Power Grid Corporation’s Q1 FY25 Performance Reflects Resilience Amid Challenges
ABOUT COMPANY:
India’s interstate electricity transmission is primarily managed by Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL), a major state-owned enterprise in the power sector.
The company’s main tasks include planning and maintaining the national grid, as well as providing telecom and advisory services. PGCIL also handles special projects assigned by the government. With its extensive network, the corporation plays a vital role in India’s energy distribution, helping to balance power supply across different parts of the nation.
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
Power Grid Q1FY25 Performance
Power Grid Corporation demonstrated steady financial performance in Q1 FY2025, with consolidated total income reaching ₹11,280 crore, marking a slight year-on-year growth of 0.20%. This modest increase underscores the company’s ability to maintain revenue streams in a dynamic market environment.
Profitability showed resilience, with consolidated Profit After Tax (PAT) at ₹3,724 crore, representing a 3.52% year-on-year increase. This growth in profitability, albeit modest, highlights Power Grid’s operational efficiency and cost management strategies in the face of market pressures.
Capital expenditure and asset expansion remained a key focus, with the company investing ₹4,615 crore in Q1 FY25. Assets worth ₹2,320 crore were capitalized, excluding Foreign Exchange Rate Variation (FERV). This strategic investment underlines Power Grid’s commitment to strengthening its infrastructure and expanding its operational capabilities.
The company’s asset base saw significant growth, with gross fixed assets on a consolidated basis reaching ₹2,77,213 crore as of June 30, 2024. Power Grid’s transmission network expanded to 1,77,790 Circuit Kilometers (CKM) of lines, supported by 278 substations and a transformation capacity of 5,28,761 MVA.
Operational excellence remained a hallmark, with the company maintaining an impressive average transmission system availability of 99.80% during the quarter. This high reliability underscores Power Grid’s commitment to efficient service delivery and network management.
Future growth prospects appear promising, with a substantial work portfolio exceeding ₹1,14,000 crore (excluding Capital Work in Progress). The company’s success in securing 6 Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) projects through competitive bidding, with an estimated cost of approximately ₹24,855 crore, further bolsters its future pipeline.
Consolidated Financial Highlights: (Figures in Rs. Crs)
(Rs crores) | Q1FY24 | Q4FY24 | Q1FY25 | QoQ (%) | YoY (%) |
Total income | 11,258 | 12,305 | 11,280 | -8.3% | 0.2% |
Total expenses | 6,689 | 7,066 | 6,643 | -6.0% | -0.7% |
Profit before tax | 4,564 | 5,301 | 4,666 | -12.0% | 2.2% |
Tax | 621 | 958 | 879 | -8.3% | 41.6% |
Profit after tax | 3,597 | 4,166 | 3,724 | -10.6% | 3.5% |
Earnings per share | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.1 |
Power Grid continues to play a crucial role in India’s energy transition, focusing on large-scale integration of renewable energy sources into the National Grid. This strategic positioning aligns with national energy goals and sustainable development objectives. Quarter-on-quarter performance showed some fluctuations, with consolidated revenues decreasing by 8.3% compared to the previous quarter. Expenses saw a reduction of 6% quarter-on-quarter and 0.7% year-on-year, reflecting ongoing efforts in cost optimization. The company’s earnings per share (EPS) stood at 4.1 for Q1 FY25, providing a measure of its profitability on a per-share basis. This comprehensive performance overview highlights Power Grid’s resilience in navigating market challenges while maintaining its focus on strategic growth and operational excellence.
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW:
The Indian economy maintains its position as a standout performer among major global economies, demonstrating impressive fortitude and growth momentum. Despite various challenges, India’s economic engine continues to power forward, highlighting the country’s adaptability and robust fundamentals. This sustained economic vigor underscores India’s increasing significance on the world stage and its ability to navigate complex global conditions while maintaining a strong growth trajectory. Despite global headwinds, the nation’s economic trajectory remains strong, with the IMF projecting growth rates of 3.2% for FY24 and 3.1% for FY25. The outlook for FY 2023-24 is even more promising, with growth forecasts ranging between 6.5% and 7%, underlining India’s robust economic foundation. The country’s performance in FY 2024 was particularly noteworthy, with real GDP growth hitting 8% and surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 20%.
