Thank you. A good evening to everyone and a warm welcome to Privi's investor call.

As you all know, despite the challenging global environment marked by tariff-related geopolitical uncertainties impacting global trade, we are proud to be among the few companies that have continued to demonstrate resilient and robust performance during this period. This performance is driven by our diversified product mix, focus on operational excellence, and disciplined execution of projects.

These factors have enabled us to sustain growth momentum. To sustain and accelerate the growth momentum, we have outlined a clearly defined three-phase expansion road map over the next two to three years aligned with our long-term growth vision.

These initiatives are expected to enhance our overall capacity by nearly 55% and broaden our specialty product portfolio. As we look ahead, our strategic priorities remain steadfast: a world-class aroma chemical company that leads with purpose, executes with precision, and grows responsibly.

On behalf of leadership team, I would like to thank all our stakeholders, employees, customers, shareholders, and partners for their continued trust and support. We look forward to sustaining this momentum and creating long-term value as we advance into the next phase of Privi's growth story.

In addition, the evolving trade landscape, particularly the strengthening trade arrangements between India, United States, and Europe, presents meaningful opportunities for a company like Privi Speciality Chemicals. As global customers increasingly seek reliable, diversified, and compliant supply chains, India's growing integration and developed-market positions us favorably.

My colleague Sanjeev and Narayan will take you through this operational, strategic, and financial details. I now hand over to Sanjeev and Narayan to provide update on our growth plan and operating strategy.

Thank you, sir, and good evening to all. I believe that you have had a chance to go through our financial results and investor presentation, which was shared this afternoon.

It has been 3 years, 10 quarters that we have been delivering upward of 20% EBITDA margin, and in the past 3 quarters, we have delivered nearly 25% EBITDA margin. Return on equity is also around 20%.

Our performance during third quarter attests the robustness of our business model. The industry, which is largely unaffected by global headwinds, as our products are integral part of human life.

Further, the performance also underscores the benefit of variety of operational excellence measures that we have taken by our company. We have maintained profit margins by improving process yields, reducing operating costs, and deriving benefits of economies of scale.

For the past 10 quarters, we have maintained EBITDA margins of over 20%, and past 3 quarters, over 25%. Our expansion projects are being implemented as per plan.

Civil work for these projects is about half-way done, and detailed engineering work is at advanced stage. These projects will pave way for meeting our 5K 1K plan.

I would now like to brief you about the joint venture. We are very happy to announce that our joint venture with Givaudan, Prigiv, is progressing well.

In this, the third quarter, Prigiv achieved positive EBITDA, and going forward in the next financial year will achieve net profit. Privi management convinced the joint venture partner, Givaudan, that the debt burden on Prigiv needs to be reduced.

Accordingly, Givaudan has agreed to provide non-interest-bearing trade advance, which will significantly reduce the debt burden and in turn the interest cost. While we appreciate and are thankful for this initiative, this step also re-emphasizes Givaudan's commitment to the project.

Further, to augment revenues, an investment of ₹50 crore has been planned, which is being funded by infusion of equity by Privi, 51%, and Givaudan, 49%. This capex will create capacities to manufacture additional products in Prigiv.

Privi's team is also working on scaling up medium-sized specialty molecule for Prigiv, and the cost for development will be funded by the JV. All in all, Prigiv is on a very good trajectory and will earn benefits in the near years to come.

Biotechnology: We have been working on growth plans beyond 5K 1K. We are working on converting biomass, which is biowaste, into value-added products.

We are currently at kilogram laboratory level in developing these products. These proprietary technologies will generate substantial intellectual property for the company, which will reflect into intangible assets for the company.

With this, now I'll hand over and request Mr. Narayan Iyer to share financial details of the company.

Good evening, and thank you, Sanjeev, and a warm welcome to all of y'all. Our performance for the quarter highlights our ability to protect profitability across cycles and reinforces our confidence in the structural strength of our operations.

A glimpse of the key highlights for the 3-month and 9-month period: we have reported a strong growth despite a subdued market, 24% revenue growth reported in both Quarter 3 and 9 months for the financial year '25-'26 on a year-on-year basis. We have delivered 25%-plus margins for the third consecutive quarter.

