Metrics raised 3
- FY27 revenue: upside expected
- FY27 order bookings: better than last year
- FY27 international revenue: growing at larger pace
Event Participants
Executives
2 Neeraj Sahni, Priyadarshi Pany
Analysts
5 Deeya Jain, Divyanshu Verma, Khushi Havaldar, Shivam Gupta, Vishal
Financials & KPIs
| Metric | Reported | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue from Operations (FY26) | ₹226 crores | +12% YoY, driven by continued execution across project portfolio |
| Revenue from Operations (Q4 FY26) | ₹60 crores | Moderated YoY; Q3 FY26 was ₹64 crores, Q4 typically seasonally strongest |
| EBITDA (FY26) | ₹48 crores | +57% YoY, driven by improved operating leverage and disciplined cost management |
| EBITDA Margin (FY26) | 21% | Expanded from 15% in FY25; Q4 FY26 margin at 26.6% vs 17.5% in Q4 FY25 |
| PAT (FY26) | ₹24 crores | +70% YoY; PAT margin improved to 10.5% vs 7% in FY25 |
| PAT (Q4 FY26) | ₹9 crores | +7% YoY; margin 15.1% vs 8.7% in Q4 FY25 |
| Exceptional Charge (FY26) | ₹2.7 crores | One-time statutory impact of new labor codes |
| Order Book | ₹357.63 crores | As on March 31, 2026; 3-5 year contract lifecycle provides visibility beyond 24 months |
| Dividend | ₹0.5 per share | Final dividend recommended for FY26, subject to shareholder approval |
| Days Sales Outstanding | 129 days | Jumped from 58 days; attributed to government approval/billing processes |
| International/Export Revenue (FY26) | ~9% | Growing pace expected as new international deals book revenue |
| Capital Investment - Intangibles | ₹10 crores | Asset under development for AI wrapper/AI layer on existing platforms |
| Capital Investment - PPE | ₹3.17 crores | AI licenses, new hardware, cloud, COTS licenses for delivery/R&D teams |
| Working Capital WIP | ₹1.17 crores | Technology infrastructure strengthening for future growth |
Geographic & Segment Commentary
Mining (Largest Vertical): Mining remains the highest revenue contributor, with i3MS implementations across Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Kenya. Management sees massive opportunities from critical mineral tracking, mineral evacuation, and ease-of-doing-business mandates from state governments, ministries, and private/public sector players including SAIL, Gujarat Mining Development Corporation, Odisha Mining Corporation, JSW, and Adani.
Africa (Key International Growth): Consolidated operations with a delivery center in Nairobi, operating across Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, and Ethiopia. Added two new geographies last year — Malawi and Cabo Verde. Working alongside African Development Bank, World Food Organization, and UN organizations. International project margins are better than domestic, though expenses are also higher.
Domestic Expansion Beyond Odisha: Odisha accounts for ~60% of revenue; management is actively diversifying. Recent wins include Khanij 2.0 (Chhattisgarh), NAFED ERP (Delhi), Rajasthan Mining Corporation, Adani (Assam), Kenya fish value chain, Ethiopia digital market linkage, and Kenya KTDA. Q4 order bookings clocked ~₹44 crores.
Company-Specific & Strategic Commentary
GovTech Leadership: Company positions itself as a differentiated GovTech player with 28 years of experience (founded 1998), operating in 14 countries, 20 states/UTs in India, ~1,300 employees, and 180+ active projects. 90-95% of revenue historically comes from repeat customers, with client relationships spanning 15-20 years.
AI Investment & Differentiation: Company invested ₹10 crores in intangible assets to develop an AI wrapper/AI layer on existing platforms. AI serves dual purpose: efficiency driver for delivery (shorter delivery cycles) and product offering for governments (LLM training on historical data and gazetted rules for accurate decision-making). Domain expertise combined with AI skills creates a "one-stop solution" positioning for government AI use cases.
Digital Public Infrastructure Opportunity: Management sees significant tailwinds from government digital spending, citing India AI Mission, quantum computing investments, and African countries' five-year digital roadmaps. Listed status and global presence now enable better leverage of these opportunities.
New Geography Expansion: Added Malawi and Cabo Verde to business portfolio in FY26, expanding Africa footprint beyond existing East African operations.
