessly with the government's ambitious dumpsite remediation accelerator program launched in November 2025, targeting Lakshya zero dumpsites by October 2026 through remediation by high-impact legacy sites. This robust platform supports our revenue growth target of 20% CAGR.

Moreover, as higher-value processing contracts gain traction and rising demand for scientific-based remediation and circular economy solutions, we anticipate an improved margin profile of around 22%-23% going forward as well. This concludes our remarks, and we open the floor for the Q&A. 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 the touch-tone 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 question queue assembles. The first question is from the line of Ronak Shah from Aquarius Securities Pvt. Ltd. Please go ahead.

Ronak Shah
Equity Research Analyst, Aquarius Securities Pvt Ltd

Yeah. Thanks for the opportunity, sir. So, sir, my first question is regarding the approval in terms of the escalation. So now, what is the status of the committees which are likely to give the escalation approval, and how you are seeing that will translate into the incremental levels for next 2 to 3 quarters?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Yeah. The escalation for the Noida and Nagpur projects have already been obtained. We have also received most of the monies thereof. The same goes for the PCMC waste-to-energy project, where the tipping fee.

Operator

Sir, go ahead. Ladies and gentlemen, the line for the management got disconnected. Please stay on the line while I reconnect them. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for patiently waiting. We have the line for the management reconnected. Over to you, sir.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Yeah. Sorry for the call getting disconnected. So what I was saying is that in the two CNT sites, Nagpur and Noida, had long-pending escalation issues. Both have been resolved. The client has already paid us most of the money, and we expect the same to receive over the years. On the PCMC WtE front, where the tipping fee also is subjected to escalation post-COD, that also is approved by the client, and we have already received the payment. So from now on, we are getting payment based on the escalated tipping fees. So all this has helped us in maintaining our cash flows. Thank you.

Ronak Shah
Equity Research Analyst, Aquarius Securities Pvt Ltd

Mr. Sir, PCMC tipping fees, based on our understanding, is around INR 504 per ton, which has not increased by around 5%-600%, or is there something different amount?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Number, bol sakte hain? Yeah. So the number, huh? So you're right, about INR 505 being the tipping fees. With escalation and so on, our current tipping fee is about INR 656 per ton, which will get escalated every year. But you're right. I mean, because there was a cascading effect of three to four years cumulatively, so that's why the first escalation was at a higher rate. But going forward, everything between 3%-5% is a fair reduction.

Ronak Shah
Equity Research Analyst, Aquarius Securities Pvt Ltd

Sir, based on this, our understanding that is PCMC waste-to-energy project, which usually clocking around INR 40-50 crore of annualized revenue, is likely to inch up by around 5%-600% in the next two to three years.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Yeah. That is a fair assumption because there will be a normalized increase in the revenue from WT, mainly driven by higher tipping fees led by escalation.

Ronak Shah
Equity Research Analyst, Aquarius Securities Pvt Ltd

Noted, sir. Noted. And sir, my second question is regarding the new TMC, Thane Municipal Corporation project. So what can be the estimated annualized revenue from these projects, and how it differs in terms of the margin profile from the current projects?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

The Thane project, I mean, the construction CapEx is fully paid by the client. We expect the entire project to be completed in 6-8 months and realize the revenue in, I mean, by, let's say, December of 2026. Then thereafter, the OEM will start for 10 years.

Ronak Shah
Equity Research Analyst, Aquarius Securities Pvt Ltd

What can be the quantum? Yeah.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

The quantum is about.

Ronak Shah
Equity Research Analyst, Aquarius Securities Pvt Ltd

18.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

One second. Let me just calculate. It's about INR 18-20 crores per annum.

Ronak Shah
Equity Research Analyst, Aquarius Securities Pvt Ltd

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

Operator

Thank you. The next question is from the line of Amit Agicha from H.G. Hawa & Co. Please go ahead.

