India’s Chemical Industry and Laxmi Organic's Ambitious Future:- The chemical industry in India is experiencing robust growth, driven by rising demand across sectors like pharmaceuticals, agriculture, textiles, automotive, and construction. Chemicals are essential in everyday products such as detergents, plastics, paints, fertilizers, and even in food and beverages. The industry is growing at a healthy compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 9-10%, with strong potential for further expansion, fueled by domestic demand and increasing exports. Government initiatives like "Make in India" and "Atmanirbhar Bharat" are also supporting growth, while there’s a rising emphasis on sustainable and green chemistry.
A notable player in this growth story is Laxmi Organic Industries, which aims to double its revenue to ₹5,600 crore by FY28. The company is focusing on expanding its specialty chemicals portfolio and venturing into new markets, such as fluoro-specialty intermediates. Laxmi Organic also has ambitious plans to return to a 20% return on capital employed (RoCE), positioning itself for long-term success in India's dynamic chemical landscape.
We are privileged to serve multiple industries, giving us a unique view of how they are evolving. Let’s quickly cover key markets, raw materials, and our performance.
Starting with the markets: we serve sectors like pharma, agro, printing and packaging, flavors and fragrances, coatings, and industrial solutions. Demand in pharma, coatings, and printing/packaging has remained stable across quarters, with some seasonal variations. However, the agro sector continues to face challenges but is expected to improve over time.
Regarding raw materials, acetic acid prices have dropped by 15% compared to last year, from USD 450 to USD 380 in Q3. Going into Q4, prices are expected to rise slightly due to the Chinese New Year, but no major spikes are anticipated. Ethyl acetate spreads remain low, but we don’t expect large fluctuations.
Now, on to our operational performance: We’ve focused heavily on operational excellence, which has paid off with strong volume growth in both our essentials and specialty verticals. A key milestone was our successful turnaround in October. We’ve improved our product mix and achieved better performance year-on-year. Our essential segment has also benefited from this operational focus, resulting in stronger market positioning.
In terms of strategy, ethyl acetate, which accounted for 60% of our revenues in FY '24, will decrease to 40% in the future as we diversify our offerings. Our Dahej site projects are on track with regulatory approvals and timelines. At the Lote site, we aim for 40-60% of peak revenues in FY '26, with key products already commercialized.
Additionally, we received safety awards and significantly improved our sustainability rating from 67% to 87%. We’ve also made management changes, with Dr. Milind Vaidya overseeing both R&D and marketing to boost innovation, and Mr. Prateek Singh joining as CHRO.
Overall, we’re grateful for a strong Q3 and are focused on closing the year with continued volume and EBITDA growth. Now, I’ll hand it over to Mahadeo to walk us through our performance details.
At Laxmi Organic Industries, our mission is to become a global market leader by harnessing the power of innovation, skilled people, and efficient processes, all while supporting the environment and our communities.
We are the no 1 player in Acetyl Intermediaries in India and the no 3 globally (excluding China) with a capacity of over 232 kTPA. This success is driven by our commitment to quality, safety, and reliability.
We are also the no 1 player in Ketene & DiKetene Intermediaries in India and rank among the top 5 globally. Our in-house R&D efforts have led to the development of over 30 products.
Expanding into the $2.5 billion fluorine intermediates market, we are backed by world-class technology. As we grow, we remain focused on innovation, safety, and diversification to strengthen this segment further.
Based on the company’s reports and overall performance, Laxmi Organic Industries appears to be on a strong growth trajectory.
Disclaimer: These reports are sourced from authorized and reliable investing platforms and are intended for informational purposes only. Please conduct your own research or consult with a professional advisor before making any investment decisions.
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