EBITDA margins are expected to sustain 20%-plus, which is driven by operational efficiencies, improved product mix, and increased volume. Our JV with Prigiv is also shaping up well, and we heard Sanjeev giving the wonderful news with regard to the new infusion of equity, and we expect a very meaningful contribution from Prigiv in the coming years.

Our Phase 1 with regard to the capex on the production capacity expansion is progressing as planned, and it is expected to be commercialized by end of March, latest by April '26. This shall increase our production capacity from 48,000 metric tons to 54,000 metric tons for all our existing products.

Phase 2 of the multi-specialty aroma chemicals project is also progressing as planned. The scheme of amalgamation of Privi Fine Sciences Private Limited and Privi Biotechnologies Limited with Privi Speciality Chemicals Limited is under process, and we have filed all the necessary data and filings with both the stock exchanges.

Giving a synopsis of the financial numbers starting with the Quarter 3 for the year '25-'26: the total income that we have achieved during the quarter was ₹611.15 crores with a growth of 24% on a year-on-year basis. EBITDA achieved during the same period was ₹158 crores with a growth of 37% on a year-on-year basis.

This EBITDA margins translates to 25.83% for the quarter, and we expect to maintain similar EBITDA margins in the near future. Though profit after tax reported as per financial numbers is around ₹74.85 crores, the actual PAT, if we take the one-time adjustment on account of the labor code which was introduced and implemented in this year, and also after adjusting the non-controlling interest, the actual PAT for this particular quarter comes to about ₹82 crores, which is as against the ₹44 crores reported for the previous year.

Now coming to the 9-month performance for ended 31st December '26: the overall income achieved in this 9 months is ₹1,857 crores, which is a growth of about 24% on a year-on-year basis. Really a remarkable achievement as compared to the times that we are in.

The overall EBITDA achieved during this period is ₹481 crores, which is a growth of about 47% on a year-on-year basis. The EBITDA margins which have been achieved for the 9-month period is 25.9%, and profit after tax post the non-controlling interest as well as the employee cost adjustment is ₹223 crores.

If we add the other two, the overall PAT for the 9-month period comes to about ₹232 crores or so, which shows a remarkable growth of about 84% on a year-on-year basis. Friends and investors, with the planned capacity expansion of existing products and the introduction of new specialty products, we have established a clear road map, and we are on track to achieve our vision, which was showcased by our visionary Chairman and Managing Director, Mr.

Mahesh Babani. Our vision is ₹5,000 crores in revenue and an EBITDA in excess of ₹1,000 crores, which we are on track to achieve in the next 3 to 4 years, which represents a growth of more than 2x from the numbers that we are currently being achieved.

On this sound footing, I would pause here and open the floor for question and answers. Back to the moderator.

Good afternoon, and hearty congratulations to entire Privi team led by Mr. Mahesh Babani for outstanding performances quarter after quarter.

Good evening, Sudhir.

Sir, my questions are first question, with the EU treaty happening and US lifting the penalty of 25% tariff, what advantage we will have as a Privi as a company, as we are exporting 70% of our products? That is the first question.

I think we have a clear-cut advantage in coming years. In fact, we would be able to sell most of the production there.

Needlessly to say, we want to sell it throughout the world because right now we have clear-cut advantage over China and other countries. As we enjoy 18% duty, it has been confirmed for our product range, and in some cases it is even zero, we have a clear-cut advantage and there is going to be a new thrust to our growth plans.

What would be the volume growth next year with some capacities coming on the stream? What can be the volume growth?

We expect, the way we have planned the capacities and the capacities have increased, and looking at our business on hand, we expect about 11% volume growth in the coming financial year. It could be better also, but we will see how things pan out.

Because we are in a space where new projects are starting and probably it would be between 11% and 15%. Yes.

Right. Now Givaudan has in the opening remarks you said they agreed to provide ₹150 crore as a interest-free loan.

Now can we expect that consol result and the standalone result, there is a gap of ₹30 crore in the 9 months, will be bridged and next year entire losses will be wiped out?

Absolutely. Absolutely.

Yes. Absolutely.

Great. With the new capacity coming in for the value-added product, can we expect that the value growth could be far higher than the volume growth what you are projecting?