Guidance & Outlook
| Metric | Guidance / Outlook | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue (FY27) | Upside expected | Directly proportional to deals signed in first two quarters; government spending accelerates in Q3-Q4. Order book of ₹357.63 crores provides visibility beyond 24 months. |
| Margins (FY27) | Similar or upside | Management expects margins on "similar nature or on upside" for the year, supported by deal quality and modernization demand. |
| Order Bookings (FY27) | Better than last year | Management cited "very, very healthy funnel" with frequent RFPs; expects many deals executed by end of Q2. |
| International Revenue | Growing at larger pace | More deal bookings from FY26 (Adani Assam, Kenya fish value chain, Ethiopia digital market linkage, Kenya KTDA) expected to reflect in stronger international revenue in FY27. |
Risks & Constraints
| Risk | Context |
|---|---|
| Geographic Revenue Concentration | ~60% of revenue from Odisha. Management is diversifying through deals in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Assam, and Africa, but near-term concentration risk remains. |
| DSO Deterioration | Days sales outstanding jumped from 58 to 129 days. Management attributes this to government approval delays but states liquidity and work-in-progress are aligned to absorb these cycles, and digitization is gradually improving collection times. |
| Government Contract Execution Cyclicality | Q4 revenue moderation (₹60 crores vs ₹64 crores in Q3) reflects inherent volatility in government deal timing. Revenue is heavily back-ended, with Q3-Q4 typically generating the bulk of annual revenue. |
| International Execution Risk | Expanding into new African geographies (Malawi, Cabo Verde) carries execution, regulatory, and operational complexity. Management highlights better margins but also higher expenses in these markets. |
Q&A Highlights
Long-Term Vision & Business Model
- Question: How do you define the long-term vision and where should the business be in 3-5 years? (Shivam Gupta)
- Answer: Healthy order book plus post-COVID government investment in digital public infrastructure positions the company well. India AI Mission, quantum computing budgets, and African digital roadmaps present "tremendous" opportunities. The company plans to unlock large value in coming years. (Priyadarshi Pany)
Revenue Diversification & Odisha Concentration
- Question: With ~60% revenue from Odisha, what is the strategy to reduce concentration risk? (Vishal)
- Answer: Order book diversification is progressing — new deals include Khanij 2.0 Chhattisgarh, NAFED ERP, Rajasthan Mining Corporation, Adani Assam, Kenya fish value chain, Ethiopia digital market linkage, and Kenya KTDA. Q4 alone added ~₹44 crores in orders. Concentration story is "getting better by the day." (Priyadarshi Pany)
DSO Increase to 129 Days
- Question: DSO jumped from 58 to 129 days — is this normal government billing lag or collections stress? (Vishal)
- Answer: Governments are slow in approval processes; company has mastered aligning liquidity and WIP to absorb delays. Digitalization is gradually improving government payment cycles. (Priyadarshi Pany)
International Revenue Share
- Question: What percentage of revenue comes from international operations? (Vishal)
- Answer: Export revenue was ~9% in FY25-26; international revenue around 5-7%. The percentage is expected to grow at a larger pace as last year's international deal bookings convert to revenue. (Priyadarshi Pany)
Q3 to Q4 Revenue Decline
- Question: Q3 FY26 revenue was ₹64 crores, Q4 was ₹60 crores — why the drop? (Divyanshu Verma)
- Answer: Historically revenues are highest in Q3-Q4 due to government processes; last year was exceptional in Q2 with an unusual order booking. The company typically performs better in back-ended quarters, and Q4 remains the strongest quarter generally. (Priyadarshi Pany)
AI Strategy and Differentiation
- Question: What percentage of order book relates to AI-led solutions and how do you differentiate from larger IT providers? (Khushi Havaldar)
- Answer: AI serves two purposes: internally as an efficiency driver for faster delivery, and externally as a government-facing product — building LLMs trained on historical government data and gazetted rules. Governments need deterministic AI for accurate decision-making (e.g., land approvals, exams), and CSM's combination of domain knowledge plus AI skills creates a one-stop solution. (Priyadarshi Pany)
Order Book Execution and Pipeline
- Question: Can you quantify the pipeline and when will the order book be executed? (Deeya Jain)
- Answer: Order book is ₹357.63 crores with typically 3-year execution timelines. Government client spending is slow in Q1-Q2 but accelerates in Q3-Q4. The pipeline is "very, very healthy" with frequent RFPs; many deals expected to be executed by end of Q2. Management expects order bookings to be better than last year, though no specific numbers were disclosed. (Priyadarshi Pany)
Key Takeaway
CSM Technologies delivered a strong FY26 first full year as a listed company: revenue grew 12% YoY to ₹226 crores while EBITDA grew 57% to ₹48 crores (21% margin, up from 15%), and PAT grew 70% to ₹24 crores (10.5% margin). Q4 FY26 revenue moderated to ₹60 crores from ₹64 crores in Q3, though profitability improved with EBITDA margin at 26.6%. The order book stands at ₹357.63 crores providing over 24 months of visibility. Strategic focus is on deepening GovTech leadership across mining, agriculture, trade facilitation, and healthcare; investing ₹10 crores in AI/ML platform capabilities; and expanding international footprint in Africa with new geographies (Malawi, Cabo Verde) and deals with Adani Assam, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Management guided to revenue upside and better order bookings in FY27, driven by a healthy RFP funnel and digital public infrastructure spending. Key watch points include elevated DSO (129 days), Odisha revenue concentration (~60%), and execution of the international pipeline. The company expects Q2 FY27 to deliver meaningful deal closures, with Q3-Q4 revenue acceleration as government spending cycles kick in.
Transcript incomplete - Balance sheet metrics (asset quality, capital adequacy) and cash flow details not discussed in this call, as the company is an IT services firm rather than a financial institution.