Operator
Ladies and gentlemen, good day and welcome to Caplin Point Laboratories Limited Q3 FY26 earnings conference call hosted by Dolat Capital Market Private Limited. 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 touchtone phone. Please note that this conference is being recorded.
I now hand the conference over to Ms. Candice Pereira from Dolat Capital Market Private Limited.
Thank you and over to you.
Moderator
Thank you, Iqra. Good evening, everyone.
I, Candice Pereira, on behalf of Dolat Capital, welcome you all to the Q3 FY26 conference call for Caplin Point Laboratories. Today, from the management team, we have with us Mr.
C.C Paarthipan, Chairman; Mr. Vivek Partheeban, Vice Chairman; Dr.
Sridhar Ganesan, Managing Director; Mr. D.
Muralidharan, CFO; and Mr. Satyanarayan M., Deputy CFO.
I now hand over the call to the management for the opening remarks. Over to you, sir.
Vivek Partheeban
Thank you, Candice. Thanks, everyone, for taking time out to attend our earnings call for Q3 FY '26.
Actually, FY27, rather. Please note that a copy of all our disclosures are available on the investor section of our website as well as on the stock exchanges.
Note that anything said on this call which reflects our outlook for the future, which should be construed as a forward-looking statement, must be reviewed in conjunction with the risks that the company faces. The conference call is being recorded and the transcript along with the audio will be made available on the company's website as well as the exchanges.
Also, do note that the audio and conference call is copyright material of Caplin Point and cannot be copied, rebroadcasted, or attributed in press media or social media without specific written consent of the company. I would like to hand over the floor to our Chairman for his opening remarks, please.
C.C. Paarthipan
Thank you. Good evening and welcome to all to our investors call.
I think that most of you must have gone through our press release. Further, my colleagues will also highlight the salient features of our company.
Hence, I would like to convey two major steps that we have taken recently. This, I sincerely feel, will be a game changer or black box for our company in future.
Number one is our video SOP. It is also a visual SOP.
Acts as a visual hammer to replace the verbal cues. Our video SOP will convert invisible execution into inspectable evidence for compliance, and also this will enhance productivity.
In pharma manufacturing, non-compliance is not a training failure, is an execution visibility failure. Pharma factories run on SOPs, which is a traditional textbook one.
Compliance is demonstrated in seconds, which leads to issues. Hence, Caplin converts current SOPs into visual scripts that shows best practice actions in step-by-step details.
We also included regional languages for our factory workers. We further have plans to use videos to celebrate the best-performing operators as role models.
The remote control online monitoring tracking of who has done what in the night shifts which will not only be monitored by our own factories, but also by our Latin American team, where it is daytime.
Operator
Sir, sorry to interrupt you, but your voice is sounding a bit muffled. Hello?
Vivek Partheeban
The line is breaking a little, Chairman.
C.C. Paarthipan
Can I go ahead and repeat or
Vivek Partheeban
where Now it's better. Now it's better.
C.C. Paarthipan
Hello?
Vivek Partheeban
Yes, now it's better, please. Yes.
C.C. Paarthipan
Can I continue?
Vivek Partheeban
Continue, please.
C.C. Paarthipan
Hello, have you to repeat the whole thing? Where exactly they were not in a position to hear?
Vivek Partheeban
No, no, only in the last 20 seconds. Only in the last 20, 25 seconds.
Yeah.
C.C. Paarthipan
In pharma manufacturing, non-compliance is not training failure, is an execution visibility failure. Pharma factories run on SOPs, which is traditional
Operator
Sorry to interrupt you, sir, but your voice is a bit muffled. Shall I add you again?
Vivek Partheeban
Is it possible to add a landline from there, Candice? Is that possible, please?
C.C. Paarthipan
Now I'll call these guys and I will switch to another phone.
Vivek Partheeban
In the meantime, I will complete my discussion and then Chairman can come back for his remarks.
Operator
Yes.
Vivek Partheeban
Thank you, Chairman. While we wait for the line to get cleared up, I'll provide a little color on the latest developments, especially when it comes to the regulated market, specifically Caplin Steriles and also Caplin Steriles USA.
We've had another good quarter of growth in the US entity, US-focused entity rather, and with the growth in both product revenue and also profit share and milestone revenues. It is a good mix of 75/25 at the moment with product revenue bringing in 75% and milestone and profit share bringing in about 25%.
This trend has been very consistent in recent quarters and there were a few questions that were raised by investors themselves when we decided to take the front-end route and then launch our own label over there. This goes to show that this was a decision in hindsight was a good one.
We have also been receiving consistently the number of approvals from the US and the latest one was a complex suspension injectable product named methylprednisolone that we got an approval within first cycle. Quite glad to share that our approval timelines are between 14 to 15 months on average compared to industry timelines of above 20 months.
We've also had first-cycle approvals for emulsion injections and emulsion ophthalmic products as well. This not only goes to show the prowess that we have in R&D and regulatory domain, but both these products that we have had recent approvals for have been launched in the market and has been consistently garnering higher market share quarter on quarter.
Even from a productivity and execution standpoint, we've been delivering. We also have another 10 products pending review with FDA and we expect these products to come through within the next few months.
We'll be having close to around 65 ANDAs approved under Caplin's name within a short period. With all the new approvals coming through, obviously, it looks like it's going to be a hectic next few months, but in a good way.
We have also acquired around 14 ANDAs from outside over the last few months, and we are actively working on bringing these to market sometime in the next year. Not only 2026, but 2027 also looks like it's going to be an exciting year for Caplin Steriles.