Sudhir, I would—

Is there any price increase also? That is another follow-up question.

Is there any price increase happening for this current calendar year?

Sudhir, all is I can say is we will be able to maintain a healthy margin upwards of 20%. It can be 24%, 23%, sometimes 25%, because world markets are very uncertain.

Sometimes there's a war, sometimes price increases. We are quite sure that we will be able to achieve our numbers.

We want to be a little cautious on telling you 25% for sure, but it will be upwards of 20% and less than 27%. It'll be somewhere in between.

Great. Great.

Thank you for the opportunity, and all the best.

Thank you.

Thank you, Sudhir.

Thank you.

Thanks for the opportunity, and congrats on a very strong set of numbers. First question is on the new product development.

I'm referring to the slide number 13 in the presentation. In terms of individual products, if you can just give us a little more understanding as to which particular applications, any competition, and which geographies?

Is it India-centric or more EU, US-centric? If there are any contracts with customers once we kind of commission these facilities, so that we have a fair understanding of revenue visibility?

Thank you.

Yeah. Thank you, Rohit.

In terms of geographies, we always look at the global market, the world market as our market. We don't look at a specific geography.

The reason for this products to be formulated in India is that, as you can see, the first two products are maltol, ethyl maltol, and ethyl vanillin. We are in China-plus-one kind of a strategy where in India there is no single manufacturer who's making these products.

We'll be the first company to do that. The last product that we have is, in fact, a product that will be offered for the first time from a renewable resource.

Globally, it will be first time that a company could offer cyclopentanone from a renewable resource, and that's the key highlight about this product. In terms of applications, typically, as we progress towards completion of project, we seek approvals from the customers, and that's the time when we also get some kind of indicative commitments from our customers.

That's the way we have worked all along, and we will continue to work like that.

In fact, cyclopentanone will be first time manufactured through a bio route, renewable raw material, and the way the word forward is going to be very interesting for a product like this.

That's interesting to know, sir. Thanks a lot.

The second question is we have carved out ₹1,200 crores of capex plan. We have also given which all segments and how it will be distributed.

If you can just give us the timeline in terms of how this will be split between, say, FY '26 to FY '28, or maybe if it is beyond FY '28, that would be helpful. Thank you.

Rohit, broadly, as you would have seen in the investor presentation also, and we have been talking about it in the last three quarters, the company has outlined close to about ₹1,200 crores of investment in the 3-year period. We have just shared a broad light that we'll do a ₹300 in Phase 1, ₹600 in the Phase 2, and possibly a ₹300 in the Phase 3.

All this will happen by March '27, '28 or so, so that by '28-'29, we should be in a position to achieve the ₹5,000 crores of revenue. That's the ballpark planning that we are talking about.

As we speak today, we have already started and commenced the Phase 2 of expansion, which is the major bulk of the capex that we are talking about, and which we expect that by Q1 of next year, we should be in a position to complete, so that capacities and facilities are available, so that the growth beyond the 54,000 metric ton is available and you can see company growing at that expected 20% CAGR, which we have achieved over the last 24 years now. Thank you.

Got that. Sir, just one last clarification: of the ₹150 crores provided by Givaudan as an advance, will it be adjusted towards the revenues that we will be generating out of the JV?

Thank you.

Prima facie, that's the idea, that this be adjusted over a long term, 10-year period or so, so that against as whatever other normal laws that are applicable for setting off such advances.

I think we could even try to stretch it to 15 years.

Correct.

Sure. Thanks a lot for answering all the questions, and all the best, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you, Rohit.

Thank you. Thank you.

Hello?

Am I audible?

Yeah. Yeah.

My question is, sir, we have this capex of ₹1,200 crores, is there any cap you want to keep on the debt, because debt is already of around ₹1,000 crores? Is there any cap you're looking for, if you can just elaborate on that, or if you want to be debt-free or anything on that side will be helpful?

See, normally, ideally, debt to EBITDA, we always feel it should not be exceeding 2.5x, and we would like to maintain at those levels. You would have seen our investor presentation and the numbers that currently also our debt to EBITDA is just about around 1.6 or so.

We are well, well within the norms. We would like to maintain on a healthy trend.