Amit Agicha
Equity Research Analyst, H.G. Hawa & Co

Yeah. Good afternoon, sir, and thank you for the opportunity. Sir, how intense is the pricing competition in new bulk MSW tenders, and what differentiates Antony versus peers in winning large integrated contracts?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Competition? So when we, I mean, because it's all segmental. I mean, if we are talking about the waste-to-energy projects, I mean, we are witnessing two to three players at the most per project because the clients also are very keen to attract only companies with experience. So that's why there are only less than max three to four companies. In the case of Andhra, there were only two bids. One was ours, and the second was another competitor. So the competition intensity is not so much in waste-to-energy projects. It's, of course, a different thing in collection and transportation contracts, wherein, as we explained earlier as well, that a lot of these kinds of projects also attract regional players. So if we are bidding in Mumbai, I mean, there would be about four or five players.

If we are bidding in Uttar Pradesh, there will, again, be four or five players, but those players will not be common because, again, there are only two or three national-level collection and transportation players.

Amit Agicha
Equity Research Analyst, H.G. Hawa & Co

Sir, the second question is connected to the debt. What is the targeted net debt to equity, and can the blended cost of borrowing move below 9%, which is reported?

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, the line for management got disconnected. Please stay on the line while I reconnect them. Ladies and gentlemen, please stay on the line while I reconnect the management. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for patiently waiting. We have the line for the management reconnected. Over to you, sir.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Thank you, guys. Mr. Hawar, if you can just repeat your last question, please.

Amit Agicha
Equity Research Analyst, H.G. Hawa & Co

Yes. What is the targeted net to debt equity and the company's planning, and can the blended cost of interest move below the 9%, which is reported?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

So currently, we are around 0.4x on the net debt to equity. With the planned capital expansions at both Atkoli and the AP project, we would, in the next couple of years, be around 1-1.2x our equity. And that is something that is manageable given the balance sheet strength. That's one. And.

Do you want to take that up?

N.G. Subramanian
CFO, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

What is the interest rate? The blended interest rate would be around 9.1-9.5 for us over the next couple of years. Our target is to bring it below nine gradually.

Amit Agicha
Equity Research Analyst, H.G. Hawa & Co

Also, can you just put some color on the tire recycling project which was there?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

I mean, there's no fresh update on that.

Amit Agicha
Equity Research Analyst, H.G. Hawa & Co

Okay. Last question about the construction and debris, what was the proportion of revenue there, and what is the margin over there?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

The concern is demolition project has not been significant in Q3, mainly because post-monsoon, the activity has just not started taking traction. So these are not material numbers when we reported the Q3 numbers. But it's EBITDA neutral for now.

Amit Agicha
Equity Research Analyst, H.G. Hawa & Co

Okay. Thank you. Thank you for answering my questions. All the best.

Operator

Thank you. Participants who wish to ask questions, you may press star and 1 at this time. The next question is from the line of Neerav Dalal from MIB Securities India. Please go ahead.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

Hello. Thank you for the opportunity. I had a couple of questions. One is that you said that the revenues were slightly lower because of the PCMC electricity revenues were slightly lower. So if you could just let us know what would be the normalized number for that?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

The WT plan, when it normally operates, we would have generated close to 9.25 million units. That's assuming 85% PLF. That would be the kind of generation that we have done. Translates to approximately around INR 13-14 crore of quarterly revenue.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

Got it. And so this quarter, it will have been.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

It's been very low.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

Slightly lower than.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Yeah. It's been very low. The plant was shut down for more than 82 days, part of it was in the previous quarter, and the bulk of it was in Q3. The plant has been operational since December 18 onwards.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

Got that. And the other thing, in terms of the TMC order that we won, the CapEx would be funded by the client, right? So that would be part of our project revenues, or how would that be shown there?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

It won't be part of our project revenues. This would be similar to the bridge financing that we don't need: build the plant, transfer the assets. So it will be a lump sum revenue that we'll get as reimbursement of expenses incurred. It will not be part of the project revenue.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

