

Not so cool: Voltas investors wait for demand to warm up
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Voltas Ltd’s FY26 is set to be a forgettable one. Consolidated revenue for the year is expected to decline.
For the half-year ended September (H1FY26), total operating revenue fell 16.6% to ₹6,286 crore, with the unitary cooling products business contributing about 65%, down 24% versus the same period of FY25. Blame the delayed onset of summer, an extended monsoon and GST-related demand deferment for this performance. In an interaction with analysts recently, Voltas executives pointed out that while the demand scenario still remains muted, it is improving.
“Management commentary indicated that while the industry could see a decline in Q3, the decline should be less than Q2 on account of pre-buying from the channel due to the energy rating changes with effect from 1 January," said JM Financial Institutional Securities report dated 18 December. The rating changes refer to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s tightening standards for several high-energy consumption appliances. As per Voltas, channel inventory has dropped to about 45 days currently from 60 days about two months ago.
However, it is still elevated compared with 20-25 days last year, so does not trigger increased buying from channel partners. Overall, the thrust is more on market share gains than the margin. Voltas’s room air-conditioner (RAC) market share increased sequentially to 18.5% in Q2 from 17.8% in Q1, and from 16% in Q4FY25.
Still, the drop in revenue and higher operating costs have led to a 380-basis point Ebitda margin drop to 3.96% in H1FY26. The margin is also influenced by aggressive pricing strategies that some rivals are pursuing, which the management believes is unsustainable. The company is deliberating
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