Because of all the activity that is happening with new products getting approved and launched and also some other acquired products being activated, we understood that our vial lines, which are Line 1, 2, and 5, are going to be busy over the next few quarters. Strategically, from development pipeline, what we have done is we've started focusing more on Line 3 and Line 6 when it comes to scale-up and submission batch products.
Line 3 is our ophthalmic line and Line 6 is the latest one that we have activated, which is a pre-filled syringe and cartridge product line. In the next 12 months, we expect to complete at least 12 to 13 products in this range, in the ophthalmic and also pre-filled syringe range.
That should come up for approval sometime by end of next year, which gives us good hope that 2028 also is going to be quite full of activity when it comes to product launches and revenue. In addition to this, to ensure that we are investing consistently into unique capabilities in the sterile space, we are getting into the blow-fill-seal range of products.
We've just placed an order with one of the best manufacturers in the world from Europe named Rommelag for this machine. It's a state-of-the-art, completely integrated machine that is capable of manufacturing products at very high levels of compliance and speed in the blow-fill-seal range.
We have taken on around 14 products for development in this space, and we expect the first products from this line to get approved sometime in late '27, '28 as well. The last range that we are getting into is again in the sterile space, which is ophthalmic ointments, which is also sterile in nature.
Once this is done, we will be catering to pretty much the complete gamut of all sterile products from Caplin. To cater to this significant pipeline of products that are being developed, we are fast-tracking our completion of Phase 3, which is internally what we call as Caplin Point One Labs Unit 2, which will be housing eventually eight product lines, of which we are going to start by early next year with at least five lines active.
Out of the five lines, two are already completed, three more will be completed by September to October of this year. Taking into account all of this growth and development, we knew that compliance is something that we need to consistently innovate on as well.
Of course, Chairman will cover that in his remarks, but in the midst of this all, we've completed our EU GMP audit and also a Saudi FDA audit with no critical observations and happy to inform that our consistent compliance record stretches out even further and it's going to get better. One word on the US label: as I said in the beginning, we are very pleasantly surprised with the progress that we are making with our US label.
We are nearly at $10 million in revenue since inception last year and we have been able to do this without slashing costs, or we've just been disciplined with the strategy of keeping the products closest to the customer and the general shortages and supply chain efficiency that we are able to demonstrate is bringing these revenues in. This is how we have built our Latin American business, which is by keeping products closer to the customer, and the same thing is continuing on in the US as well.
For Caplin Steriles and Caplin Steriles USA, we expect double-digit, high double-digit revenue growth in the next years onwards as well. A couple of more updates from our side is that our Vizag API plant, which is going to be by and large used for backward integration of filing our own DMFs for our ANDAs that are in the market, has already scaled up three critical APIs, and we are targeting at least two to three more APIs to be scaled up on a monthly basis from this site, and expect our first DMF filing from the site by end of this year.
Finally, our oncology injectable plant is also geared up for exhibit batches, which will be starting this month. Out of all the acquisitions of ANDAs that we had done, four of them are oncology injectable products as well.
We also have an organic pipeline of 12 more products that we are working on. All of that will be scaled up for submission within this year.
We expect to have the first few products going for filing with the end of this year. That's basically what covers the regulated market side of it.
We can check if Chairman's line is better now.
C.C. Paarthipan
It's fine now. Yes.
Can you hear me?
Vivek Partheeban
Yeah. Yes,
C.C. Paarthipan
perfectly.
Vivek Partheeban
Please go ahead. Yes, yes, please.
C.C. Paarthipan
Yeah. Good evening once again.
Now, let me focus only on the two major steps that we have taken recently. Number one is our video SOP, also known as a visual SOP, acts as a visual hammer to replace the verbal cues.
Our video SOP will convert invisible execution into inspectable evidence for compliance. In pharma manufacturing, non-compliance is not a learning failure or a training failure, it's an execution visibility failure.
Pharma factories run on SOPs, which is a traditional text-based one. Compliance is demonstrated in seconds, which leads to issues.
Hence, Caplin converts current SOPs into visual scripts that shows best practice actions in step-by-step details. We also included regional languages for our factory workers.
We also have plans to use videos to celebrate the best-performing operators as role models. Remote control online monitoring tracking of who has done what in the night shifts which will not only be monitored by our own factories, but also by our Latin American team, where it is daytime.
We make video viewing mandatory before operating the machine. The other advantages of visual SOPs are as follows: Number one, it will help networking with many companies of our size for outsourcing a product that we don't manufacture, especially from China.
Number two, the CMOs will get the advantage to view the entire manufacturing of this production of our facility online through the video SOP, and it helps them to understand our practices and timelines for the delivery. It will also help engineering department to replace the models of FAT, SAT, IQ, OQ, PQ, which is nothing but factory acceptance test, site acceptance test, installation qualification, operational qualification, performing qualification.
The video will help, actually, the new employees to do the requalification, preventive maintenance, and predictive maintenance. The guys who do this FAT, SAT, IQ, OQ, and PQ, even if they leave the company, the new guys who enter a factory will use the videos and do the requalification and predictive maintenance.
We'll also add AI governance architecture to our audio video SOPs in future, and we have already filed patent for this. In the next 2 years, we also have 14 to 15 injectable lines, as you know well, will be up and running.
Our culture will not be in the words of our website, but in our facilities. Our people will also follow four non-negotiables, which are integrity, quality, safety, and productivity.
Now, the number two, we recently recruited two erstwhile senior inspectors of Colombian INVIMA as our executives, mainly for audit readiness in all our factories. They are doing the mock audit in line with the US FDA guidelines, as the guidelines of regulatory bodies are almost similar.
Our Onco facility and CP1 are expecting the INVIMA audit in April, and these professionals will play a vital role in ensuring integrity and quality there too. They have inspected many biosimilar facilities in China, South Korea, and Russia, and their contact with these companies will also help us, actually, to find an opportunity for outsourcing.