Okay. So that will be booked as in when the project will be up for O&M?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Correct. So it's a milestone-based payment. So as in when the design, the construction, the equipment procurement, and the handover happens, 90% of the CapEx will be reimbursed in a time-bound manner. The balance 10% of the CapEx will be reimbursed one year after the commencement of operation.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

When do we expect commissioning of this project?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

By December 26th, the plan should be commissioned.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

Okay. Okay. So at the moment, we will not be booking any revenues from this, any percentage of completion revenues out of this project.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

But whenever we get there, it's fine.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

Yeah. So we will book the revenue as in when we raise the bid, and the same gets acknowledged by the client.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Correct. Correct. But it's not there as part of the current quarter or the nine months.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

No. That's not part of the current revenue.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Okay. Okay. And just lastly, in terms of the WtE projects that we are looking at, what are the other opportunities across the country, any at the moment, that you've bid for, or there is any expectation of any bids coming up? I mean, as we speak, there is one likely tender in the eastern part of the country, and a few more are more on the drawing board stage. We are expecting a few more tenders in South India, especially Tamil Nadu, in the next two quarters after the elections in Tamil Nadu.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

Okay. Okay. The size will be similar? Say for the eastern part, will it be similar to Andhra, or will it be different?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

The size is by and large similar. Yeah.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

Okay. Okay. And lastly, now that the BNP elections are done and we have the new party coming in, the elections being completed, do you see any positives, negatives in the next 6-12 months out of this?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Collection and transportation contracts are already bid out, and they already have been awarded. With the new standing committee and other general body coming in, we expect decision-making to be faster, and execution should be smoother.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

So faster in terms of bidding out, or?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

No. No. They already have been awarded, right? So.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

Yeah. That's what I mean.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

The execution. The execution will be smoother in terms of decision-making.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

Okay. Any changes in terms of payments and stuff?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

No. We don't expect any changes to happen.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

No. No. Positive or negative. No.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

I think the same as they had tendered out, as we have agreed in our proposal.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

Okay. So as such, there is not much difference except for the execution might improve than what it is currently.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Execution might improve. Of course, financially, I mean, we will get revenue getting recorded from.

There won't be any administrative delays now that the elections happen with the teams being in place, and the inquiries will be much more empowered. The delays that we have seen in the last three years should not be there.

Neerav Dalal
Research Analyst, MIB Securities India

Okay. So we expect explanations to happen faster and recoveries to be faster?

Yes.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Okay. Thank you.

Operator

Thank you. The next question is from the line of Siddharth Bhattacharya from Authum Investment & Infrastructure Limited. Please go ahead.

Siddharth Bhattacharya
Investment Professional, Authum Investment & Infrastructure Limited

Hi. Am I audible?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Yeah.

Siddharth Bhattacharya
Investment Professional, Authum Investment & Infrastructure Limited

Hi. So a couple of questions from my end just to understand things in perspective over here. So basically, in two segments, which is C&T as well as processing, just wanted to understand the extent of fixed costs that are built up over here because when I look at your quarter-on-quarter, I mean, year-by-quarterly numbers, the average operating level is built up. This is versus Q3 FY 2025. So just wanted to understand what could the swings be likely from here on, if you could help me understand that perspective.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

So in the collection and transportation business, close to 61%-64% of our revenue is labor and fuel. So the operating leverage is mainly very limited to that extent. The fixed cost is not more than 18% for us, which is vehicle-related costs and thereabouts, the maintenance and the AMCs that we pay. In case of processing, I mean, the fixed cost is much higher. That would be in the range of close to 45%-50% given the fact that these are heavy machineries and equipments and hiring costs that need to be ascertained and given for a duration of the contract.

