1. At a Glance
Cochin Shipyard isn’t just floating vessels — it’s floating somevery serious profits. In Q1 FY26 alone, it clocked ₹248 Cr PBT and ₹188 Cr PAT. While Mazagon Dock hogs the headlines, CSL is busy delivering submarines, aircraft carriers, tankers, and even fancy cruise ships. The only thing bigger than their drydock is the margin on recent defence contracts. But before you salute the ₹43,834 Cr market cap — remember it’s trading at51.6x earningsand 7.8x book. This warship builder ain’t cheap anymore.
2. Introduction – From Sea Trials to Street Smiles
Once dismissed as “that other shipyard”,Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL)has spent the last decade steamrolling its way into India’s defence and commercial marine game. From building the INS Vikrant (yes, an aircraft carrier) to exporting ships to Europe, CSL has gone from dockyard to stockyard darling.
But now, the real question isn’t “what next?” — it’show long can they keep the growth engine roaring while balancing PSU baggage and bloated valuations?
3. Business Model (WTF Do They Even Do?)
Cochin Shipyard operates across:
- Shipbuilding– Naval vessels, tankers, ferries, dredgers, tugs.
- Ship Repair– Naval, commercial, oil & gas platforms.
- Marine Engineering– Training & R&D.
- Strategic/Defence Solutions– Submarine refits, aircraft carrier builds.
They’rethe only Indian yard capable of building an indigenous aircraft carrier, with clients like:
- Indian Navy
- ONGC
- BPCL
- Foreign governments (exports to Europe, Middle East, Africa)
They’re not building toy boats — they’re building floating cities.
4. Financials Overview
FY25 (TTM)Snapshot:
- Revenue: ₹4,795 Cr
- EBITDA: ₹925 Cr
- PAT: ₹850 Cr
- EPS (TTM): ₹32.31
- P/E: 51.6x
- ROE: 15.8%
- ROCE: 20.1%
- OPM: 19%
Margins are expanding again after the hiccup in FY23. Order book visibility = 3+ years. But beware — valuations are swimming into deep waters.
5. Valuation – Fair Value Range (P/E, EV/EBITDA, DCF)
Method | Range |
---|---|
P/E (20–25x on ₹32.31 EPS) | ₹646 – ₹808 |
EV/EBITDA (15–18x on ₹925 Cr) | ₹1,180 – ₹1,420 |
DCF (moderate 10% CAGR, 3% terminal) | ₹1,050 – ₹1,300 |
Fair Value Range: ₹650 – ₹1,300
This FV range is for educational purposes only and is not investment advice.
Current Price? ₹1,667. You’re paying for a lot of future contracts that haven’t hit the drydock yet.
6. What’s Cooking – Contracts, Missiles & Compliance
- Q1 FY26: ₹977 Cr revenue, ₹248 Cr PBT. OPM jumped to24%.
- Ongoing contracts: 2 aircraft carriers, 8 ASW ships, 23 auxiliary vessels, plus overseas orders.
- New fines: SEBI slapped a ₹14 lakh fine for delayed independent director appointments.
- Dry dock upgrade complete: Now can build 100,000 DWT ships + aircraft carriers side-by-side.
7. Balance Sheet – PSU, but Built Like a Private Tank
FY25 (₹ Cr) | |
---|---|
Total Assets | ₹13,045 |
Net Worth | ₹5,611 |
Borrowings | ₹501 |
CWIP (Infra) | ₹511 |
Investments | ₹359 |
Debt is negligible for a capital-intensive PSU. ₹359 Cr sitting in investments, and ₹2,804 Cr in fixed assets. They’ve built capacity ahead of time — now the challenge isutilisation.
8. Cash Flow – War Chest Level: Navy Admiral
Year | CFO | CFI | CFF |
---|---|---|---|
FY23 | ₹2,051 Cr | ₹-226 Cr | ₹-272 Cr |
FY24 | ₹-173 Cr | ₹478 Cr | ₹-371 Cr |
FY25 | ₹-269 Cr | ₹613 Cr | ₹-279 Cr |