Event Participants
Executives
3 Venugopal Rao Maddisetty, Rajavendhan P
Analysts
8 Deepak Poddar, Dhananjay Bagrodia, Keval Shah, Neet Shah, Prathamesh Sawant, Rohal Barnawal, Sanket Saath, Shubi Gupta
Financials & KPIs
| Metric | Reported | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue from Operations | ₹555 crores | +51.3% YoY; energy contributed 79.5%, telecom/ICT 20.5%; QoQ decline from ₹1,097 crores (Q4 FY26) due to milestone-based recognition and high Q4 base |
| Gross Profit | ₹155.5 crores | Gross margin 28%; reflects improved project mix in quarter |
| EBITDA | ₹86 crores | Margin 15.5% vs 14.9% prior quarter; sequential improvement on project mix |
| Employee Expense | ₹33 crores | vs ₹27 crores prior quarter; investments in energy projects and manufacturing manpower |
| Finance Cost | ₹28 crores | vs ₹34 crores prior quarter; reduction on working capital management and lower borrowing costs |
| Other Income | ₹28 crores | FX gains and interest income on bank deposits |
| Profit After Tax | ₹62 crores | vs ₹54 crores in Q1 FY26; PAT margin 11.3%, in line with estimates |
| Total Order Book | ₹10,800 crores | Energy ₹8,453 crores; telecom/ICT ₹2,350 crores; strong revenue visibility |
| Order Inflow (Q1) | ₹1,676 crores | NLC and DVC EPC contracts ₹1,410 crores; BSNL optical fiber ₹264 crores |
| Energy Order Book Split | ₹4,074 cr BOO / ₹4,360 cr EPC | BOO includes standalone BESS (1.5-yr execution, 12-yr O&M) and solar+BESS (2-yr execution, 25-yr O&M) |
| Container Supply | ~90 units in Q1 | Q2 plan of 210 containers; 300 containers of 5 MWh each already supplied from factory |
| BESS Manufacturing Capacity | 5 GWh operational | Additional 2.5 GWh line commissioned; 10 GWh facility expected by November–December 2026 |
Geographic & Segment Commentary
Energy (BESS & Renewables): Contributed 79.5% of revenue; primary growth driver. Manufacturing operational at 5 GWh, scaling to 10 GWh by year-end making it India's largest BESS plant. Executing projects for SECI, KPCL, Mahagenco, and Bonda NTPC; 27 GWh of tenders under bidding. BOO portfolio includes MSBCL with 950 MWh commissioned generating ~₹200 crores annual annuity revenue. C&I segment qualification completed with first trial orders of 25 units; margins 4-5% higher than grid-scale.
Telecom & ICT: Contributed 20.5% of revenue. Kavach project for railways ~30% complete; new Sikkim state project secured. BSNL optical fiber order (₹264 crores) has 2.5-year execution timeline. Segment carries heavier receivable burden (150-day working capital cycle) due to milestone-based payments and deferred revenue structures.
International (Saudi Arabia): Initial export orders executed in Q1 with containers supplied to Saudi customers; MOU signed for market exploration. Larger revenue contribution expected in subsequent quarters as BESS demand develops.
Company-Specific & Strategic Commentary
Backward Integration – Container Manufacturing: In-house container fabrication facility set up with trial runs underway; batch production expected from next month. Addresses lack of established ecosystem for container manufacturing in India.
Cell Manufacturing R&D: Pune research center inaugurated (led by Professor Ovule with ~8 PhD-level scientists) focused on cell technology and chemistry selection; PLI application for 4 GWh cell manufacturing against government's 10 GWh scheme (7-year scheme: 5 yrs operations + 2 yrs gestation); big-4 consultant engaged for bid preparation; indigenous cell production targeted ~2 years from now.
AI Data Center Partnership – Megmeet: Cooperation agreement with Megmeet (existing 4-year telecom partner) for India market; products approved by Nvidia and major chip manufacturers. Plans to integrate Megmeet power systems with Pace's BESS for green AI data center solutions; early traction with potential customers.