Sustainable Development and Energy Transition: India is making significant strides in environmental sustainability and climate resilience. The country’s G-20 presidency in 2023 emphasized clean energy transitions, energy security, and the development of international energy markets. These initiatives are expected to bolster India’s position in the global sustainable energy landscape.
Power Sector: A Pillar of Growth: The power sector, encompassing generation, transmission, and distribution, remains crucial to India’s economic development. Over the past decade, the country’s energy mix has evolved significantly, with renewables now comprising over 50% of the total grid capacity. As of 2024, renewable sources account for 55.03% of the grid capacity, while non-fossil-based energy makes up 44.97%. India’s National Grid plays a pivotal role in the global electricity market, emphasizing the importance of non-fossil fuels. The renewable energy sector is poised for substantial growth between 2024 and 2030, with clean energy investments projected to reach ₹8.5 lakh crore.
Investment Landscape and Future Outlook: The power sector is increasingly attractive for foreign direct investment, particularly in green energy. The government has allocated significant funds towards green hydrogen, solar power, and renewable energy development. The National Electricity Plan 2022-32 estimates that India’s power generation industry will require a total investment of ₹33 lakh crore by 2032. Recent policy measures, including support for rooftop solar and the Pradhan Mantri Surya Shakti Yojana, further highlight the government’s commitment to renewable energy. These developments paint a picture of a dynamic and forward-looking power sector, poised to play a crucial role in India’s sustainable economic growth and energy transition.
BUISNESS UPDATES:
Telecom Business: Power Grid’s telecom sector showed strong performance in Q1FY25, marked by several key achievements. The company successfully onboarded 35 new customers during this period, reflecting its expanding market reach and customer base. Additionally, Power Grid achieved 100% backbone availability, ensuring uninterrupted service and demonstrating its commitment to reliability. The network capacity was significantly enhanced to 1.8 Tbps, positioning the company to meet growing demand and deliver high-speed telecom services. Financially, the telecom division saw an increase in income, rising from ₹191 crores in Q1FY24 to ₹219 crores in Q1FY25, indicating a growth trajectory. Power Grid’s efforts in the telecom sector have been well recognized, with letters of appreciation received from institutions such as NIT Bhopal, IIITDM Jabalpur, and the Narmada Control Authority, acknowledging the satisfactory telecom services provided.
Commercial Performance Overview: In Q1 of the 2025 fiscal year, PowerGrid’s financial performance showed notable figures. The company logged billings amounting to ₹9,262 crore, while its actual collections reached ₹8,509 crore. This translated to a collection efficiency rate of 91.87%, indicating the company’s strong ability to convert billed amounts into realized revenue during the period. The outstanding dues stood at ₹5,548 crore, a decrease from ₹7,140 crore in the same quarter of the previous year (Q1FY24). Notably, dues outstanding for more than 45 days reduced significantly from ₹4,912 crore to ₹3,295 crore, while the dues pending for less than 45 days were relatively stable. This improvement is partly attributed to the LPS (Late Payment Surcharge) Rules 2022 by the Ministry of Power, which led to the collection of ₹1,849 crore from an outstanding amount of ₹2,438 crore. Major states with outstanding dues include Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Business Outlook for 2032
PowerGrid has outlined an ambitious investment plan up to 2032, with an estimated outlay of ₹2,07,500 crore. The bulk of this investment, ₹1,90,500 crore, is earmarked for the transmission business. This includes inter-state transmission projects, intra-state ventures, cross-border initiatives, and international projects, with a significant 71% allocated to inter-state projects. Additionally, ₹17,000 crore is designated for other business areas, such as solar generation, smart metering infrastructure, and data center operations. Solar generation and smart metering, in particular, account for most of this segment’s investment.
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