Aurobindo Pharma net profit dips 22% to Rs 604 cr in December quarter

Aurobindo Pharma on Wednesday said its consolidated net profit declined by 22.3 per cent to Rs 604.29 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2021, hit by high input and freight costs.

The Hyderabad-based drug maker had reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 777.3 crore in the same period of previous fiscal.

Revenue from operations declined by 1 per cent to Rs 6,002.2 crore as against Rs 6,064.8 crore in the same period of last financial year, Aurobindo Pharma said in a statement.

"The quarter's performance was impacted by high input and freight costs that weighed on profitability. However, our business was resilient in delivering steady revenues, led by API business benefiting from improved demand for our key products," Aurobindo Pharma Vice-Chairman and Managing Director K Nithyananda Reddy noted.

The company made progress in optimising its working capital during the quarter that has strengthened the balance sheet further, he added.

"We remain committed to resolve the regulatory issues affecting some of our facilities and are continuing to make steady progress in our complex generic product development plans. As a company, we are focused on executing on our key growth drivers to drive sustained improvement in profitability and enhance stakeholder value," Reddy stated.

The company said its board has approved a third interim dividend of 150 per cent, Rs 1.50 per equity share of Re 1 each for the financial year 2021-22.