Corporate scorecard

Asahi India Glass Ltd said today its net profit for the second quarter of 2004-05 declined one per cent as input costs went up. Net profit stood at Rs 19.16 crore in the quarter ended September 30, 2004, compared with Rs 19.30 crore during the year-ago period, a company statement said.

The company, a joint venture between Asahi Glass Co of Japan, the Labroos and Maruti Udyog Ltd, declared an interim dividend of 100 per cent. Net profit during the first half declined by three per cent to Rs 32.80 crore as against Rs 33.92 crore during the same period last fiscal.

The automotive glass manufacturing firm also announced setting up its second float glass plant in Uttaranchal which would have a capacity of 700 metric tonne per day.

"The financial results are impacted due to factors like higher input costs, which we believe are non-recurring. The new float glass plant is a major investment that should pay rich dividends in future," AIS CEO Sanjay Labroo said.

The company posted a 19 per cent growth in gross sales during July to September 2004 at Rs 176.60 crore over Rs 148.87 crore during the same period previous fiscal. Gross sales during the first half grew 20 per cent to Rs 331.41 crore over Rs 275.46 crore during April-September 2003. At present, AIS manufactures float glass at Taloja (near Mumbai) plant and automotive glass at two plants in Rewari (Haryana) and Chennai.

Ashapura H1 net up 37%

Ashapura Minechem Ltd, processor and exporter of industrial minerals, has posted a net profit of Rs 5.50 crore for the first half ended September 30, 2004, an increase of 36.87 per cent compared with Rs 4.02 crore for the same period last year.

On a consolidated basis, Ashapura group's net profit for the first half of the current financial year has exceeded the profit of Rs 9.44 crore for the whole of previous year. Earnings per share for the first half was at Rs 8.63 against Rs 6.31 for the respective period ended September 30, 2003.

Chetan Shah, managing director, Ashapura Minechem, said, "The growth momentum of the company in the first half continued due to buoyancy in the overseas demand. The company also added alumina to its portfolio."

Datamatics Tech Q2 net up 11.5%

Datamatics Technologies has reported 15.02 per cent growth in its consolidated revenues at Rs 36.87 crore, for the second quarter ended September 2004. The company's consolidated net profit grew by 11.5 per cent at Rs 6.41 crore during the quarter.

Hind Sanitaryware net up 47%

Hindustan Sanitaryware reported a 46.97 per cent increase in net profit to Rs 2.91 crore for quarter ended September 30, 2004, against Rs 1.98 crore in the year-ago period. Sales recorded a growth of 3.27 per cent to Rs 66.03 crore in the second quarter over Rs 63.94 crore recorded for the same period of previous year, a company release said.

Sales for the six- month period (April-September 2004) dipped by 0.02 per cent to Rs 125.48 crore from Rs 127.48 crore in the same period last year. The half-yearly net profit grew 52.33 per cent to Rs 5.24 crore from Rs 3.44 crore.

Jaiprakash Associates net up 13%

The Jaiprakash Gaur-controlled Jaiprakash Associates Ltd has posted a net profit of Rs 43 crore for the quarter ended September 30, 2004 compared with Rs 38 crore for the quarter ended September 30, 2003. Total income has increased from Rs 535 crore to Rs 667 crore during the period.

Ma Foi Q3 net jumps 61.87% at

Ma Foi Outsourcing Solutions Ltd has reported a jump in net profit by 61.87 to Rs 11.04 crore for the third quarter ending September 30, 2004 compared with Rs 6.82 crore for the same period last year.

Turnover increased to Rs 33.34 crore for the third quarter ending September 30, 2004 compared with Rs 21.10 crore for the same period last year. The third quarter witnessed a sharp growth in permanent and flexi-staffing businesses with maximum revenue contributed by IT, ITES, verticals followed closely by telecom and retail business.

Pentamedia Graphics net up 13%

Pentamedia Graphics today said its net profit for the quarter ended September 30, 2004, grew by 12.59 per cent to Rs 5.08 crore. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 41.14 crore, the company said in a statement here. The company has also completed restructuring of its various businesses.

As per this, Mayajaal Entertainment Ltd will be handling all the production and exhibition related activities and Pentamedia Graphics Ltd will be in charge of distribution of digital content for TV, film and Internet, along with CD manufacturing and visual effects for films & TV, Dr V Chandrasekaran, its chairman, said.

"This should enable us to optimise our resources and costs and in turn give the stakeholders good returns in the years to come," he said.

During the quarter, Pentamedia has completed its first full-length 2D animation feature 'The Legend of Buddha', which was produced in collaboration with the economic Development Board of Singapore.

The company said the production of `Gulliver's Travel' has gone into the finishing stages. This will be the fifth 3D animated feature of the company's production.