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HY-2016: Adlabs footfalls doubles; EBIDTA more than quadruples
BENGALURU: Adlabs Entertainment Limited (Adlabs) reported almost double (increased by 98.2 per cent) the footfalls at its two theme parks Adlabs Imagica and Adlabs Aquamagica-Water Park for the half-year ended 30 September, 2015 (HY-2016, current half-year) at 7.87 lakh as compared to 3.97 lakh in the corresponding year ago half-year.
Footfalls in the quarter ended 30 September, 2015 (Q2-2016, current quarter) increased 14.8 per cent YoY to 2.48 lakh from 21.6 lakh in Q2-2015, but were more than half (declined 54 per cent) from the 5.39 lakh in the immediate trailing quarter. The company says numbers have been affected due to the closures of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway because of landslides in August and September 2015.
Note: (1) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore
(2) All numbers in this report are standalone unless stated otherwise
Buoyed by the numbers reported during Q1-2016 (quarter ended 30 June, 2016, immediate trailing quarter, previous quarter) or the school and college holiday season, Earnings before interest, depreciation and amortisation and taxes (EBIDTA) more than quadrupled (4.28 times) in HY-2016 to Rs 18.48 crore (15.1 per cent margin) as compared to the Rs 4.31 crore (six per cent margin) in HY-2015. EBIDTA in Q2-2016 was negative Rs 6.26 crore as compared to the Rs 3.54 crore (9.9 per cent margin) in Q2-2015 and the Rs 24.73 crore (29.1 per cent margin) in Q1-2015.
Adlabs CEO Kapil Bagla said, “The highlight of Q2-2016 was the launch of our Hotel Novotel Imagica with 116 rooms. The hotel has got off to a great start with an average occupancy rate of 77 per cent and a huge pent up demand for this product. We see a healthy mix of corporate and leisure customers at our property and the feedback from customers who have stayed at the Novotel has been very encouraging.”
“We were impacted by the disruption and closure of Mumbai-Pune Expressway due to recurring landslides in the months of August and September. The Expressway is our primary connectivity to the Park. The historical trend is that we achieve 60-62 per cent of our annual footfalls in the second half, so we feel; that Q3 and Q4 will be extremely good quarters for us,” added Bagla.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by Adlabs:
Adlabs revenue in HY-2016 increased 69.6 per cent to Rs 122.22 crore as compared to the Rs 72.07 crore in the corresponding half-year of last year. For Q2-2016, the company reported 4.2 per cent YoY growth in revenue to Rs 37.21 crore as compared to the Rs 35.71 crore in Q2-2015, but a 56.2 per cent decline from the Rs 85.01 crore in the immediate trailing quarter.
Total Expenditure (TE) in HY-2016 increased 38.4 per cent to Rs 146.03 crore (119.5 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 105.53 crore (146.4 per cent of TIO) in HY-2015. TE in Q2-2015 increased 28.5 per cent YoY to Rs 64.99 crore (174.7 per cent of TIO) from Rs 50.56 crore (141.6 per cent of TIO), but declined 19.8 per cent QoQ from Rs 81.05 crore (953 per cent of TIO).
A major expense head for Adlabs is Employee Benefits Expense (EBE). EBE in HY-2016 increased 48 per cent to Rs 30.32 crore (24.8 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 20.49 crore (28.4 per cent of TIO) in HY-2015. EBE in Q2-2016 increased 56.9 per cent YoY to Rs 14.85 crore (39.9 per cent of TIO) from Rs 9.46 crore (26.5 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2015, but declined four per cent QoQ from Rs 15.47 crore (18.2 per cent of TIO).
Adlabs loss in HY-2016 reduced to Rs 49.45 crore as compared to the Rs 53.61 crore in the corresponding year ago period. Loss in the current quarter however, was higher at Rs 34.73 crore than the loss of Rs 24.94 crore in Q2-2015 and the loss of Rs 14.81 crore in the immediate trailing quarter.
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Wipro hires 7,500 freshers, withholds FY27 hiring outlook
Profit rises to Rs 3,522 crore, Rs 15,000 crore buyback announced.
MUMBAI- Hiring may be on, but visibility is off, Wipro is adding talent even as it pauses the crystal ball. The company hired 7,500 freshers in FY26 but stopped short of offering any hiring outlook for FY27, underscoring the uncertainty gripping the IT services sector as it pivots towards an AI-led operating model.
The disclosure came alongside its fourth-quarter earnings, where management flagged volatile demand conditions and refrained from committing to future workforce expansion. Chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil noted that over 3,000 of the total hires were onboarded in the March quarter alone, signalling continued intake despite a lack of clarity on deployment pipelines.
This divergence active hiring without forward guidance reflects a broader industry pattern where talent acquisition continues even as deal conversions remain uneven and client spending cycles stretch. Wipro expects its IT services revenue for the June quarter to range between a decline of 2 per cent and flat growth sequentially in constant currency terms, reinforcing near-term caution.
Chief executive officer Srini Pallia pointed to artificial intelligence as both a disruptor and an opportunity. He said evolving client priorities are pushing the company towards outcome-driven engagements, with Wipro increasingly focusing on a services-as-software model through its AI Native Business and Platforms unit. The shift marks a structural change from traditional headcount-led growth to AI-enabled delivery frameworks.
The company has already committed over $1 billion to its AI ecosystem, with investors closely watching how these investments translate into revenue. For now, the numbers present a mixed picture. Net profit rose sequentially to Rs 3,522 crore, while revenue grew 3 per cent to Rs 24,236 crore. However, core IT services performance remained under pressure, with full-year revenue declining 0.3 per cent in dollar terms and 1.6 per cent in constant currency.
Large deal bookings offered a counterpoint, rising 45.4 per cent year-on-year to $7.8 billion, highlighting a widening gap between deal wins and actual revenue realisation. On a quarterly basis, IT services revenue slipped 1.2 per cent sequentially, signalling continued softness in execution.
Margins, however, told a more optimistic story. Operating margins expanded to 17.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, up from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting improved cost discipline. That said, the company cautioned that upcoming wage hikes and the ramp-up of large deals could exert pressure going forward.
Attrition stood at 13.8 per cent in the March quarter, indicating stabilisation after periods of elevated churn. Alongside its earnings, Wipro also announced a Rs 15,000 crore share buyback, reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns, with a payout ratio of 88 per cent over the past three years.
Taken together, the numbers capture a company in transition investing in AI, maintaining hiring momentum, but navigating a demand environment where growth is uneven and visibility remains limited.