We are known for asset-light models from China. Now, we will go for an asset-light model for the specialties in places like Korea and also Turkey and Russia, too.
Biogenerics will definitely help us, actually, to improve our bottom line over a period of time. Hence, the videos SOP will act as a tool for networking with the companies, mainly in China and Korea.
We also understand that to achieve our goals, we must change the current version of ourselves. It's not about doing more activities, it's all about doing right activities.
Hence, the two right activities are the one that I highlighted now. Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Vivek Partheeban
Thank you, Chairman.
C.C. Paarthipan
Is it audible?
Vivek Partheeban
Yes, yes, fully audible.
C.C. Paarthipan
I
Vivek Partheeban
request our CFO to throw some light on the numbers before we open up the floor for questions.
D. Muralidharan
Thank you. Thank you, Vivek.
Good evening to everyone who has taken time off to take part in this earnings call of Caplin Point Laboratories for the third quarter ending December 31st, 2025. Results for the 9 months ended are really gratifying.
The group has achieved good growth across all financial parameters. We are happy to say that we have compared ourselves with the peer group, once which have been announced till date, and we are in good stead.
We are comparatively higher than many of them who have reported in terms of profitability and growth. Now coming to the operating revenue, the revenue grew by 10.6% year-on-year, and total income grew by 11.2% year-on-year.
9 months' revenue is close to the entire year revenue of 2023-24. Growth in other income of 15.47 crores has primarily come from deployment of incremental cash.
As I told in the last meeting also, we have a mandate of investing at least 300-plus crores year-on-year additionally over and above what we have invested in the past. This year, the mandate has been more stringent to invest about 400-plus crores into the instruments of financial instruments.
COGS has grown only by 9% in spite of the increase in turnover. If you see the last 3 years, the COGS as a percentage of revenue has come down from 43% to 39%, which is significant growth.
Opex grew only by 6%, way below the revenue growth, and opex as a percentage of total revenue stood at 24.46% as against 25.67% for the corresponding period. You'll be glad to know that's come down from 27% in 2023-24 to 26 point 24.46% in the current year.
Above factors, whatever I mentioned, have resulted in a growth of 17%, way above the revenue growth, in EBITDA margin. It is at 38.5% as against 36.5% in the last year corresponding period.
Capitalization of about 62 crores primarily in CSL has absorbed additional depreciation of 5 crores, and PBT again grew by about 17.8% from 500-plus 500 crores to 589 crores, stands at 35.2%. This is happy to say that it is higher than the entire year of '23-24, which was 575 crores.
Then PAT again is 471 crores, higher than the PAT of 451 crores achieved in full year of FY24. All the above positive factors have resulted in growth of 20.5% in PAT.
PAT stands at 28.5% as against 26.3% in the last year. It may be pertinent to note that we have been promising around 25% as the target PAT.
We are well above that. Coming to the balance sheet, net worth stands at 3,338 crores as on December.
Cash and cash equivalent is at 1,381 crores as against 1,180 crores after investment of about 180 crores in capex. CWIP stands at 192 crores, majorly accounted by Point One Lab, injections which is under kind of final stages of completion, and the OSD plant which we are putting up near our facility in Pondicherry.
Inventory, as we have been saying, the close to customer is the winning point for Caplin, and it stands at about 67% including the transit. 55% are there in our warehouses and 12% is in transit reaching anytime now.
Receivable stands at 128 121 days as against 118 days. Even though we have been promising 120 as a benchmark, it's slightly more because last week of last 10 days of December, we couldn't get the remittances in full because of Christmas vacation there abroad.
That has been more than compensated by the more remittances in the month of January, and we hope to get back to the old level by March or if not by June. The cash flow from operations standard 358 crores as against 284 crores in the previous period, corresponding period.
Free cash flow, as I said, after investment of 180 crores in capex stands at 178 crores for the 9-month period ending December '25. I think these are the few points which I thought will brief you, though the results have been with you for a while now.
We'll be more than glad to take any questions. Over to Mr.
Vivek. Thank you.
Vivek Partheeban
Thank you, Mr. CFO.
We can open up the floor for questions now, please.
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 their touchtone 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 the moment while the question queue assembles.
The first question is from the line of CA Garvit Goyal from Serene Alpha. Please go ahead.
CA Garvit Goyal
Hello, am I audible?
C.C. Paarthipan
Yes, please.
CA Garvit Goyal
Good evening, sir. First question is on oncology API facility.
It is getting further delayed, sir. Earlier we were speaking about Q1 FY27, and this PPT we have mentioned Q3 FY27.
While I understand that we are doing the capex via internal accruals and all, but sir, these delays are now going beyond a normality. I'm sure like an efficient and experienced capital allocator like you, this must be in your mind, because ultimately we have to grow the business.
For that, we need the assets at the right time. What is your view on it, sir?
Why are these delays happening on a consistent basis? That's my first question.
C.C. Paarthipan
Can I give you the answer to this one? Delay, yes, it's happened.
In the current context, what is important, actually, is not the delay. It's not totally denied, actually.
It's not a denied opportunity today. It is fully completed, and that too when we get into the next level, that too for the regulated markets, this facility is ready for the US FDA, actually.
We are also planning to go for 10 to 12 injectables at a time in the form of filing and invite the US FDA inspector for audit. Hence, what happens, you are aware that sometimes the facility completion, it takes its own time.
It may be because of various reasons. The reason one here, I would like to say like this: the ecosystem in actually Tamil Nadu has not been extraordinary like what do you call Hyderabad or Bangalore or Vizag or Ahmedabad or Mumbai.