Siddharth Bhattacharya
Investment Professional, Authum Investment & Infrastructure Limited

Okay. Okay. So effectively, if volumes increase in our C&T division as well as processing, there is a leverage that kicks in in the subsequent costs. Is that the right way to look at this?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

In C&T business, when the tonnage increases, there has to be a proportional increase in facilities that needs to be beefed up. If the facilities are adequate, we just have to incur variable costs to manage the extra waste. That is a bit of positive. In case of waste processing, any increase in tonnage has a stepped-up impact on the EBITDA because you have to ensure a certain processing facility. If any significant change, only then has an impact on my processing EBITDA.

Siddharth Bhattacharya
Investment Professional, Authum Investment & Infrastructure Limited

Okay. And within the collection and transportation, so what is the efficiency, operating efficiency compared to utilizing resources?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

During the first phase of our collection and transportation, the efficiency normally is around 80%-90%. Over the project life, it goes down to 80%. And then we kind of augment it with hiring additional vehicles during the project life.

Siddharth Bhattacharya
Investment Professional, Authum Investment & Infrastructure Limited

Okay. For our processing, you said we are at 85% today. How high it can go to?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

We can, at the most, press the pedal up to 100%. But these are high efficiencies. There are always downtimes that happen, and these are mission-critical activities. So we normally would be comfortable with a 90%-95% max throughput systems in the system. Otherwise, we have to enhance the CapEx to kind of take in additional waste.

Siddharth Bhattacharya
Investment Professional, Authum Investment & Infrastructure Limited

Correct. Correct. And in terms of the volume content, sir, could you help me understand, is there some variation in various quarters that we go through?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Normally, we have seen the tonnages increase during the wet season, which is from June till maybe end of October because it's also the festival season. So if you're looking at 100% of the volumes being in a calendar year, I would say 55% of the tonnage would come in during the wet season, and the balance would be the dry season. There is some seasonality in our business.

Siddharth Bhattacharya
Investment Professional, Authum Investment & Infrastructure Limited

Got that. So if I'm looking now at consolidated growth effectively, it will come in from some volume additions for our C&T as well as processing, plus the new sites that we sort of get contracts for over the next few years, right? Is that the way to look at this?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

That's the right way of looking at it.

Siddharth Bhattacharya
Investment Professional, Authum Investment & Infrastructure Limited

Okay. Okay. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Operator

Thank you. The next question is from the line of Hemkesh Khattar from Green Portfolio. Please go ahead.

Hemkesh Khattar
Equity Research Analyst, Green Portfolio

Hello, sir. Thank you for taking my question. I just wanted to get a clear picture on the repetitive side because in the last three years, our revenue has grown at a CAGR of 13% while the management has continued to give a guidance of long-term growth of 20%. But that has not materialized so far. When can we expect the incremental revenue to pick up from all the projects that the company is doing?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

So, I mean, mainly because of elected members not being part of the municipal machinery, there has been significant delay in new project wins and allocations happening. Now that bulk of the elections have happened, we see growth kicking in. The two AP projects, the Atkoli projects, and the MCGM contracts that we bagged kind of ensure that we will be able to work in that trajectory and achieve the 20% CAGR growth.

Hemkesh Khattar
Equity Research Analyst, Green Portfolio

Okay. And regarding the ROC also, that has also remained around 12% only. So do you expect the ROC also to improve going forward?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

In the kind of projects that we have, the CapEx is upfront. Over a period of time, you'll see ROC and ROIC kind of improve gradually.

Hemkesh Khattar
Equity Research Analyst, Green Portfolio

Okay. And regarding the Andhra plants, so as you said before that you expect both the plants to set commercial operations in FY 2029. So will both plants get operationalized simultaneously?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Yeah. That's right because both the projects were awarded simultaneously, are moving parallelly. Maybe there will be a lag of one month purely because of the land handover date. But both of them will get commissioned almost simultaneously with maximum lag of maybe one or two months.

Hemkesh Khattar
Equity Research Analyst, Green Portfolio

Okay. Are there any other waste-to-energy plants that we are targeting?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

As I just mentioned, I mean, there is one live tender in the eastern part of the country. There are a few more tenders which the municipalities are making in Tamil Nadu which should come out after the state elections in May.

