Business
Heatwave, reduced wheat production credit negative for India: Moody’s Investors Service

High climatic temperatures affecting northwest India curbing wheat production and possible extended power outages exacerbating already high inflation and hurting growth is credit negative, said Moody’s Investors Service on Monday.
The credit rating agency in a report said: “Over the longer term, India’s highly negative credit exposure to physical climate risks — which contributes to the country’s highly negative environmental risk issuer profile score and credit impact score — means its economic growth will likely become more volatile as it faces increasing, and more extreme, incidences of climate-related shocks,” Moody’s said.
The Indian government has revised down its estimates for wheat production by 5.4 per cent to 105 million tonnes for the crop year ending June 2022, given lower yields amid higher temperatures, Moody’s said.
The lower production, and fears that a surge in exports to capitalise on high global wheat prices would add to inflationary pressures domestically, has prompted the government to ban the export of wheat and to divert it toward local consumption instead.
Although the move will partially offset inflationary pressures, it will hurt exports and subsequently growth. The ban comes at a time when India — the world’s second-largest wheat producer — could have been capitalising on the global output gap from wheat following the Russia-Ukraine military conflict, Moody’s said.
Global wheat prices have jumped 47 per cent since the conflict began in late February.
According to Moody’s, the wheat export ban is likely to induce further surge in wheat prices in importing countries like Bangladesh, which absorbed 56.8 per cent of India’s wheat exports in fiscal 2021, Sri Lanka-8.3 per cent, UAE – 6.5 per cent and Indonesia – 5.4 per cent.
Additionally, elevated power demand amid the heatwave and an uptick in economic activity — resulting in higher domestic power prices — prompted India’s Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) to cap power prices at Rs 12 per kilowatt-hour in the electricity exchanges.
With suppliers importing coal at market rates to fill the shortfall and inadequate supply to meet peak demand, at least 16 out of 28 states experienced 2-10 hours of power outage per day in April, Moody’s said.
After the price ceiling was introduced on April 1, India’s total domestic coal actual stock fell 23 per cent by mid-May, with days of actual stock declining to 7.8 days from 10 days.
Further drawdowns in coal inventory could lead to prolonged power outages in industrial and agricultural production, leading to significant cuts to output and weighing further on India’s economic growth — particularly if the heatwaves continue beyond June.
Inflation will be partially alleviated by keeping wheat production for domestic consumption and the cap in power prices in exchanges, as well as the Reserve Bank of India’s 40-basis-point policy rate rise in early May.
However, given the prominence of cereals and food more generally in India’s consumption, elevated food prices could add to social risks if they persist.
Business
India’s strong domestic market cushions economy against global trade shocks: Report

New Delhi, May 21: India is in a stronger position than other countries to withstand global trade disruptions, in the wake of the US tariff turmoil, due to the large size of its domestic market and the country’s low dependence on goods exports, according to a Moody’s report released on Wednesday.
The report points out that the government initiatives, such as increasing infrastructure investment, steps taken to boost private consumption, will help shield India’s economy from weakening global demand.
“India’s large domestic economy and limited exposure to global goods trade puts it in a stronger position to absorb external shocks,” the report said.
Some sectors — like automobiles, which export to the US — may encounter global headwinds, despite their diversified operations. But India’s robust services sector and large domestic economy provide strong buffers, according to the report.
The report also states that declining inflation is expected to pave the way for a soft monetary policy with interest rate cuts to spur growth. The banking sector also has sufficient liquidity to support credit growth, according to the report.
The Moody’s report also observes that the recent India-Pakistan tensions are more likely to weigh on Pakistan’s economy than India’s. The key economic hubs in India are far from the conflict zones, and bilateral economic ties remain limited.
However, a prolonged escalation could lead to increased defence spending, which might slow fiscal consolidation efforts and impact government finances, the report added.
Moody’s Ratings had earlier this month pegged India’s GDP growth at 6.3 per cent for 2025 and expects the economy to pick up momentum in 2026 to record a 6.5 per cent growth rate.
The forecast is in line with the IMF outlook, which sees India as the only major economy in the world to record an over 6 per cent growth rate in 2025.
Business
ACME Solar’s net profit for FY25 crashes over 64 pc to Rs 250.8 crore