Hence, it also gets delayed. That's one reason.
At the same time, as you rightly said, the money is not borrowed. There is nothing in the form of, actually, interest loss.
I won't say there's an opportunity loss also, because sometimes it is for the greater good which is difficult to understand. What is not obvious many a times, actually, will create some tangible opportunities also.
Yes, please.
Vivek Partheeban
One other point also, Garvit, is the API units are going to be only for backward integration. Remember that we are not really relying on our own API as the first source.
This is going to be a second source. Even if the API units get delayed by a further two to three quarters also, which will not happen, but even if they do happen, it's not going to be materially of any effect to the company, because our R&D and our filing continues to happen despite it being our own API or from external API.
Till this point, 100% of all the filings and approvals we've received are from external APIs. Please remember that this thought process of getting into our own API is strengthening our supply chain, but by no means it is going to have any material impact immediately.
Yeah.
CA Garvit Goyal
When you say the ecosystem is not extraordinary, what kind of challenges are you facing? Can you further elaborate that?
C.C. Paarthipan
Talent, whether it is in the form of consultancy or in the form of some project heads, actually. People who come, they don't stick to it.
See, to give you an example, at one point of time, ours is a turnaround story. Today, we are the number one company in Tamil Nadu.
There are companies which are 10, 12 years ahead of us. In fact, they started the company much, much earlier to us.
Still, they are not even reached 50% of our sales also. I don't want to mention the name of the company.
Since you asked me, I have to answer that way.
CA Garvit Goyal
Understood. Secondly, on the growth part, first 9 months our sales are up by 10% to 11%, which is well below our last 3-year average of 15%, which we used to use as a benchmark in the recent calls.
Even if I see your fixed assets, these have doubled in last 2.5 to 3 years, but our topline is up by only 40%, 50% against that. Why are we slow in growing our topline, sir?
I agree that base has become high, but I'm not asking for we should grow 30%, 35% on this higher base, which I understand from the earlier concalls, earlier interactions as well. Not even doing 20%, 25% despite having the strong capex, and we earlier were speaking about entering into the new markets, new product approvals that we are getting on the continuous basis.
I'm not able to understand why it is taking us so much time to ramp up on the assets or the capex or the efforts that we have made over the last 2 to 3 years, sir.
C.C. Paarthipan
Vivek, can you answer to this question?
Vivek Partheeban
Yeah. See, we've been very consistent with our messaging that the next 18 to 24 months is going to be a gestation and a consolidation phase for us, right?
There are multiple things that we are working on. Number one, our entry into the larger markets of Mexico, Chile, Colombia.
Number two, our oncology business is still at a very nascent stage. Number three, our US label and our US B2B business is getting consolidated right now.
Now remember, we're not in the domestic market, where the minute you come up with a product, you can directly go and then start making sales, right? We're all in either emerging markets or regulated markets, where things take at least 3 to 4 years for some amount of gaining maturity.
We feel that 2028 and beyond looks very exciting for the company on all fronts, on all these fronts that I was talking about, which is larger markets of LatAm, US, piece and oncology, etc. We need to be a little patient, but during this time, we've been able to consistently still grow at lower double digits, and our US business, which is gaining much more traction, is showing growth of almost 25%, 30% also.
We're also able to put away significant amount of cash into our reserves, where we're building up a war chest, where if there is even an outsized inorganic opportunity that comes through, we will not be shy to do that as well. I don't think we are slowing down by any means.
I would say that we are consolidating, and 2027, 2028, and beyond could be something that is very interesting for us all to look forward to.
CA Garvit Goyal
Got it, sir. Regarding on the margins front, is there any further scope of improvement in the margins?
Vivek Partheeban
I think we're at a PAT of 27%, 28%. 38.5%
C.C. Paarthipan
as it is, yeah.
Vivek Partheeban
I'm not sure if there are too many peers within this range, Garvit. Regardless of that, I think once we start firing on all cylinders on these newer initiatives that we take up, there is a potential for that to go up as well.
I don't deny, but I think at 28% for us to stabilize this and maintain itself would be an excellent achievement, yeah.
CA Garvit Goyal
More probably because margins are at peak, and for next 18 months, we are speaking about lower double-digit sales growth. Bottomline should be more or less in line with the sales growth only.
Is that understanding correct?
Vivek Partheeban
The bottomline will remain where it is. Look, there might be one or two percentage points up or down, but that 26% to 29% PAT is something where we are comfortable with and we expect that to continue.
CA Garvit Goyal
Got it, sir. Thank you very much, sir, and all the best for future.
C.C. Paarthipan
Welcome.
Vivek Partheeban
Welcome.
C.C. Paarthipan
Thank you. Thank you.
Operator
Thank you. The next question is from the line of Ahmed Madha from Unifi Capital.
Please go ahead.
Ahmed Madha
Thanks for the opportunity. I have three questions.
Firstly, on the buyout we made for few ANDAs on the oncology side, if you can give some sense what amount we have paid for the ANDAs I think we got. Secondly, what will be the timelines do the site transfer and the commercialization take?
From the $473 million addressable market size, what sort of potential market share Caplin Steriles can gain?
Vivek Partheeban
Okay. See, some of this information is of confidential nature, I won't be able to go into too much details of it.
What I can give out is we are very, very prudent in how we spend our cash, and that includes these acquisition targets also. The one clue I can give you is that we sort of try and make it a point that any acquisition of an ANDA that we do is always equal to or lower than the cost of actually filing that ANDA itself.
You may draw your inferences from that. In addition to that, the timelines-wise, what happens is we need to do the site transfer by way of what you call as a post-approval supplement, PAS.