It will always be less than 2.5x, in fact. Having said that, for the last 2.5 years, we have been at the level between 1.5 to 2.

Okay. That will be the guidance for future basically, 2.5x in future?

Yes, 2.5x, that's right.

That will be our guidelines.

Okay. Is there any foreign currency benefit which we are getting because of the INR depreciation?

Because, yeah, that will be helpful to understand.

Could you come again? What sort of benefit did you say?

Foreign currency basically INR is depreciating, right, and you have mostly export?

Yes, being a net exporter, we always have the benefit when the rupee is depreciating. Definitely there is a forex income on account of such depreciation.

How much it was in this quarter, sir, if you just—

This quarter was about ₹3.5 crores.

Okay. Got it.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Yeah. Thank you for taking my question, sir, and congratulations for good set of numbers.

Just one clarification on the capacity side. As we are expanding from 48 to 54, in just slide number 13 and slide number 10, just wanted to refer that the multi-specialty product, which will be in this 48 to 54, 6,000 capacity, or that would be an another capacity?

Because in slide number 10, we have mentioned that the capacity augmentation will be completed by June 30. This is referring to the new multi-specialty product or the existing product which you just have initially mentioned would be ready for commissioning by April?

Rohit, hi, good evening. To answer you, this 54,000 does not have any multi-specialty chemical products.

What we are talking 54,000 is all the existing product that we had, which we started last year. The multi-specialty and the other specialty products expansion is in the Phase 2 and Phase 3, where we will be adding close to about 18,000 metric tons going forward.

This 18,000 would not be that Privi Fine Sciences directly from the Privi?

No, no, no. Privi Fine Sciences is different.

This is only purely Privi Speciality Chemicals Limited.

Got it. Got it.

Once that this Privi Fine Sciences would be merged, when we should see the merged number in second half or it would be possible in the first half of FY '27 as well?

We expect this entire merger process to take about a year. If we are really able to expedite it, maybe by October '26, but latest by December '26, we should be in a position to get the order from the NCLT.

Got it. On a safer side, I believe by FY '28, we will have the merged number

for— For sure,

for sure. By '27 by '27 definitely we'll have.

Okay. Got it.

Just on the margin front, 9 months we already did more than 25% and we have been positive about 22%, 24%. Going forward also, still I feel the guidance which you used to say for 20% to 22% or in excess of 20% is a much conservative side, given all the high-margin product, or you can say value-added products are the main volume addition going forward.

I think still 24%, 25% kind of margin pretty much achievable, but yes, being on a conservative side, one can stick that.

Realistic.

I did mention that we will sustain the margins, my answer continues that we will sustain—

This is a VUCA world, we are just keeping everything be on a safer side.

We will try to maintain the margins, Rohit, in short.

We will.

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

Thank you, Rohit. Thank you very much.

Hi. Good afternoon, everyone.

I think just during December, yearly, we get the visibility from our customers in terms of, say, volumes and pricing for the calendar year, I think. If you can help us with how does this year's negotiation or contracts look like, especially in terms of pricing and volume?

Obviously, we can't be discussing this in public forum. We can only state to you that we are on a good wicket.

That's the only summary I can give that we are on a good wicket, and that's it. We can just disclose that our contracts to spot market continues the way it has always been.

70% contract and— 70% contract and 30%— 30% spot.

Any pricing pressure on the 70% contracts which are in place for the current year? Any pricing pressure or is normal?

We would pass this question. Sorry.

Okay. Secondly, once the merger is say done, how should we look at the numbers which can come from say Privi Fine Sciences and Privi Biotech?

Yeah. Once the entire consolidation happens, as has been informed and they're in public domain, this unit of Privi Fine Sciences can give us optimum capacity and a revenue of about ₹400 crores.

Okay. Got it, sir.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello, sir. Congratulations for the superb numbers.

Thank you. Sir,

just wanted to understand with the CBAM norms, Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in Europe, coming live in Jan 2026, how will it benefit us, because we are as it is EcoVadis platinum rating company?

I think we have surely an advantage because all the other countries who produce this have minimum a 6% to 9% duty, and we'll be free of duty, so that will make a lot of difference. Clarity is not there whether Switzerland is participating in this or no.