Hemkesh Khattar
Equity Research Analyst, Green Portfolio

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

Operator

Thank you. Anyone who wishes to ask a question, you may press star and one. The next question is from the line of Shivam Parakh from Valuewise Wealth Management. Please go ahead.

Shivam Parakh
Equity Research Analyst, Valuewise Wealth Management

Yeah. Good afternoon, sir. Thanks for the opportunity. So I have two questions. First question was I needed an update on the dividend strategy post the merger. And second question was more of a clarificatory part. So I needed clarification on the order one for collection and transportation. So INR 1,330 crore order was over a seven-year period. So is that Antony's revenue potential over the seven-year period or the combined revenue potential of all the three players in the joint venture? Thanks.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

On the dividend part, I think with the merger getting completed, we are in a much better position on the cash flows front to start initiating this process. So the board is evaluating that part accurately. On the revenue potential, the project, yes, the entire revenues of the SPV, so the INR 1,000-odd crore that we have mentioned, it's of the revenue potential of the SPV.

Shivam Parakh
Equity Research Analyst, Valuewise Wealth Management

Okay. So all the three players combined?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Yes.

Shivam Parakh
Equity Research Analyst, Valuewise Wealth Management

Okay. So 51% joint venture. So out of the INR 1,330 crore, 51% would be the revenue coming for Antony, right?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

It's a consolidation since Antony owns the majority of the company. As part of the consolidation, the entire 100% of the revenue and the expenses and the debt will be in our books. A proportionate profit will be taken out as minority interest.

Shivam Parakh
Equity Research Analyst, Valuewise Wealth Management

Okay, sir. Got it. Sir, again, on the dividend front, so could we expect in financial year 2027 for the revenue for the dividend to come up for shareholders?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

We would. The board would be taking a call on that, and we'll keep you updated on that thing.

Shivam Parakh
Equity Research Analyst, Valuewise Wealth Management

Okay, sir. Okay. Thank you, sir.

Operator

Thank you. The next question is from the line of Ranak Shah from Aquarius Securities Pvt. Ltd. Please go ahead.

Ronak Shah
Equity Research Analyst, Aquarius Securities Pvt Ltd

Thanks for the follow-up, sir. Sir, my question is regarding your aspiration for the 20% growth with the 22%-23% EBITDA margin. So considering the Andhra projects, which are going to have some contract revenue as well, so optically, is it possible that your reported EBITDA margin for next one-half to two-odd years will marginally look on an oversight?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Yeah. So this will be similar to the phase that we were on when the construction of the PCMC was going on. So your EBITDA margin would be lower in that sense because of the index impact. So we will be reporting the core EBITDA margin and the reported EBITDA margin separately as we have done in the past.

Ronak Shah
Equity Research Analyst, Aquarius Securities Pvt Ltd

Got it, sir. And sir, can you clarify on the green units generation quantification because in the second quarter's presentation, there are 66 million-plus units generated into the first half? Pairing into the current presentation, it has stepped down to 44-odd million?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Yeah. Because in the quarter three, I mean, we had a shutdown of 82 days because we were undertaking some technical modifications. So that's why the drop in PLF in quarter three.

Ronak Shah
Equity Research Analyst, Aquarius Securities Pvt Ltd

Okay. Because the cumulative number is altogether different in second quarter's presentation and third quarter's presentation. That's why I'm asking.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

We will check on that, and maybe we'll revisit.

Ronak Shah
Equity Research Analyst, Aquarius Securities Pvt Ltd

Thank you. Thank you, sir.

Operator

Thank you. Participants who wish to ask questions, you may press star and one at this time. The next question is from the line of Nitesh Kavantkar, an individual investor. Please go ahead.