Now we need to run at least one batch of that product and then put that in stability for 3 months and then apply for the PAS, which is 6 months. All put together, we expect some of these products to come to market by early next year, late this year or early next year.
Finally, when it comes to the market share, out of the 14 products, there are two of them that are fairly large in size, but they're also extremely tricky because they need completely dedicated lines, dedicated units, etc. We might not be doing that in-house.
We are very actively scoping out, contract manufacturing companies for that. We have narrowed it down to two, both in Europe, and we are in late-stage discussions to tech transfer it to their site.
In general, I think you can always expect the first couple of years to have about single-digit market share as and then when we consolidate and then when we have larger portfolio, of products to offer, then that slowly starts inching up towards the double digits in terms of market share.
Ahmed Madha
Sure, that's very helpful. On the Mexico and Chile business, we have made a lot of progress in terms of approvals, building the pipeline, getting the inspection and the plant everything ready.
If you can give some sense how far are we from meaningful topline generation from those markets, and what sort of progress have we made in terms of commercialization and getting the topline ready?
Vivek Partheeban
Yeah. When it comes to, again, Mexico and Chile, I would still put the same timelines, at about 18 to 24 months is when we can start to see it firing on all cylinders.
Of course, when it comes to both these markets, typically, they are a little bit tender-heavy as well, right, especially Chile. There, again, we are trying to get into the private market, which is what the base of our business in Latin America is.
More than 80% of our revenues from LatAm come from the private market, which is what we are trying to do the same in Mexico and Chile as well. Chile is a little bit further ahead compared to Mexico because we've been in Chile for some time now, but mostly on tenders.
Now we are getting into the private market, and the same for Mexico in 2026 as well. I would still say that 18 months is a good timeline for us to see something meaningful on the topline to the parent company.
Ahmed Madha
Sure. Lastly, on the P&L, if you look at the operating cost, it has been very stable for last few quarters.
We have made progress in the topline growth gradually. I'm just curious to understand that despite the new plants coming in, both the plants which got commercialized, I think, in the last 3, 4 months, I'm assuming, and topline growing gradually, the cost has been broadly steady state.
Would you like to help us understand what sort of explains that?
Vivek Partheeban
I'm not fully clear on the question, Ahmed. What is the question?
C.C. Paarthipan
I think CFO will be able to answer, please.
Ahmed Madha
I'll put it different way. If I look at last year, the operating cost, which was apart from the employee cost, was about 89 crores.
This quarter, it is about 88 crores, and we have grown topline by 10%. Broadly, the costs are similar.
We've grown topline by 10%, while we have also commercialized new plants, which I'm assuming will have incremental costs coming in with hiring and other initial opex cost. I'm just curious to understand what explains that the costs have not gone up despite topline going up and new plants getting commercialized.
Vivek Partheeban
Can I try and answer
C.C. Paarthipan
to this
Vivek Partheeban
question? I would Go ahead, CFO.
D. Muralidharan
Yeah. Correct.
A couple of years back, when we were in the same meeting, we were asked for the lower turnover, you are retaining costs. We built the infrastructure.
We built the manpower. As rightly said, the employees were all being recruited for the enhanced capacity.
As mentioned by one of the previous speakers, that most of the projects are in the final stages. Nothing has been put to operation yet.
Initially, you capitalize whatever the pre-operative expenses are getting capitalized, and then once the product or project are put on steam and then start commercial, you will see the impact on the opex. As we have mentioned in the past also, previously our sales were on FOB basis to most of the countries.
About a year back, 1.5 years back, we have converted them into freight. The freight cost in the percentage of turnover has also come down.
It has gone into the other fees. COGS used to be COGS as a percentage in the past, okay?
It has become opex cost. That there were some rearrangements happened because
Operator
Sorry to interrupt you, sir. Sir, your voice is a bit muffled.
D. Muralidharan
Am I audible now, clear?
Vivek Partheeban
It's better now. Yeah.
D. Muralidharan
Right, so. Right.
I was trying to say that the infrastructure has been created. The manpower has been created.
Facilities are created for the enhanced capacity. Once this project are put on commercial, you will not see any big spike in the expenditure as such.
That that is one of the reasons why the even though the topline is growing and operational efficiency has also improved. As we said, the productivity has improved, that is also giving a room for percentage as a percentage of revenue, the opex is either lower or around the same level.
Ahmed Madha
Sure, got it. Thank you so much.
Operator
Thank you. The next question is from the line of Shrinjana Mittal from MS Capital.
Please go ahead.
Shrinjana Mittal
Hi, thank you for the opportunity. Just one quick question.
Mr. Sathya, you can help me with the Caplin Steriles EBITDA number, that would be very helpful.
Thank you.
Sathya Narayanan
Sure. Thank you for the question.
For the quarter ended December 2025, the EBITDA for CSL consolidated is 31.09 crores.
Shrinjana Mittal
Okay. Thanks a lot, sir.
Vivek Partheeban
Thank you.
Operator
Thank you. The next we have a follow-up question from the line of CA Garvit Goyal from Serene Alpha.
Please go ahead.
CA Garvit Goyal
Hi, thanks for the follow-up. Sir, is there any further material update on the inorganic acquisitions that we are evaluating right now?
Vivek Partheeban
Nothing to report at this point, please. If there is something material, definitely, we will update as and when necessary, but nothing is at very late stages or anything like that at this point.
CA Garvit Goyal
Okay. Thank you, sir.
Vivek Partheeban
Thanks.
Operator
Thank you. The next question is from the line of Richa from Equitymaster.
Please go ahead.
Richa Agarwal
Thank you for the opportunity, sir. Am I audible?
Vivek Partheeban
Yes, yes, please.
Richa Agarwal
Yeah. Sir, I wanted to understand, I'm new to the company.