Once we get that, Switzerland is a major customer for us, but I yet see no challenges in getting to commercialize this at a better level. We'll have certainly advantages as India.

Our platinum rating, of course, will help us.

Our platinum rating is, of course, going to help us, and you must have seen that we have also given you in the country, we have been the wealth creators, among the top 500 wealth creators. You must have read that statement, right?

Absolutely. Congratulations on that as well.

Yeah. Thank you.

Sir, because in the CBAM norm, Cross Border Adjustment Mechanism, they say that the people who are making through petrochemical route or having some good amount of carbon footprint, the companies will be charged some amount. As it is, our footprint is negligible and we have platinum ratings, will it help us gain higher market share?

That's the question.

100%. You're absolutely right.

Today, off-late, because of geopolitical disturbances, this has taken a backseat, but in next 2 to 3 years, I can assure you with carbon footprints like ours, there'll be duty advantages, and with carbon footprints where there is addition carbon footprints, there'll be extra duty importing into US and Europe. This is certainly the way forward.

Right now, the challenges of the geopolitical thing, this has taken a backseat, but I'm sure in 1 year's time, it will bounce back. You're so right.

Superb. That's

a

very good observation there. Yes, sir.

Just wanted to understand the Phase 2 and Phase 3 capexes. In Phase 3, will we see some molecules like Amberwood Extreme, where they have fewer players in the world, can you help us understand the margin profile in Phase 2 and Phase 3?

I have no comments on that, but there'll be interesting molecules because, you see, we have reached a stage where all our overheads are covered. Anything addition becomes as good as Amber Extreme.

Not as good as, but similar experience, because once we have covered the critical cost, then every addition is a advantage to the company.

Sir, and just out of curiosity, wanted to understand, now like the cyclopentanone we are making, Yeah. so is there any such technologies we are working on where we can get our patents?

This morning review, we know from a similar raw material like cyclopentanone, we've already developed another molecule, but we have to take 1 or 2 years of trial at lab. Now we completed at lab, then at least 1 year at 6 months to a year at pilot, then we'll be ready on engineering and then we launch.

In coming times, our story is not only 5,000, it will become in coming times, before we reach 5,000, we'll announce a 10,000 story also.

Superb, sir. Sir, last question from my side: just wanted to understand now cyclopentanone and maltol will be the initial, then are we looking for more value-added products from thereon?

What kind of—

Absolutely, the same raw material. For maltol, ethyl maltol, and cyclopentanone is a similar raw material, we are looking at one more product from the same raw material, that is furfural, and we've already developed that product.

In fact, we also intend to manufacture the same raw material. As soon as we complete this expansion, our next project is going to be manufacturing furfural for in-house production.

Furfural itself is a value addition of 50%. Our raw material come down percentage will margin will come down to 50%.

Right now, we buy furfural at almost ₹100. Our furfural manufacturing cost will be half of that probably in coming years.

Superb, sir. Just one last question I'll ask.

Is it possible for us, since this will be a patent for us, this technology, once the plant is ready, can we license this technology to others?

Like Sanjeev told you, there'll be some intangible assets that will be coming in. Those technologies are more special than these.

We could definitely see licensing these technologies to different because it's based all on biomass. Everything, even cyclopentanone is based on biomass.

We will surely get a chance in coming years to franchise these technologies to different parts of the world.

Wow. That's so superb, and I'm feeling very proud to be a investor in your company, sir.

Thanks a lot.

Thank you. I'm also proud to have you as my investor who respects this.

Who understands so much, yeah, of course.

Thanks for the opportunity. I have just one question.

I just want to understand what is the current capacity utilization, and once the new plant kick in, how will it ramp up in the next year?

Hi. Good evening.

Currently we are at around 85% to 90% utilization of the overall capacities we have, and going forward, as we have indicated that we should be touching the 54,000 metric ton. Coming years also we are looking at some growth to maintain the 20% CAGR growth we are talking about.

We expect our utilization to be in this range going forward, around the 90% mark or so.

Is it including the new capex of 6,000 metric ton, 90% utilization?

For the next year, definitely it will be the 54,000 as a mark. Current year the capacities, as we speak, it is around 50-odd thousand.

