Bajaj Auto Q2 net profit up 35% on strong exports, product mix

Net profit for the consolidated entity rose 62% to ₹3,436.1 crore on revenue of ₹25,125.6 crore.

Net profit rose to ₹3,354 crore from ₹2,480 crore a year earlier. Revenue from operations grew 34% to a record ₹20,003 crore. A Bloomberg poll of brokerages had estimated standalone net profit at ₹3,152 crore on revenue of ₹18,917 crore.

Net profit for the consolidated entity rose 62% to ₹3,436.1 crore on revenue of ₹25,125.6 crore. Ebitda margin at the maker of Pulsar motorcycles and Chetak e-scooters inched up to 21% from 20.5% a year earlier. Input costs rose 7% between the June and September quarters, driven by commodities, electronics and polymers, joint managing director Rakesh Sharma said on a media call. However, the company managed to mitigate the increase through selective price hikes, higher realisations, dollar-denominated export earnings and a richer product mix. "Our first impulse is always to recover the cost," Sharma said, explaining that the company raised prices selectively depending on competitive conditions in individual product segments.

Sharma flagged an uneven recovery in the domestic two-wheeler market, with premium motorcycles and electric scooters outperforming entry-level models. He warned that drought conditions in parts of Maharashtra, southern India and the Northeast could further weaken rural demand by affecting household incomes.

Poor crop outcomes could also make lenders more cautious about financing rural customers. "The postponement of decisions at the bottom of the pyramid" is already visible, he said, adding the impact of the drought could become more pronounced in the coming months.