L&T’s confidence on order inflow comforts, but strong finish to FY26 hinges on execution
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) strong order-winning streak stood out as the key positive takeaway from its December quarter (Q3FY26) results. Order inflows in its core projects and manufacturing business rose 18% year-on-year to ₹1.16 trillion in Q3FY26 despite a high base last year.
The better-than-expected improvement in orders was led by the infrastructure segment, which secured high-value contracts in power transmission & distribution and renewables businesses in international markets. L&T’s prospect pipeline for the remainder of FY26 also rose 7% year-on-year to ₹5.9 trillion, spanning infrastructure, hydrocarbon, carbon and Hi-tech segments. With this momentum, L&T management is confident of exceeding its 10% year-on-year order inflow growth guidance for FY26, even as it faces some challenges in overseas markets.
During the earnings call, management said it expects the cancelled Kuwait projects (estimated at over $4.5 billion), where L&T was L1 (lowest bidder), to be refloated sometime in CY26, with the company hopeful of winning some of these tenders. L&T does not see any meaningful risk to ordering prospects in the Middle East as long as oil prices remain in the $60–65 per barrel range. Currently, 37% of its order backlog comes from the Middle East.
However, BofA Securities cautioned that high Middle East concentration remains a key risk amid volatile crude prices and geopolitical uncertainty, which could cap stock re-rating despite strong earnings delivery. For now, strong order wins are supporting investor sentiment, with the stock rising about 4% on Thursday. With 9MFY26 order inflows at ₹3.46 trillion (up 30% year-on-year), JM Financial Institutional Securities estimates 24% order
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