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EV maker Ampere’s scale shrinks 46% in FY24; losses multiply 11X

EntrackrEntrackr · 6m ago
EV maker Ampere’s scale shrinks 46% in FY24; losses multiply 11X
Medial

After achieving two-fold growth in FY22 and FY23, electric vehicle maker Ampere experienced a 46% decline in revenue in FY24, with scooter sales plummeting by nearly 60%. Moreover, the company's losses widened more than 10X, driven by the significant decline in scale. Ampere's revenue from operations decreased to Rs 612 crore in the last fiscal year, from Rs 1,124 crore in FY23, its consolidated financial statements accessed from the Registrar of Companies show. Ampere, a brand under Greaves Electric Mobility, focuses on manufacturing electric scooters and three-wheeled vehicles. In FY24, scooter sales, which contributed 70.5% of the company's total operating revenue, declined by 59% to Rs 432 crore. In contrast, sales of three-wheelers surged 2.5X, reaching Rs 178 crore in the last fiscal year. Ampere also added Rs 2 crore from scrap sales and Rs 29 crore from non-operating activities, tallying the overall revenue to Rs 641 crore in FY24, compared to Rs 1,159 crore in FY23. For the EV maker, the cost of procurement of materials formed 61% of the overall expenditure. To the tune of scale, this cost decreased by 40% to Rs 526 crore in FY24. Ampere hired more workforce in FY24, which resulted in its employee benefits increased by 48.5% to Rs 101 crore. Its advertising, legal, warranty, contracting, and other overhead expenses brought the total cost to Rs 857 crore in FY24, down from Rs 1,172 crore in FY23. For a detailed cost breakdown, head to TheKredible. Caveat: We have excluded the exceptional item amounting to Rs 477 crore for calculating net loss as it is a one-time cost and non-operative. Ampere's deteriorating scale and rising employee benefit costs led to a nearly 11X surge in losses, reaching Rs 215 crore in FY24 compared to Rs 20 crore in FY23. Its ROCE and EBITDA margins declined sharply to -45.4% and -27.46%, respectively. The company's expense-to-earnings ratio stood at Rs 1.40. At the end of FY24, Ampere reported total current assets of Rs 352 crore, including cash and bank balances of Rs 62 crore. While it is pretty clear that the onslaught from Ola Electric and legacy players like Hero, Bajaj and TVS has put a brake on growth for Ampere, going by the parent firm's plans for an IPO for the mobility division, it does seem to have the backing for the long haul. Would it still be as comfortable if the planned IPO does not happen? That could mean some pretty tough decisions soon, although the firm has the experience and the pedigree to course correct and find a way out of the hole it has dug itself into.

Cyber attack hits Safexpay in FY24: revenue shrinks 67%, losses double

EntrackrEntrackr · 4m ago
Cyber attack hits Safexpay in FY24: revenue shrinks 67%, losses double
Medial

Fintrackr All Stories Cyber attack hits Safexpay in FY24: revenue shrinks 67%, losses double Mumbai-based fintech company Safexpay faced a tough fiscal year in FY24, with its revenue dropping sharply by 67% after its payment gateway was hacked in October 2023. Meanwhile, the company's losses doubled during the same period. Safexpay's operating revenue declined by 67% to Rs 88.5 crore down from Rs 269.5 crore in FY23, as per its consolidated financial statement sourced from the Registrar of Companies (RoC). Safexpay operates as a fintech company providing payment gateway solutions, digital banking, and API-based payment infrastructure for businesses, enabling secure transactions, recurring payments, and multi-currency support across various payment methods. The steep decline in revenue was mainly due to a sharp reduction in payment gateway transaction volumes, which led to a 79.57% drop in related income. Notably, the company's payment gateway was hacked, leading to significant financial and reputational damage. According to media reports, the Thane Police are investigating a Rs 16,180 crore scam linked to the breach. On the cost side, Safexpay’s total expenses decreased by 52.41% to Rs 143 crore in FY24 from Rs 300.5 crore in FY23. Employee benefit expenses fell by 17.46% to Rs 26 crore, while payment gateway charges, the firm's largest cost component, dropped by 79.57% to Rs 48 crore. Due to a hack in its core payment gateway business, legal expenses surged 5.5X to Rs 11 crore, while bad loans increased nearly tenfold to Rs 16 crore. The company also incurred a cost of Rs 21 crore after hackers breached Safexpay’s account and siphoned off the funds. Despite cost-cutting measures, Safexpay struggled to offset revenue declines, causing its net loss to widen to Rs 44 crore in FY24, compared to Rs 22 crore in FY23. Its Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) and EBITDA margin deteriorated to -186% and -42.12%, respectively. On a unit level, the firm spent Rs 1.62 to earn a single rupee in FY24. The Mumbai-based company reported current assets worth Rs 77 crore in FY24 which included Rs 10.5 crore in cash and bank balance. According to TheKredible, Safexpay has raised a total of $6 million of funding to date having Ardor Advisors and Choithram International as its lead investors. The company’s founder owns 44% of the company. The hit that Safexpay is having to endure is the kind of blow that can be fatal. Especially in the fintech business where one could argue that credibility is worth a lot more than money in the bank in this case. Safexpay faces a battle for survival no doubt, and one would have to say that the odds are lengthening unless it can find a long-term backer.

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