In the last concalls, I've gathered that you had a 1,000-crore capex plan, of which half was nearing completion, and other half was expected to happen over 2 to 3 years. Part of it is backward integration.
If you could give some clarity how much has already been incurred, what is the plan for next 2 years, and what kind of asset turn you are expecting over this capex?
Vivek Partheeban
Request CFO to take this, please.
D. Muralidharan
Could you please repeat the question, madam? You were not very audible.
Vivek Partheeban
The question is out of the 1,000 crores of capex expansion that we have planned out, how much Sir, yeah, yeah. how much has been spent already and what is expected to be spent in the next 2 years?
The last is asset turn, is it?
Richa Agarwal
Yes, what kind of asset turn are we expecting? Because there's some backward integration element as well.
So
Vivek Partheeban
I think, correct.
D. Muralidharan
Can I go ahead?
Vivek Partheeban
Go ahead. Please, yeah.
D. Muralidharan
Yes, please. Thank you.
Please. Yeah.
What we have capitalized so far is about 153 crores and 121 crores is in CWIP. This is adding up to about 280, 290 crores.
What we have further advanced about 88 what Mr. Vivek talked about ordering seven four lines, we have advanced already about 88.54 crores, about 100 crores.
385 crores is already spent. The rest is to be spent over the next 12 to 18 months.
Richa Agarwal
Okay. Asset turns also if you could give some clarity?
D. Muralidharan
No, asset turn depends on when these projects get capitalized and start earning revenue, madam.
Richa Agarwal
Because I understand. Let's say, over 3 to 4 years, I was asking that because half some of it is going into backward integration as well.
It might look very different from your historical turnover. At maturity in 3 to 4 years, what kind of asset turns do you expect over this capex?
D. Muralidharan
It will be difficult to predict as of now because our asset turnover it's the denominator of the numerator, because as Chairman also put it, we are into asset-light model also. We are working with various CMOs, CDMOs, and what not, and then that will give me a topline without any contribution from the plants.
We are mixed and also we are investing heavily into R&D. Which would not directly give to the commercial operations.
Our companies are a mix of both asset-light model, R&D heavy, and then project-based. It will not be lower than what we are today.
Richa Agarwal
Okay.
C.C. Paarthipan
Also, I think much of it will depend on the kind of products that we do and the market positioning for those products at the time when they come to market, etc. Typically for a multi-product facility, particularly for a company that focuses on different kinds of markets, the asset turn is something that is difficult to really pin down, Richa.
I think it's more, if I'm not wrong, I think it's more applicable to an API industry rather than formulation.
Richa Agarwal
Okay. Sir, one more thing, how should we look at the tax rates?
Are they going to stay where they are, or inch
Vivek Partheeban
up? Again, request CFO to take this, please.
D. Muralidharan
Tax rates, we have been telling that we are at about 20%, 21%. We expect that to be around that in the coming years as well.
Richa Agarwal
Okay. Thank you so much.
Vivek Partheeban
Thank you.
Operator
Thank you. Anyone who wishes to ask a question may press star and one at this time.
We have the next question from the line of Ketan, an individual investor. Please go ahead.
Thank you for the opportunity. I'd like to place my appreciation for the Chairman and his entire team for doing a fantastic job.
I've been invested in this company for the past few years and I've seen that quarter-on-quarter, you guys are delivering revenue growth, margins, cash. Everything is fantastic.
Sometimes, I feel it is too good to be a true story, but it is what it is. Really, my appreciation for the entire team.
Coming to my query, my question is for the 9 months, is it possible to provide the revenues for the Chile market?
C.C. Paarthipan
Chile market, what is happening there, as has been so told, actually, by Vivek, this is a market where it's all tender-heavy, 75% to 80% is tender and 20% is private market. Very recently, we told our guys to actually focus on private market.
The first month itself, they've done some $100,000 business. Though it's not huge, it's really good, actually, for a market where people focus only on the tenders.
Hopefully, the revenues are there, but the issue is this market being a tender market and then the import duties are very high and the payments also from the government, it comes little late compared to some other countries. Starting from this month or next month, we are likely to do around $200,000 to $300,000 of remittance.
We are likely to get it from Chile. That's what I've been told by our people in Chile.
Chile takes time, but once we complete the OSD, we have completed more of injectables. Injectables goes only into the institutions.
Private market, of course, as you know well, we should sell more of OSD and other products. Of course, now only we are submitting some products for registration.
Hopefully, in the next 1 to 2 years, we will do very well in Chile.
Fine. Thank you for that response.
Thank you.
C.C. Paarthipan
Thank you,
Vivek Partheeban
Mr. Ketan.
Thank you. Sure.
The other query I have is about the US margins. Now when I look at your segmental figures for the 9 months, the figure is about 323 crores for the US market revenue and the profit before tax is 34%.
I just wanted to know that right now the margins look about 34%, but going forward, is this likely to inch up in terms of the margins for the USA business? Is it likely to go up in the next few quarters and few years?
C.C. Paarthipan
Coming to US business, I would like to say something, afterwards Vivek will actually bridge the holes. If you look at, actually, injectable facilities, whether it is in China or US, it is always big boys game.
In 2 years, we will be in a position to complete 14, 15 lines exporting products to US, which is, of course, it's not that easy. We'll be one among the four, maybe three or four from India.
I've also seen companies which are very advanced in China in the form of producing biosimilars and a lot of biological products, hardly one or two company concentrate on US market. It is also true compared to other markets, this is not that, actually, lucrative.
Why we'll have to get into this market? Because this is the biggest market in the world.
If you can create many lines, like 14, 15 lines, then what will happen? You are part of the big boys game.
