Demand for electrical and optical cables has increased exponentially as data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) are gaining momentum in India. Domestic market leaders Polycab India and RR Cables have expanded their production capacity and reported huge profits in Q2. The sector is attracting investors' attention from a long-term investment perspective.
No need for chips.. 2 domestic wire companies are making crores with AI Wave!
When you think of artificial intelligence (AI), everyone thinks of Nvidia and advanced semiconductors. However, for data centers that need to operate thousands of servers continuously, uninterrupted power and ultra-fast connectivity are like oxygen. The capacity of data centers in India is expected to reach 2 gigawatts by the end of 2026 and 5 gigawatts by 2030. For this, an investment of Rs. 2.8 lakh crore ($30 billion) is planned. For every gigawatt of capacity, thousands of kilometers of high-density optical fiber and special voltage cables are mandatory. This demand has brought a huge business opportunity to domestic wires and cables giants. Let's look at the strategies of two major stocks that are cashing in on the AI wave, regardless of semiconductor.RR Cable, India's largest exporter of wires, has taken rapid steps to meet the needs of hyperscale data centers. It has recently added 66 kV medium-voltage cables to its portfolio. To accelerate fiberization in data centers, it has acquired optical fiber capacity by acquiring Usha Martin's 'UM Cables' for Rs. 77 crore. In its latest Q2 financial results, the company's operating income rose by 52% to Rs. 3,284 crore. The profit before tax (PBT) of the wires and cables division rose by 57% to Rs. 282 crore. The significant reduction in FMEG losses is a big relief for the company. Reacting to this progress, market sources said, "RR Cable margins will recover further if the UM Cables plant comes into full production. However, the stability of volume growth needs to be examined in the coming quarters."Polycab India: Market leader with 30% market share
Polycab India continues to lead the Indian organized cable market with a share of about 31%. It supplies low, medium and high-voltage cables required for the construction of general data centers as well as power cables for AI infrastructure in international markets. It is setting up an ultra-high-voltage cable manufacturing facility for future requirements.
In Q2, Polycab's consolidated revenue rose 53% to Rs. 9,898.9 crore, while net profit rose 43% to Rs. 990 crore. EBITDA rose 39% to Rs. 1,422.5 crore. In its latest review, brokerage firm Motilal Oswal said, "Domestic cables demand and FMEG profitability are excellent. If the operating efficiency continues, the stock will give good returns in the long term," and supported the 'Buy' recommendation.
Written by Bharat Kalakonda,
Source : Economic Times
No comments:
Post a Comment