
Grindwell Norton Ltd. – Saint Gobain Group
Grindwell Norton pioneered the manufacture of grinding wheels in India in 1941 and have become the primary majority-owned subsidiary of French main Saint-Gobain in India. Firm’s companies embrace abrasives, ceramics & plastics (consists of silicon carbide, efficiency ceramics and refractories, efficiency plastics, ADFORS) and others.
The corporate has its registered and company workplace in Mumbai and its manufacturing models are situated in Mora (close to Mumbai), Bengaluru, Tirupati, Nagpur, Bated (Himachal Pradesh) and Halol (close to Vadodara). The regional/ department workplaces are situated at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Noida, Pune, and Navi Mumbai.

Merchandise & Providers:
The corporate enterprise consists of 4 segments specifically Abrasives, Ceramics & Plastics, Digital companies and others.
Abrasives – The corporate manufactures and markets a full vary of bonded abrasives, coated abrasives (together with non-woven abrasives), skinny wheels and tremendous abrasives
Ceramics & Plastics – The section consists of silicon carbide (SiC), efficiency ceramics and refractories (PCR), efficiency plastics (PPL) and ADFORS. The efficiency plastics enterprise develops merchandise with excessive efficiency properties reminiscent of fluid methods, Foams & Tapes, Bearings, and so on. ADFORS manufactures polyester mesh to be used in coal mining operations.
Digital companies – It consists of IT Improvement Centre (INDEC), which offers IT infrastructure monitoring and administration options & companies to guardian Saint-Gobain companies globally.
Others – Sure Teed enterprise, which presents exterior constructing merchandise. Its portfolio stretches from particular person homes, resorts and academic establishments to authorities buildings and mega townships.

Subsidiaries: As on FY23, the corporate had 2 Subsidiaries, 1 Joint Enterprise and 1 Affiliate firm.

Key Rationale:
- Sturdy Parentage – Grindwell Norton is amongst the highest two gamers in India in abrasives with an general market share of ~26% (30-35% share within the organised house). Firm, with silicon carbide crude and grain amenities at Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) and close to Phuentsholing (Bhutan), is a lead participant in silicon carbide grains in India. With such a robust presence throughout the worth chain, the corporate is ready to preserve sturdy pricing energy with give attention to profitability. The guardian Saint-Gobain is a world chief in high-performance options, which, with its technological functionality, a robust R&D arrange and advertising and marketing/gross sales attain throughout the globe, has progressive choices and a powerful product portfolio. Saint Gobain’s R&D help offers Grindwell an edge in product innovation and options.
- Latest Acquisitions – The corporate’s latest acquisition, PRS Permacel, has turn into a wholly-owned subsidiary efficient Could’22. It’s a producer of pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes (PSAT) and it caters to finish industries like EVs, railways, aerospace, defence and metal. The acquisition consideration is of Rs.122 crs. The goal firm has main share in aesthetic decals enterprise with main 2-wheeler producers. Permacel has a producing facility in Ambarnath, close to Mumbai. The efficiency plastic enterprise is the important thing division within the ceramics & Plastics section of the corporate and the latest acquisition will add the gasoline for the expansion. The corporate additionally lately commissioned its Paper Maker facility in Bengaluru campus to fabricate paper primarily based abrasive merchandise.
- FY23 – The corporate reported a income progress of 26% YoY in FY23 to Rs.2541 crs. The EBITDA had a progress of 25% YoY to Rs.498 crs in FY23 with an EBITDA margin of 19.6%, a decline of 30 bps from FY22. The Revenue after tax reported a progress of 23% YoY to Rs.362 crs in FY23 from Rs.295 crs in FY22. Section sensible, Abrasives reported a income progress of 12% YoY, adopted by Ceramics & Plastics with 47% YoY, Digital companies with 22% YoY and others with 64% YoY in FY23.
- Monetary Efficiency – The corporate’s income and PAT CAGR stands at 12% and 20% between FY18-23. The corporate has generated a cumulative working cashflow of round Rs.1275 crs within the final 5 years. The Working Cashflow to PAT (CFO/PAT) ratio stands at 98% in FY23 which signifies that the corporate is extraordinarily good at changing accounting revenue into money. The identical ratio for the typical of final 5 years (FY19-23) stands sturdy at 105%.