Speaker 12

Yeah. Thanks for the opportunity. I just have one feedback before I ask my question. There was five times occasion where the call got disconnected. Maybe next call, can you please ensure there's proper connectivity because it's quite disturbing, such a big company, and then there's frequent disconnection of call, okay? Coming to my question, where do you see how do you see the revenues growing up for the next year? That's my first question.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

The revenue growth for the next year based on the Atkoli and maybe incremental CapEx should be in the range of 15%-18% for us. That's based purely on the contracts that we have already executed, signed, and the run rate that we are seeing on a consistent basis.

Speaker 12

Okay. So that means this year, we will end up roughly about INR 1,000 crores. So next year, we should be ending roughly INR 1,200 crores. Am I right?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

That's a target that we have set internally. I mean, the timing of that same phase is based on the CapEx rollout and the timely completion of the projects.

Speaker 12

Okay. And I understand we've been iterating that the EBITDA margin would increase slowly, 22%-23%. So will that still remain intact?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Yes. So if you look at the 9-month number, we are around 21-odd%. So we try to keep that EBITDA as a threshold between 22%-23%.

Speaker 12

Okay. And again, when do you see massive growth for the company? I understand we target to achieve 22%-25%, and it's going to be lumpy. But with this going on, right, we are just about an INR 1,400 crore company. So what are your plans actually to make the company big?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Growth for us is based on a couple of factors. One is bankable projects that are awarded by the municipality sector. That is one of the main drivers for the growth of Antony. So if you look at Antony from 1997 onwards till 2010, we were around an INR 300 crore turnover entity. From 2020 onwards, from an INR 400-odd crore, we have now come up to an INR 900-odd crore company. Now, the traction in the municipal solid waste is significantly better today than what it was a decade back. So we feel enthused that we can continue the growth rate consistently. And given the balance sheet, we should be able to target this 20%-25% CAGR growth comfortably. You also need to understand that the counterparty over here is the municipalities, which are slightly tough paymasters.

So we are pretty cautious and also measured in our growth and the selection of clients. So that is something that we need to watch out for. Having said that, the board is also cognizant of the fact of moving significantly away from the municipality-only business. So we are looking at non-municipal businesses getting into Click-to-Clean business, which is a more B2C kind of an area. We are looking at EPR market. We are looking at electricity boards as a client when it comes to waste-to-energy businesses. So we are trying to increase our canvas a bit and also ensure that we are true to our core operating strength.

Speaker 12

Okay. Just one suggestion from my end, okay? Because when I was young, right, I wanted to do a startup where I pay someone B2C and collect the garbage and in turn, recycle it. Now, I'm basically from Bangalore. And Bangalore, everywhere, people dump garbage, okay? And there's no responsibility from anyone to actually wait for the garbage collectors to collect. So can we do something very niche here? Because everywhere they dump garbage, can we do a new initiative where we pay and then collect and recycle so that we get away from these contracts from just municipalities?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

See, in municipalities or municipal waste, there are two segments of waste. One is the dry waste, which is the recyclable, which has got value. And that's already a reasonably organized sector managed by the informal sector. So the rag pickers and the aggregators that you see, I mean, they are the people who actually make sure and they have their value chain and activity chain already defined. For the wet waste, which is lying on the road and so on, that has got no commercial value, right? So there is a responsibility of the collection and transportation contractor to collect it and take it to the processing site or landfill as municipality may direct them to.

Speaker 12

Yeah. Because the reason, right, I've worked even in Chennai for three years. I see there also they dump in that OMR road, and they burn the garbage everywhere. Because I think there's a huge potential for the business. Maybe there's a lot of value unlocking needs to happen.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

See, that kind of thing cannot continue for long. I mean, as you have also seen repeatedly, 2016 rules and now the new 2026 rules and so on, there is a shift to much more stringent regulatory and governance practices. So those days probably are behind us. Municipalities have no option but to engage professional organizations to manage their waste management services.

Speaker 12

Okay. Thanks. Thanks a lot for the opportunity. All the best.

Operator

Thank you. The next question is from the line of Rohan Mehta from Nexus Capital. Please go ahead.