Mumbai, May 20: Gurugram-based renewable energy player ACME Solar Holdings Limited has reported a steep decline of over 77 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in its consolidated net profit, which dropped to Rs 122 crore in the March 2025 quarter (Q4 FY25).
The company had posted a net profit of Rs 532.3 crore in the same period last financial year (Q4 FY24), according to its stock exchange filing.
For the full financial year (FY25), ACME Solar’s net profit declined by around 64 per cent to Rs 250.8 crore, compared to Rs 697.7 crore in FY24.
The sharp fall in profits came despite a strong rise in revenue. The company’s revenue from operations in Q4 stood at Rs 486.88 crore, up from Rs 295.16 crore a year ago — marking a YoY growth of nearly 65 per cent.
Total income also increased significantly to Rs 539.2 crore in Q4 FY25, from Rs 318 crore in the corresponding quarter last fiscal — showing a 69.56 per cent rise.
However, finance costs grew to Rs 205.5 crore from Rs 177.3 crore in the same period last fiscal — an increase of around 15.90 per cent.
Depreciation and amortisation expenses also rose sharply to Rs 102.2 crore, up 66.99 per cent from Rs 61.2 crore in Q4 FY24.
Despite the decline in profits, the company highlighted strong operational progress.
Chairperson and Managing Director Manoj Kumar Upadhyay said FY25 was a ‘remarkable year’ for ACME Solar, as it expanded its operational portfolio and commissioned its largest single-location project — a 1,200 MW SECI ISTS solar project.
He added that the company is now witnessing stronger earnings performance, with Q4 revenue rising 70 per cent YoY to Rs 539 crore and EBITDA jumping 118 per cent to Rs 488 crore.
He also stated that ACME’s focus on hybrid and firm-dispatchable renewable energy (FDRE) solutions is making the business more resilient.
Business
Jupiter Wagons’ net profit falls nearly 2 pc in Q4, revenue slips

Mumbai, May 19: Railway wagons and components manufacturer Jupiter Wagons on Monday reported a decline of 1.9 per cent in its net profit at Rs 103 crore in Q4 FY25, down from Rs 105 crore in the same period last fiscal.
The profit before tax (PBT) also declined by 8.26 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 127.47 crore from Rs 138.95 crore, according to its stock exchange filing.
The company’s consolidated total income also saw a decline, falling to Rs 1,057 crore from Rs 1,127 crore a year earlier — a drop of around 6.2 per cent.
Similarly, revenue from operations decreased by approximately 6.4 per cent, from Rs 1,115.41 crore in the year-ago period to Rs 1,044.54 crore in the last quarter of FY25.
Despite the revenue dip, Jupiter Wagons managed to reduce its total expenses to Rs 923.34 crore in Q4, down 6.4 per cent compared to Rs 986.41 crore in the same quarter last financial year.
However, on a sequential basis, expenses rose by about 1.56 per cent compared to Rs 909.16 crore in Q3.
The company’s EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) rose slightly to Rs 153 crore from Rs 147 crore last fiscal, with the EBITDA margin improving to 14.6 per cent from 13.2 per cent.
Shares of Jupiter Wagons Limited fell by Rs 13.1 or 3.1 per cent to close the intra-day trading session at Rs 408.95 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Monday.
Speaking about the full financial year, Managing Director Vivek Lohia described FY25 as a transformative year for Jupiter Wagons.
He highlighted several strategic wins, including major contracts with Braithwaite for wheelsets.
“The company also secured brake system contracts worth over Rs 215 crore,” Lohia mentioned.
Lohia emphasised the company’s push into electric mobility with the inauguration of a new facility in Pithampur.
“This state-of-the-art plant is expected to drive battery production and supply to Indian Railways and private partners, along with orders for complete Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS),” he said.
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