By March, we should be March or April, we should go to the 54,000 metric ton. The level we are talking about is on the 48,000 metric ton.

Okay.

Can you throw some highlight on what will be the capacity utilization for the next year as we are ramping up our new plant?

As I just indicated, for March '27 also, we expect to maintain about 90% capacity utilization on the increased volume, which is 54,000 metric tons.

Sir. Fair enough.

I would request you to always look at a 3-year plan. We will be able to achieve in 3 years stroke less maximum 4 years a ₹5,000 crore road map with minimum ₹1,000 crore EBITDA.

Hi, Babani. Good afternoon.

Congrats for very strong set of numbers.

Thank you.

I was going through the presentation in very interesting slide, slide number 15, right, where you have laid out the road map as to how will you reach to this ₹5,000 crores and ₹1,000 crores milestone that you have kept. One thing that I'm observing is that jo Privi Fine specialty hai, uska current capacity we are keeping it constant.

Do we foresee that we'll also basically incur some sort of expenditure and expand that capacity also, or how should we think about that?

It'll get merged, no? Both are organized.

Let Sanjeev answer.

It will get merged, we are not really looking at as any separate unit. Just to give you further details, Privi Fine Sciences operates in two locations.

One is the location at Lote, which is operational. Second one is in Gujarat.

These plans are essentially for Lote only. Babani talked about furfural backward integration and all of that and the further value addition products.

That will all come up in Gujarat. That's where you will see growth going forward.

It is not covered in any of these numbers, but going forward, there is lot of scope for us to expand there as well. Beyond 5K 1K story, as we call it.

See, for classic example, I'll tell you: right now, we'll be only able to produce 500 tons of cyclopentanone, but eventually in next 2 years, we'll look at 5,000. By the time it is merged, it'll come into Privi.

It'll be all set of numbers will be together into the first ₹5,000 crore turnover.

Got it. Second question, Babani, I wanted to understand is that the cycle of GTO, right, it has been the worst that in last 4, 5 years after the Russia-Ukraine war, and value increase has started to happen in GTO as well.

Should we also see in your broader product profile, should we see some value gain on like-to-like basis of volume gain that will be seeing over a period of next 3 years? How should we think about it?

The situation is very dynamic. What we do is it's always quarter-on-quarter call that we take as to how do we manage GTO as a feedstock.

It's a very dynamic situation. Moment we find it's good opportunity, we latch on to that.

Otherwise, we have a steady plan where we don't want to give out all the numbers, but we consume some part of all requirements from GTO, and others obviously are from CST because that's our backward integration story. The GTO prices, if you are monitoring those prices, it's a very dynamic situation.

The prices keep going up and down, we just time it well and capitalize on that.

Got it. Sir, you said that over a period of time, you want to take cyclopentanone to a scale where if PFFS gets merged, the numbers will look much bigger in Privi as well.

I understood that on a scale as sir said, ₹400-₹500 crore total turnover PFS can do. What would be the margin profile on those additional products if there would be some sort of idea on that?

Similar.

It will be similar. We have guidelines when we develop a product.

Our guidelines says that we have to be sometimes it's a low value, sometimes it's a high value, but eventually we have to look at a product mix which gives us anything not top 20. It may be 23%, 22%, 25%.

North of 20 only we make sure then we develop the product. Supposing if there's a product of 18% EBITDA, but we'll make sure that we should have a target to reach 22%, 23%, 24% by way improving our technology, using some catalyst.

There's a full-fledged 100 people technical services department which looks at this.

Got it. Sir, for this ₹1,200 crores of capex that we have planned over a period of next 2 to 3 years, do we expect any sort of equity dilution through any route?

Not needed, but let the CFO take a call if needed, or I think even otherwise I don't think so we need enough debt is below 2, I don't think so we need any equity dilution at the moment. Maybe if the CFO feels he wants to dilute my position, I don't know.

My friend's already answered, it will be prima facie internal accruals and borrowing from the banks. That should suffice us for this 1,200-odd capex, in fact,

yeah. Got it.

Sir, as Babani touched, what our investors probably were worried about or were questioning, a good block of promoter that has been sold, if you would like to place any comments on that particular part?

