Kajaria Ceramics

Kajaria Ceramics, for Q1FY15, posted a consolidated net profit at Rs.38 crore, a 46% (YoY) rise on a 19% rise in net sales at Rs.503 crore. Operating costs, as a percentage of net sales remains more or less around the same levels of 87% but power and fuel charges have risen 32%. Tax outgo at Rs.20 crore is up 43%. The company’s consolidated debt, which in FY13 had peaked to Rs.320 crore, now currently stands at Rs.227 crore. EBITDA for the quarter came in at Rs.81 crore, , up 25% and EBITDA margin was at 16.19%, up from 14.83% in previous Q1.

The company’s new 3.40 million square meter (MSM) glazed vitrified tile capacity at Sikandrabad commenced operations in March 2014 and is nearing optimum utilisation. Other capacity augmentation and diversification projects progress is on schedule.  Its Board has approved a 3 MSM ceramic wall tile capacity addition at its existing Bhiwadi (Rajasthan) facility. Its Soriso Ceramic unit operated at 91% in current Q1, Jaxx Vetrified worked at full capacity and its brown field expansion there is expected to commence by middle of August’14. Vennar Ceramics also operated at 100% capacity, so did Cosa wherein its polished vetrified tiles capacity expansion is to be competed in current Q2. Taurus Tiles is to commence production by Dec’14.