Summary
Timken India Limited - Q3 FY 2025-26 Earnings Call Summary Monday, February 9, 2026, 4:00 PM
Event Participants
Executives 2 Sanjay Koul (Chairman and Managing Director), Sujit Pattanaik (CFO and Whole-Time Director)
Analysts 8 Annamalai Jayaraj, Chandrakant Kanse, Mukesh Saraf, Nikhil Chintamani Kale, Nikhil Rao, Rishi Vora, Sabyasachi Mukerji, Shubham Bhatra
Financials & KPIs
| Metric | Reported | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | ₹764.4 crores | +13.8% YoY; -1% QoQ due to seasonal moderation in the rail business. |
| PBT (Reported) | ₹71.9 crores | -24.4% YoY; Impacted by Labor Code provisions, ramp-up costs, and lower other income. |
| PBT (Normalized) | ~13% Margin | Management noted PBT would be flattish YoY (excl. transitional items) despite unfavorable mix. |
| Other Income | ₹1.1 crores | -120 bps impact on PBT due to lower investable surplus following GGB acquisition and dividends. |
| Depreciation | ~₹9-10 crores | Full impact taken this quarter following capitalization of all lines at the Bharuch plant. |
| Gross Margin | -400 bps QoQ | Primarily driven by unfavorable product mix (lower rail) and incremental Bharuch costs. |
Geographic & Segment Commentary
- Mobile (Others): Revenue of ₹157.1 crores, reflecting 20% YoY and 9% QoQ growth. Management observed steady volume growth in Commercial Vehicles (CV) entering the peak Q4 season.
- Rail: Revenue of ₹128.6 crores, up 10.5% YoY but down significantly from Q2 (₹178.2 crores) due to seasonality. Q4 is traditionally the strongest quarter for rail builds and government spending.
- Process & Distribution: Combined revenue of ₹305 crores (Process: ₹167cr; Distribution: ₹138cr). Distribution grew 8.5% YoY, showing steady demand from steel plants and stationary equipment OEs.
- Exports: Revenue of ₹159 crores, up 4.6% YoY. Management is monitoring new trade agreements (India-US and India-EU) which could reduce tariffs from 50% to 18% or lower in key corridors.
Company-Specific & Strategic Commentary
- Bharuch Plant Status: All lines (SRB and CRB) are now capitalized with an investment of ₹750 crores. Current utilization is ~30% with a target to exceed 50% by Q1 FY27 as customer PPAPs (approvals) are completed.
- GGB Acquisition: First quarter of consolidated reporting; GGB India generated ~₹15 crores revenue for the quarter. Integration focus is on FRC (Fiber Reinforced Composite) lines for EV and process applications.
- Jamshedpur Expansion: ₹120 crore capex for rail capacity is on track to go live in Q3 FY27. Management expects this to support long-term government infrastructure spending.
- Labor Code Impact: A one-time transitional provision related to gratuity and benefits (effective Nov '24) impacted margins by ~60 bps.
Guidance & Outlook
| Metric | Guidance / Outlook | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity Utilization | >50% by Q1 FY27 | Driven by ramp-up of Bharuch SRB/CRB lines and customer approval cycles. |
| Asset Turnover | Historical levels | Management expects the ₹120cr Jamshedpur capex to mirror existing asset turns once stabilized. |
| Revenue (GGB) | ₹50-55 crores/year | Normalized annual run-rate expected for the newly consolidated plain-bearings entity. |
| Margin Normalization | 17-18% Range | Targeted as Bharuch utilization improves and one-time transitional costs moderate. |
Risks & Constraints
| Risk | Context |
|---|---|
| Product Mix | Seasonality in high-margin Rail and heavy industrial segments causes quarterly margin volatility. |
| Ramp-up Overheads | The Bharuch facility currently drags PBT by ~170 bps due to full depreciation/fixed costs against low initial volumes. |
| Trade Policy | While optimistic about US/EU trade deals, management noted “fine prints” and HS codes are still being evaluated for actual impact. |
| Regulatory | Implementation of new Labor Codes has introduced immediate one-time cost burdens on the PBT. |
Q&A Highlights
Margin Compression
- Question: What caused the 400 bps sequential margin drop? (Nikhil Chintamani Kale)
- Answer: It was a combination of 170 bps from Bharuch ramp-up, 60 bps from Labor Code provisions, 120 bps from lower other income, and the remainder from unfavorable mix between trading vs manufacturing (Sujit Pattanaik).
Bharuch Plant Utilization
- Question: When will the SRB/CRB lines reach optimal loading? (Mukesh Saraf)
- Answer: Current utilization is ~30%. We expect to hit over 50% by the first quarter of next fiscal year as we finish PPAPs. Recent trade deals might accelerate this loading (Sujit Pattanaik).
US-India Trade Deal
- Question: How does the tariff reduction from 50% to 18% affect shipments? (Sabyasachi Mukerji)
- Answer: It is a positive direction, but we are still looking at specific HS codes. Even with high tariffs, exports stayed flat sequentially at ₹159 crores, showing resilience (Sujit Pattanaik).
Rail Business Outlook
- Question: Is competitive intensity increasing in the rail segment? (Viraj)
- Answer: Competition is always present, but barriers to entry are high due to safety certification requirements. Q4 is historically our strongest rail quarter (Sanjay Koul).
Key Takeaway
Timken India delivered a resilient Q3 FY26 with 13.8% YoY revenue growth, though reported profitability was hampered by transitional costs. The quarter was characterized by the full capitalization of the ₹750 crore Bharuch facility, which contributed a significant 170 bps drag on margins due to early-stage utilization (~30%). Strategically, the company is diversifying through the GGB acquisition (plain bearings) and a ₹120 crore expansion in Jamshedpur for rail. While the reported PBT margin dipped, management remains confident in returning to the 17-19% EBITDA range as Bharuch scales toward 50% utilization by early FY27 and benefits from potential India-US trade tariff reductions materialize. The company is positioned to capitalize on the Q4 seasonal uptick in CV and Rail, supported by a strong localized manufacturing footprint.
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