Sure.

No,

I would want to answer this. See, this is for the betterment of the market conditions, because there has to be liquidity in the system.

We sold some to a very reputed investor. There were some leakages which disturbed the market, which we couldn't control, because it was a deal for very large investor, country's largest investor, but some leakages happened, it did create some turmoil.

I think it's for the betterment of the investor. What more should a promoter control than 63%?

Yeah. I hope that answers your query, and may be a lot of queries in the market, in fact.

Good evening, sir. Congratulations on a great set of numbers.

I have just two questions. One is in the slide where we've shown the road map to 5K, we talk about new products and other things, but there is no mention of this Givaudan JV.

Can we assume that any incremental revenue from the JV is over and above that?

Yes. In our 5K 1K story, we are not considered revenues from the joint venture, so that is an additional thing that you have.

That is an additional. Thank you, sir.

That's useful. Second is investors being investors, we always want QoQ improvement and YoY, both at the same time.

Could we say that some revenue softness is because this is a typical year-end quarter and hence customers like to maintain inventory low, which is why we always have a little soft Q3 and a better Q4? Is that a—

Partially, yes. The other reason is, since majority of our business is from export, often by about 15th, 16th of December, the markets there do close down.

If you look at last many years, we have similar patterns, so that's what happened. Thanksgiving.

Even in November Thanksgiving, most of the customers go on leave and then come back after Christmas. That's why if you see the last 4 years in that same thing, last 4 years always our that set of numbers in the third quarter is a little lower than the normal.

Having said that, it is still much better than our Q1 numbers that we have achieved. Q3 is a slight dip as compared to Q2, but the most important thing is that we've been able to maintain and improve on the margins as compared to previous year, the first quarter, second quarter.

Margins has been steady. That's the plus point that we are talking about, in fact.

No, right, sir. I think, as I said, investors being investors, when you set high benchmarks, expectations get higher.

Let us let us close this one by saying that customer is king, we have no complaints.

We

we always know.

Yeah. Thank you, sir.

That's all. Just two questions.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Thank you for my question, and congratulations on good numbers, sir. Just one question: if you can give an update on the project of the corncob, please?

As we have stated in the I think the presentation, that we are right now processing up to about kilogram level of this corncob thing, and we are in the process of putting together all the data so that we can create lot of intellectual property in terms of patents and all that. That is under progress.

Probably over the next 12 to 18 months' time, as Mr. Babani told you earlier, we will put up a demonstration facility and then a pilot facility and then it goes into full scale.

Right now, we are processing at kilogram levels.

Under which business segment do you classify this, sir? Is it new products or specialty products?

No, it is beyond that. It is not into this.

It is a story which is beyond 5K 1K, so that is something that will happen in a next phase of growth. Technology is developed pretty well.

We're confident of scaling up, but we can't bite more than can we chew. We are biting what we can chew right now.

We have enough confidence that this is not a rocket technology. We can do it, but we want to do it a little better.

That's why we're trying to better the technology. Right now, we have a technology which is working very well.

In this particular thing, people get 10% yield. In our pilot, we have already got 12%, and we hope to do it better.

That's why we're going to take time and we want to develop a better technology and then launch it. Otherwise, some technology we've already developed where we are comfortable.

Got it. Fair to assume that we'll be able to scale to lab or commercial by the end of '27?

100%. We'll be able to do it before that, but we'll launch the project only in '28.

Okay. Do we need additional facility or capex for that plant?

Surely, surely. Because we'll be handling maybe few thousand tons of cob, and to need that automation of handling so many tons of cob, we need huge space and it's a great thing to do because nobody is doing it at a scale where we want to do.

We want to do it at 20,000-ton level, and scale that I don't think in India anybody is doing. If anybody is doing, it'll be at few hundred tons.

We want to do it at 20,000-ton level. We've been discussing with engineering companies how to handle this.

Right now, there are two sets of chemical engineers, one who's looking at what we'll do in '27, '28. We've already got it on our drawing board.

We'll be ready with it before we want to launch it.

Got it. Got it, sir.

I'll close the monitor that. Thank you, and wish you all the best for your 5K 1K future, sir.

Thank you.

Hi. Good evening.