Capacity Expansion – 10 GWh: Third line (5 GWh) to be installed October 2026; single larger line chosen for lower operating costs while retaining product mix flexibility via existing 2x2.5 GWh lines. Total capex ~₹300 crores funded from private placement proceeds.
FY27 Revenue Mix Strategy: Targeting 45% of FY27 revenue in H1 vs 35% in FY26 to reduce H2 concentration risk; energy-to-telecom order book mix expected at 65-70:30-35 by year-end.
Guidance & Outlook
| Metric | Guidance / Outlook | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| FY27 Revenue | ₹3,200-3,400 crores | Confirmed on track; backed by ₹10,800 crore order book; solar+BESS BOO project revenue recognized as fixed asset (not revenue), hence not included |
| H1 Revenue Share | ~45% of full-year target | Up from 35% in FY26; driven by energy project ramp-up and container supply acceleration |
| PAT Margin | 10.5-11% | Factored in anticipated lithium/cell price increases; protected by inventory stocking (March purchase) and manufacturing advantage |
| BESS Production Run-rate | ~210 containers in Q2 FY27; ~150/month by CY27 | 10 GWh plant at 90% efficiency = ~1,800 containers/year |
| Operating Cash Flow | Positive by March FY27 | Energy segment's better payment terms (90-100 day cycle vs telecom's 150 days) expected to drive improvement |
| Export Revenue | Initial Saudi revenue in FY27 | Small Q1 supply executed; scale-up expected through FY27 |
Risks & Constraints
| Risk | Context |
|---|---|
| Cell Price Volatility | Lithium/cell prices remain ~60% of total cost; recent price increases factored into FY27 guidance. New tenders include price variation clauses; older contracts lack them. Management cites manufacturing position as cushion against raw material shocks vs pure project players. |
| Working Capital / Cash Flow | Operating cash flow negative historically; telecom receivables carry 150-day cycle with deferred revenue structures. Expected positive by March FY27 as energy's better payment terms (90-100 days) grow as revenue share. |
| Order Book Concentration in BESS | Energy growth relies on BESS adoption and tender awards; competitive intensity previously led to irrational pricing. Market correction underway - Maharashtra 4 GWh project cancelled after aggressive bids proved unexecutable; NTPC Green tenders attracted only 7-8 bidders vs 51/32 previously. |
| China Cell Supply Dependency | Cells still sourced from China; R&D center and PLI bid for 4 GWh indigenous cell manufacturing address long-term supply risk but production ~2 years away. |
| BOO Funding Requirement | Build-own-operate projects require significant capital; management balancing EPC vs BOO intake, seeking investors for project-level funding before expanding BOO pipeline. |
Q&A Highlights
Order Inflow & Segment Mix
- Question: Requested break-up of ₹1,600 crore order inflow and telecom execution timeline (Prathamesh Sawant)
- Answer: ₹1,676 crores total: ₹1,410 crores from two EPC contracts (NLC, DVC) with ~1-year execution; ₹264 crores BSNL OFC project with 2.5-year timeline. Telecom order book expected to grow with bids underway; energy-to-telecom mix expected at 65-70:30-35 by year-end. (Maddisetty)
BESS Competitive Landscape
- Question: How has competitive intensity changed on BESS bidding? (Prathamesh Sawant)
- Answer: Market correcting with serious players only. Maharashtra 4 GWh project cancelled via Aptel arbitration after aggressive bidders couldn't execute. Punjab tender discovered higher prices. NTPC Green tenders attracted only 7-8 bidders vs 51 in Rajasthan/32 in Maharashtra previously. This signals rationalization and better pricing going forward. (Maddisetty)
Order Book Execution & Revenue Recognition
- Question: What is execution timeline for ₹8,400 crore energy order book, and is ₹3,200-3,400 crore guidance conservative? (Deepak Poddar)