Trade:
India’s Capital Items manufacturing trade serves as a robust base for its engagement throughout sectors reminiscent of Engineering, Development, Infrastructure and Client items, amongst others. Capital Items sector contributes to 12% of India’s manufacturing output and 1.8% to GDP. Market valuation of the capital items trade was US$ 43.2 billion in FY22. India’s Goal Manufacturing measurement of capital items might be $ 112 Bn by 2025. The Indian machine instruments market measurement reached US$ 1.4 Billion in 2022 and is anticipated to succeed in US$ 2.5 billion by 2028, exhibiting a progress price (CAGR) of 9.4% throughout 2023-28. Indian machine device manufacturing and consumption have been estimated at Rs. 6,602 crore (US$ 879.38 million) and Rs. 12,036 crore (US$ 1.6 billion), respectively, in FY21, whereas exports stood at Rs. 531 crore (US$ 66.48 million). Manufacturing might be the sectoral chief on this cycle with a major push coming from the federal government and geo-political components now favouring India. The coverage reforms like tax concessions, PLI and duties/import bans are large drivers for investments to capitalise on China+1 sentiments.
Development Drivers:
- In Finances 2023-24, Authorities has dedicated an outlay of Rs. 10 lakh crore (US$ 120 billion) throughout 2023-24 in the direction of infrastructure capital expenditure in comparison with Rs. 7.5 lakh crore (US$ 90 billion) (BE) throughout 2022–23
- City areas are anticipated to turn into house to 40% of India’s inhabitants and contribute to 75% of India’s GDP by 2030 with the rise in urbanization.
- Automobile penetration is anticipated to succeed in 72 autos per 1000 individuals by 2025.
Rivals: Carborundum Common
Peer Evaluation:
Grindwell (26%) and Carborundum (25%) enjoys the main a part of market share within the extremely concentrated Abrasives trade. These two gamers are dominant within the trade with few different small gamers and others who rely upon Chinese language imports. Grindwell is method forward of its competitors by way of Margins, return ratios and debt profile.

Outlook:
The contribution from Abrasives to the general income has been drastically decreased from 70% in FY14 to 50% in FY23. That is the results of the outperformance of Ceramics & Plastics section of the corporate. The Ceramics & Plastics section contributed 41% of the general gross sales in FY23 from simply 27% in FY24. This helped the corporate to diversify its income profile. The contribution to EBIT (Earnings earlier than Curiosity and Tax) is excessive from the Ceramics & Plastics section at 50% in FY23 from simply 28% in FY14. The efficiency ceramics & plastics are excessive margin enterprise and the strong progress within the section will finally result in a rise within the ROCE going ahead. We anticipate the corporate to learn from its newest acquisitions, excessive margin product enterprise, guardian help and the commercial restoration in India put up covid together with the excessive capital funding outlay within the Finances 2023-24.

Valuation:
Grindwell Norton with its market chief standing backed by a big guardian group is a robust play within the close to duopolistic abrasives market. We advocate a BUY ranking within the inventory with the goal value (TP) of Rs.2230, 40x FY26E EPS.
Dangers:
- Demand associated Threat – Although the corporate has a diversified finish person portfolio, any slowdown within the demand from the main contributor like Auto & Auto ancillary sector will influence the income of the corporate.
- Technological Threat – Technological modifications within the abrasives trade is quite common and any lack of funding in upgrading the ability, expertise, and so on, will make the corporate out of date.
- Foreign exchange Threat – Firm imports a serious a part of its grain necessities. Any depreciation within the Indian rupee vs. its friends will depart a major problem for the corporate.
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