It's not that we are going to compete with the big boys, but what we will do is we will have to increase the number of lines. To tell you honestly that I hustled my way out of the person I used to be.
I used to be a person in charge of marketing. I didn't know anything about, actually, manufacturing.
I had to play a different role for the last 3, 4 years, and now I understood, actually, that we will be in a position to handle even 13 to 14 lines also over a period of time. Once we get into that state, maybe which I spoke in the form of video SOP and other things, I'm sure now.
In addition to that, we're also going for women empowerment. Most of this women in the rural areas, they are totally deprived, actually, and then the economic independence makes all the difference to them.
The men in rural areas are different from the women. The women on one side, actually, very disciplined.
They come to work and they do their work. Also, only thing, you'll have to teach them.
We are trying to teach them through video SOPs. Once that happens, as I'm 100% sure this market, especially the US market, will start fortifying us in such a way it has happened to some other big companies of India.
Vivek Partheeban
Thanks, Chairman. When it comes to margins, Ketan, how we look at it is, see, out of this 320 crore of revenues from the first 9 months is all from the existing products itself.
Some of these products are what others would call as slightly commoditized kind of products. Despite that, we've been able to have a fairly decent EBITDA number and fairly decent PAT number.
Remember, all of these acquisitions that we have done for the ANDAs, all of this R&D work that we do, everything gets expensed out. We don't capitalize anything.
There is a bit of a drag because of the plans that we have for the future. Over a period of time, especially when some of these newer products, etc.
come through, you will start to see the bottomline numbers go up. In fact, even now, I think we are quite comfortable with where they are, but this will definitely start to go up.
And 2028 and beyond, as Chairman said, when we have 13, 14, 15 lines, your expenses start to cap out after a bit, and every additional revenue that you have will be a direct impact to the bottomline positively. We'll have to wait it out a little bit.
We are happy with where it is today, because we know that this is in addition to all the drag that we've had in terms of the R&D and the inorganic ones, etc. It should only go up from here.
Thank you. Thank you for the responses.
Once again, my deep appreciation to the entire team at Caplin Point. Kudos to you all.
Keep up the good work. Thank you so much.
C.C. Paarthipan
Thank you. Thank you, Ketan.
Vivek Partheeban
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Operator
Thank you. The next question is from the line of Sachin Kasera from Swan Investment Managers.
Please go ahead.
Sachin Kasera
Good evening to the entire team at Caplin Point. As mentioned by the previous participant, congratulations to the team for the consistent performance that we have delivered, even in difficult times in the last few years.
That's a great job by us. Just coming back in terms of the current opportunity and the growth that we're talking of.
The presentation mentions that Chile will be among the top five markets in the next 2, 3 years. Can you just quantify, give us some sense, if not an absolute number?
When you say top five markets, are we talking $10 million, $15 million type of revenue, some sense on that when you say the top five markets for us in the next 2 to 3 years?
C.C. Paarthipan
$10 million to $15 million per year definitely is possible. Maybe, we will even, actually, go beyond that one.
That is for sure. If you look at one or two companies who are from India, they've been doing a very good business in the form of $1 million to $1.5 million.
Again, they all have more of OSD in the form of like 80 to 90 products, whereas we are more of injectables. You are aware that, we manufacture injectables for the US market US market.
We're also focusing on OSD now. Plus, our oncology facilities also in the next 2 months will start the commercials.
We are planning We are also doing some, thing BE/BA studies for oncology products, which, of course, we will submit for registration. We'll definitely do well, actually, in Chile.
That is for sure. It's a question of time before it happens.
Sure.
Sachin Kasera
Can you comment a bit about Mexico? We have mentioned about putting up a facility also there.
What type of investments are we looking at the Mexico facility? That will be primarily for serving the market of Mexico, or will that facility also serve markets other than Mexico?
C.C. Paarthipan
Mexico, there is an advantage for the local industry. There is a 10% to 15% advantage to the local factories for the supply to tender business.
That's one of the reasons we are keeping this facility there. Second, these are the products, actually, where the transportation cost also is quite high because ointments and others.
We may even go for liquid orals also there. We'll be transporting water from one continent to that continent.
It's ideal to start a factory in this part of the world, because the cost of production will not go high because of the other factors which I mentioned now. Second, we also get an advantage of supplying to the tenders with 10%, 15% additional margin.
Third, we always believe in catering to the private market, especially to the bottom of the pyramid. I'm just waiting for the first inspection to be completed here from the US FDA.
After that, I'll go there to US, Mexico, and see how exactly the market responds. The initial work I always used to do it.
Afterwards, the Vice Chairman, who happens to be my son, is to take over. I'm just waiting for that to happen.
Sachin Kasera
Any sense in terms of the type of investment we are looking in Mexico, broad range in terms of the capex plan there?
C.C. Paarthipan
The investment may not be very high for ointments and liquid orals. It will be in the region of 100 to 125 crores.
It will not be more than that. Most of this product, there is nothing in the form of bio-equivalence or bio-availability.
Once we complete the project, we will be in a position to get into the market immediately.
Sachin Kasera
Sure. My next question is regarding GLPs.
You have mentioned that we are developing our own GLPs and some of them we are doing some sort of a tie-up with the Chinese companies. Next 3 to 4 years, what is the type of opportunity do we see that?
Can it be like a very meaningful contribution to overall revenue and profits?
C.C. Paarthipan
Are you mentioning about the next 3, 4 years?
Sachin Kasera
Yes.
C.C. Paarthipan
We will definitely do well in the next 3 to 4 years' time. The kind of investment which we made, it is not an investment which is very shallow.
Like we're investing in hard assets. The assets, actually, will definitely fructify over a period of time.