Thank you for the opportunity. I just want to congratulate the whole management on this remarkable turnaround of business over the last 3 years, managing tough times post the Russia-Ukraine war.

Hearty congratulations to the whole team. Outstanding job.

I just had one question. One of your slide in the presentation mentions your focus is on improvement of gross margin.

Can you talk a bit about the levers of these margin improvement going forward?

The improvement in gross margin comes from variety of inputs, starting with first and foremost, you improve the process yields. Which means you get higher quantity of material from the same input, or you require less input for getting the same quantity of material.

That's one of the first thing that we work on, and as we always have been saying, we are over 100 100 chemists and chemical engineers who are working constantly on this round the clock, and we keep on looking at all the molecules that we have. That's the first way in which we improve our efficiencies and improve our cost and the margins.

The second and third thing that we do is we also try and reduce the utility consumption. We try and conserve steam wherever possible every year.

Every year we have program where we identify a loophole here and there, and now that we are reached a particular scale, we are able to now use certain advanced techniques by which we can also conserve residual steam, which at a smaller scale is difficult. That also we are working on.

We are working on having solar power, which has been reducing our power cost, as you can see that. These are all the factors which is all leading to operational efficiencies.

We constantly work round the clock. We are a full-fledged department headed by a very experienced chemical engineer and assisted by several younger people.

Yeah.

Got it. Does this mean there is still scope of further expansion on gross margins within existing products as you all keep on working even on existing molecules to improvise on the process, while you all are also looking to get into some more specialty or super specialty products?

Can we expect over the next 3 to 5 years the gross margins to keep on improving from the current level?

It cannot perpetually improve. It will improve by about 100 to 200 basis point and more, but that's about that, because—

Our wish list is also has like yours. Got it.

Got it. Rest of my questions have been answered.

It's a long call. Thank you so much, and congratulations.

Thank you, Nikhil. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thanks for follow-up. One quick question: what was the incentive which was recognized during this quarter and for the first 9 months?

Okay. This quarter, we have not recognized any incentive, because state incentive is not something that we keep getting on monthly basis or so.

This was addressed in my last call that this is on an annual basis that we talked about. For the 9-month period, the amount that has been taken in the revenue is close to about ₹10 crores or so.

Right. For the new project or new capexes, are we again eligible for any state incentive?

For which project?

For the new capex that we are doing, the ₹1,200 crores.

Yeah. Yeah.

This also taking the cue from the earlier investor call, as we had stated, currently we are only partly on the state incentive maximum benefit that we're talking about. By investing this ₹400-₹500 crores, which is balanced, so that we get the ultra mega status for which we have the time to invest money up to and more than ₹1,500 crores, that is 31st of March 2027.

Once we achieve these numbers, then we are entitled for a full 9% GST benefit for a 20-year period. Currently this benefit is available for 15 years, we get that extra 5 years also.

From 15, we go to 20 years, and the benefit also doubles up for all the sales that we do within the state of Maharashtra. Of course, we have already got the Gujarat incentive for a 7-year period because our investment has been much lower in that particular state.

Yes, the good times are definitely there, and as our Prime Minister normally says, acche din definitely aur aa rahe hain. That's

right. Just second clarification: so we have mentioned on the capex plan slide, that the new product facility will come on stream sometimes in Q1 FY '28.

I think given that it's completely new product on a commercial scale, we may have stabilization issues for a quarter or so. Given that the new capacity which will be optimized for the existing set of products, will FY '28 be a transition year in terms of growth, and then FY '29 will have a material scale-up in terms of revenue growth?

Absolutely. Read and well understood.

The whole thing is correct. '28-'29 will be the year where we will catapult into next level of revenues and growth and everything.

That's helpful. Thanks a lot, and all the best, sir.

Thank you. By

that time,

we'll also give you a newer plan for the future. That's my job.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, every one of you, for joining on this Privi's call today evening.

We appreciate your time and showing interest in our company and our company's financial results and monitoring us very closely. We are very happy with the set of questions and the set of investors posing around on the investor presentation and the financial results that we had declared.

In case of any further queries or details, you can get in touch with us or the SGA team. We look forward to meeting all of you over and over in our next few calls.

Thank you very much, and good day.