Rohan Mehta
Equity Research Analyst, Nexus Capital

Yeah. Thank you for the opportunity, sir. Am I audible?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Yes.

Rohan Mehta
Equity Research Analyst, Nexus Capital

Yes. So I have two questions. Firstly, if you could, it would be very helpful if you could share the contribution from the construction demolition segment in this quarter and the nine-month period. And how do you see it? How much do you see the contribution at for the full year and going forward for FY27? And just in general, your view on the construction demolition segment, are we bidding for new C&D projects currently, or how are you looking at that, basically, segment going forward?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

As of now, I mean, the contribution of C&D business is 5%. We expect this to at least double in the next financial year.

Rohan Mehta
Equity Research Analyst, Nexus Capital

Fair. Fair. So it will be broadly 5% in the quarter and overall for the year, broadly ballpark that range?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

That's right. Yeah. Yeah.

Rohan Mehta
Equity Research Analyst, Nexus Capital

Okay. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Because there are some policy changes which the client is doing now, so because of which we expect the revenues to grow sharply in the next few quarters.

Rohan Mehta
Equity Research Analyst, Nexus Capital

Fair enough. Fair enough. Sir, secondly, I just wanted if you could provide any update on the recent bids or contracts that we are participating in general, apart from C&T, I mean, what kind of projects are we sort of looking at or prioritizing, say, processing projects or collection and transportation projects? I just wanted to get your overall view on that.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

So we are focusing on both processing as well as the collection and transportation with special focus on processing because that's what we want to increase the share of processing business in our company. But having said this, we also are extremely careful and choosy about selecting the right project, the right city, and the project configuration because what we have realized is that there is no point in winning a project only to make losses in that. So we are careful. And in terms of projects, as we mentioned, that we have already successfully concluded two waste-to-energy projects in Andhra Pradesh, one Pune Municipal Corporation pre-processing project, the two Mumbai C&T contracts. There are a few tenders which are in the anvil. And the next few quarters, we should be able to get a few more projects.

Rohan Mehta
Equity Research Analyst, Nexus Capital

Sure. Sure. Absolutely. No, thank you. Thank you so much for that, sir. Wishing you all the best. That's it from my side.

Operator

Thank you. A reminder to all the participants who wish to ask a question, you may press star and one at this time. To ask a question, please press star and one now. Ladies and gentlemen, that was the last question. I would now like to hand the conference over to Mr. Jose Jacob for the closing comments.

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

Before we conclude, I would take a moment to express my heartfelt appreciation to our entire team for their unwavering commitment and exceptional contributions. Your dedication and hard work have been instrumental in driving our success and sustaining our growth momentum. As we look forward, our focus remains firmly on delivering consistent performance, enhancing shareholder value, and strengthening our leadership in sustainable waste management. We will continue to invest in innovation, technology, and operational excellence to further consolidate our position in the industry. I'm truly excited about the journey ahead as we continue to build a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future for our communities and stakeholders. Thank you once again for your continued trust and support. And I wish everyone a very pleasant evening.

Operator

We have the last question from Shivam Parekh from Valuewise Wealth Management. Please go ahead.

Shivam Parakh
Equity Research Analyst, Valuewise Wealth Management

Yeah. Thank you so much for the follow-up. Post the commercialization of two Andhra Waste-to-Energy projects in financial year 2029, what could be the revenue targeting for the company?

Jose Jacob Kallarakal
Chairman and Managing Director, Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited

We're targeting about. So.

Post the AP project commercial operation, we expect close to around INR 90-140 crores of annual revenue to start in the first couple of years. That will scale up to around INR 130-140-odd crores going forward. This will be over and above the INR 1,000-odd crore of revenue that we have in the system.

Shivam Parakh
Equity Research Analyst, Valuewise Wealth Management

Got it. Thank you so much.

Operator

Thank you. On behalf of Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited, that concludes this conference. Thank you for joining us. You may now disconnect your lines.

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