Already, we are on 50 dosages in our CSL. In the next 3, 4 years, you will have 100 100-plus, maybe 125 ANDAs.
In addition to that, we will also go for global dossiers from that facility. Then we are also in the process of completing another facility, I'm talking about the APIs, both API, that is for captive consumption.
It will be a vertically integrated company like any other big company. The only difference is most of the big companies, their API volumes are quite high, whereas ours is for the captive consumption.
These big companies also, they slowly move, actually, from one area to the next area. Companies of our size, they will not get into this space, that we are hardly few companies.
If you look at injectable companies, most of the companies that we see in India, either they are big or people who are into CMO business. We're not into CMO business.
We're like big companies. We are following the footstep of a big companies for manufacturing, as well as filing the ANDAs, filing the dossiers also for ANDAs.
We are sure to, actually, do very well, not only in US, but also in Latin America and rest of the world, too.
Sachin Kasera
Sure. Thank you.
Sir, my question was more to do with GLPs. We have mentioned in the press Yeah.
Vivek Partheeban
When it comes to GLPs, Sachin, we are entering into the smaller markets in Latin America to begin with. We are doing something very unique, which we will reveal that as and when the right patents and everything are set up.
At this point, I would say that it's a little bit of an unknown-unknown space, because what happens is the GLPs have been very extensively used in the developed markets. In the developing markets, we are just slowly starting to see some amount of usage.
Only now, I think this year, all the patents and everything, except US, will expire. We will start to see a little bit, I think there's be a little bit more clarity on how these products going to get picked up.
Of course, in India, one of them has picked up significantly more than the other one. The truth is it is moving in a different direction in our opinion.
Again, this is a conversation that will take a long time. I would say that we would be in the second wave of people that start to commercialize it, not at the first wave.
To be honest with you, that might actually work out better for companies like us to be in the second wave rather than the first wave.
Sachin Kasera
Sure. Just one question on capex, and also linked to that in terms of our overall in-house versus outsourced production.
Once we complete this capex of 1,000 crores, from what I understand, right now we have a model whereby we partly manufacture in India and partly we get it outsourced from China. How do you see that mix changing?
Will it remain the way it is right now, or in the next 3 years, is there going to be a change in terms of the mix between what we produce in India versus what we get it sourced from China?
C.C. Paarthipan
I would like to say few words on that one. If you look at China, we'll never be able to compete with them in cephalosporin and penicillin area.
We have been sourcing products of penicillin and cephalosporin from China, and we will continue to source from there. If you look at, again, biosimilar, they are much, much advanced.
Even GLP products, the API, at one point of time, it was, actually, $500, semaglutide. Today, it has come down to $80.
This a market where they can chase the economies of scale. Some areas, we will not be in a position to, actually, compete with them.
It's better to join somebody whom we can't compete with. That's one.
Second, how the change will come maybe in 5 years from now, the most important thing one has to worry about it, actually, not this one, how the AI will impact the industries. If robot can replace 100 to 200 people, the manufacturing, actually, in US and the manufacturing in India will be one and the same.
Probably, the cost-wise, because if you do it for India, then, of course, no, export may not be that. That's the reason what we are doing now.
We are slowly trying to also create some facilities in countries where they may allow, actually, robots without any hesitation. This is one thing which is the most important one than any other things, because we're also thinking of fill-finish biosimilars.
We're also thinking of various areas where India, of course, India-centric products, we are trying to do. China-centric products, we are following the asset-light model.
Sachin Kasera
Fair to assume that 60/40, which is in-house versus outsourcing, probably could become like 65%, 70% in-house and 30% outsourcing, because we are doing almost 1,000 crores capex? That should mean that going ahead, we are able to produce more in-house rather than outsourcing?
C.C. Paarthipan
You're right. You're right.
It will happen. It will happen.
Again, what we will do is the outsourcing part from China we don't want to reduce it. The reason being we are outsourcing from big companies, and then we are outsourcing, again, actually, products which cannot be, actually, manufactured that cheaper in India, coming to cephalosporin and penicillin.
Even if you want to go for a biosimilar facility, it is better to test the waters in the form of fill-finish rather than going, actually, for a factory from the scratch. We will have some collaboration with the Chinese partners and continue to do the business in the form of asset-light model.
What you said is true. The 60/40 may even go, actually, 70/30.
Sachin Kasera
Just one last question. Once we complete this 1,000 crores capex, are we going to look at another round of large capex, or then for the next 2, 3 years, the capex intensity is going to come down?
C.C. Paarthipan
See, what will happen probably is we'll have to think of, actually, meaningful inorganic growth after that. This can be in the form of acquiring the products, can be in the form of acquiring a distribution company, which will help us in the private market.
It can be in the form of acquiring some companies where there will be a value addition for Caplin Point. But
Sachin Kasera
Not too much in terms of manufacturing? Manufacturing capex will go down?
Right.
C.C. Paarthipan
I don't think so. It will come down.
It will go down. It will go down.
Sachin Kasera
Great, Chairman. Thank you so much and all the best.
C.C. Paarthipan
Thank you so much. Thank you.
Vivek Partheeban
Thank you so much. Thank you.
Operator
Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, that was the last question.
I would now like to hand the conference over to the management for the closing comments.
Vivek Partheeban
Thank you, everyone. Thanks for taking time out to join the call.
It was excellent interacting with all of you, as usual. We hope to stay in touch with each and every one of you.
Thank you.
C.C. Paarthipan
Thanks to all of you. Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Vivek Partheeban
Thank you to Dolat Capital and your team as well, please. Thank you.
Operator
On behalf of Dolat Capital Market Private Limited, that concludes this conference. Thank you for joining us, and you may now disconnect your lines.
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