- Answer: BOO ₹4,074 cr (standalone BESS 1.5 yrs + 12-yr O&M; solar+BESS 2 yrs + 25-yr O&M); EPC ₹4,360 cr with 1.5-yr execution + O&M. Solar+BESS BOO revenue not recognized as revenue (goes to fixed assets), hence guidance of ₹3,200-3,400 cr. Commissioned BOO (950 MWh) generates ~₹200 cr annual annuity; ₹900 cr of MSBCL value already recognized on balance sheet. (Maddisetty, Rajavendhan)
Quarterly Revenue Sequencing & Segment Contribution
- Question: With ₹555 cr in Q1, how will remaining ~₹2,700 cr be achieved across segments? (Sanket Saath)
- Answer: Q1 is seasonally slow across government-funded infra projects (drawings/approvals); Q1 FY26 was only ~₹300 cr. Q2 planned significantly higher. Guidance achieved primarily from existing ₹10,800 cr order book with energy:telecom at 65-70:30-35. No concern on achieving ₹3,200-3,400 cr. (Maddisetty, Rajavendhan)
C&I BESS Margins
- Question: What incremental margin from industrial BESS vs grid-scale? (Shubi Gupta)
- Answer: C&I segment margins 4-5% higher at EBITDA level (grid-scale BESS product EBITDA margin ~13-15%). C&I driven by product performance and approvals (6-month qualification) rather than competitive tenders, enabling better pricing. First trial order of 25 units with potential for thousands annually. (Maddisetty, Rajavendhan)
Cell Price Impact on Margin Guidance
- Question: Impact of recent cell price rise on current order book sustainability? (Individual investor)
- Answer: FY27 margin guidance of 10.5-11% anticipates lithium price increases. Mitigation: inventory stocked in March at lower cost for Q1; balance-of-year impacts factored into guidance. Recent tenders include price variation clauses; old contracts lack them but manufacturing position provides natural hedge. (Rajavendhan)
10 GWh Capex & Technical Independence
- Question: Capex per GWh and technical partnership for BESS? (Neet Shah)
- Answer: Total capex ~₹300 crores across phases (land, building, equipment, container fabrication unit), funded from private placement proceeds. No technical partnership needed - in-house teams selected equipment suppliers; plant running 24/7. Third line is 5 GWh (vs two 2.5 GWh lines) for lower operating costs and product mix flexibility. (Maddisetty, Rajavendhan)
Container Ramp-up
- Question: How will container supply run-rate ramp through FY27? (Rohal Barnawal)
- Answer: Q1
90 containers supplied; Q2 plan of 210. 5 GWh additional capacity commissioned and second 2.5 GWh line now enabling faster ramp. 10 GWh at 90% efficiency ≈ 1,800 containers/year (140-150/month) from CY27. (Maddisetty)
Working Capital & Cash Flow Outlook
- Question: Which segment consumes most cash and what's unit economics? (Dhananjay Bagrodia)
- Answer: Telecom drives bulk of receivables (150-day working capital cycle due to milestone/deferred revenue accounting) vs energy at 90-100 days. Energy has advance + supply/commissioning payments with max 6-month retention. Working capital reduced vs March; further reduction expected by September; operating cash flow expected positive by March FY27. (Rajavendhan)
Key Takeaway
Pace Digitek delivered a strong start to FY27 with revenue of ₹555 crores (+51.3% YoY) and PAT of ₹62 crores (11.3% margin), driven by energy segment momentum at 79.5% of revenue. Management confirmed FY27 revenue guidance of ₹3,200-3,400 crores, backed by a ₹10,800 crore order book and a strategic shift to 45% H1 revenue share (vs 35% in FY26) to smooth quarterly volatility. Key strategic initiatives include scaling BESS manufacturing from 5 GWh to 10 GWh by December 2026 (making it India's largest facility), in-house container fabrication, a Pune R&D center targeting indigenous cell manufacturing with a 4 GWh PLI application, and a Megmeet partnership for AI data center power solutions. The competitive environment in BESS tenders is rationalizing - bidder counts fell from 51 to single digits in recent NTPC Green tenders - supporting better pricing discipline. Management targets positive operating cash flow by March FY27 as energy's superior payment terms (90-100 day cycle vs telecom's 150 days) gain revenue share, while watching cell price volatility as the key margin risk.