India Inc revenueup, but profit grows at slowest pace in 6 qtrs

BFSI, auto firms key drivers of net sales, profit in Q4

- KRISHNA KANT

India Inc reported an uptick in revenue growth in the January-March quarter (Q4) of 2023-24 (FY24), but it came at the cost of a deceleration in earnings growth. The numbers also show a skew in the sectoral contribution of revenue and profit growth during the quarter. Most of the gains in net sales and net profit came from banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) companies, and automakers.

The combined net sales (gross interest income in the case of banks and other lenders) of 631 listed companies in the Business Standard sample were up 10.1 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in Q4FY24, up from 9.4 per cent growth in Q3 and the highest in the past four quarters. However, the combined net profit (adjusted for exceptional gains & losses) of these companies was up 13.4 per cent Y-o-Y in the fourth quarter, down from 24.2 per cent Y-o-Y growth in Q3 and growing at the slowest pace in the past six quarters.

Non-financial companies did worse, and the combined adjusted net profit of ex-BFSI companies was up 7.5 per cent Y-o-Y in Q4, down sharply from 33.5 per cent Y-o-Y growth reported in Q3 and their worst show in the past five quarters.