Tata Communications Ltd
Tata Communications Ltd
TelecommunicationTata Communications was incorporated on March 19, 1986 as VSNL. In February 2002, the Government of India, as per their disinvestments plan, sold 25% of their holding in the company to the strategic partner. Consequently, the company was taken over under the administrative control of TATA. [1] It is the leading global digital ecosystem enabler. It has a leadership position in emerging markets, and an infrastructure that spans the globe. It delivers managed solutions to multinational companies and service providers. It partners with 300 of the Fortune 500 companies with their state-of the-art solutions, including a wide range of communication, collaboration, cloud, mobility, connected solutions, network and data center services. [2]
Tata Communications trades at a steep PE of 58.9x and 17x book value with declining profits (TTM profit growth -21%), making the valuation hard to justify despite a strong 3-year ROE of 48%. The 62.5% buy consensus from analysts suggests long-term structural tailwinds, but near-term earnings compression warrants caution.
Key Fundamentals
MidcapTelecom Service ProviderTelecomTechnical Indicators
Key Insights
Strengths
2- Company has a good return on equity (ROE) track record: 3 Years ROE 47.5%
- Company has been maintaining a healthy dividend payout of 45.9%
Weaknesses
4- Stock is trading at 16.8 times its book value
- The company has delivered a poor sales growth of 7.72% over past five years.
- Contingent liabilities of Rs.18,056 Cr.
- Company might be capitalizing the interest cost
Growth Rate
AI Analysis — Bull vs Bear
Tata Communications trades at a steep PE of 58.9x and 17x book value with declining profits (TTM profit growth -21%), making the valuation hard to justify despite a strong 3-year ROE of 48%. The 62.5% buy consensus from analysts suggests long-term structural tailwinds, but near-term earnings compression warrants caution.
- Strong 3-year ROE of 48% demonstrates efficient capital allocation and high return generation capability
- Healthy dividend payout ratio of 45.9% with current yield of 0.85%, indicating shareholder-friendly management
- 10-year compounded profit CAGR of 49% reflects long-term earnings compounding ability
- 62.5% of analysts (5 out of 8) rate the stock a Buy, signaling institutional confidence in the business model
- Stock CAGR of 25% over 1 year shows strong recent momentum and market re-rating
- Market cap of Rs.58,214 Cr positions Tata Communications as a mid-to-large cap enterprise digital services leader with scale advantages
- 3-year compounded sales growth of 12% indicates accelerating revenue trajectory from enterprise digital transformation demand
- PE ratio of 58.9x is significantly elevated for a telecom services company, pricing in growth that may not materialize
- TTM compounded profit growth of -21% shows sharp earnings decline despite revenue growth of 7%, indicating margin pressure
- Trading at 17x price-to-book value leaves very little margin of safety for investors at current levels
- Contingent liabilities of Rs.18,056 Cr represent a material risk, nearly 31% of the company's market cap
- 5-year compounded sales growth of only 8% is tepid for a stock commanding nearly 59x earnings
- 3-year compounded profit CAGR of -15% indicates a sustained earnings deterioration trend, not a one-off
- Potential interest cost capitalization raises questions about the true quality of reported earnings
- Only 10% stock CAGR over 3 and 5 years suggests the recent 1-year rally of 25% may not be sustainable
This is AI-generated analysis, not financial advice. Do your own due diligence.
AI News Digest
- Fire at Delhi data centre Jun 5
Fire broke out at Next-Gen Tower in Greater Kailash-1, New Delhi affecting ~200 sq ft in the battery room on the third floor. Two firefighters injured; cause under investigation and infrastructure damage assessment pending.
- Stock surges, hits record high Jun 5
Shares surged 2.78% to ₹1,955.55 on Jun 5 despite the fire, with 22.93% gain over one month. Stock hit a record high of ₹2,050 on May 26, 2026 vs 52-week low of ₹1,323 on Apr 2.
- ₹17.50 per share dividend May 26
Board recommended final dividend of ₹17.50 per share for FY26 with record date of June 19, 2026.
- Business continuity protocols held Jun 5
Company activated disaster recovery protocols immediately after the fire, ensuring uninterrupted services and demonstrating operational resilience to investors.
- ₹39.24 Cr block trade on NSE Jun 17
Block trade of ~2,03,837 shares executed at ₹1,925.10 per share totalling ₹39.24 crore, indicating institutional participation.
- ₹700 Cr raised via CPs Jun 16
Tata Communications issued ₹400 crore CP on Jun 15 at 7.05% (maturing Sep 11) and ₹300 crore CP on May 22 at 7.27% (maturing Aug 21), raising total ₹700 crore in short-term debt.
- BRSR filed for FY26 Jun 16
Filed Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report for FY 2025-26 reporting 14,585 employees and zero data breaches with third-party assurance.
- AGM scheduled July 9, 2026 Jun 16
40th AGM set for July 9, 2026 via video conferencing to approve final dividend and other resolutions.
- AI scaling crisis report released Jun 4
Joint report with Bloomberg Media Studios found 77% of enterprises view AI as board-level priority but 65% still rely on legacy infrastructure, highlighting modernisation opportunity.
TL;DR: Tata Communications is in strong momentum territory with a 22.93% one-month gain and a record high of ₹2,050 in late May, supported by a healthy ₹17.50 dividend and zero data breaches in its ESG report. The Delhi data centre fire is a near-term operational risk, though swift activation of business continuity protocols and positive stock reaction suggest limited investor concern. Short-term debt issuance of ₹700 crore via commercial paper bears watching but is routine for working capital. The trend is bullish with the key risk being any material infrastructure damage from the fire investigation.
Quarterly Results
| Mar 2023 | Jun 2023 | Sep 2023 | Dec 2023 | Mar 2024 | Jun 2024 | Sep 2024 | Dec 2024 | Mar 2025 | Jun 2025 | Sep 2025 | Dec 2025 | Mar 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 4,569 | 4,771 | 4,872 | 5,588 | 5,645 | 5,592 | 5,728 | 5,798 | 5,990 | 5,960 | 6,100 | 6,189 | 6,554 |
| Expenses | 3,534 | 3,747 | 3,857 | 4,435 | 4,569 | 4,456 | 4,598 | 4,617 | 4,868 | 4,823 | 4,926 | 4,961 | 5,270 |
| Operating Profit | 1,034 | 1,024 | 1,015 | 1,153 | 1,076 | 1,137 | 1,129 | 1,181 | 1,122 | 1,137 | 1,174 | 1,228 | 1,284 |
| OPM % | 23% | 21% | 21% | 21% | 19% | 20% | 20% | 20% | 19% | 19% | 19% | 20% | 20% |
| Other Income | 62 | 191 | 25 | -212 | -32 | 85 | 29 | -7 | 926 | -46 | -38 | 183 | 63 |
| Interest | 132 | 131 | 137 | 184 | 186 | 170 | 189 | 187 | 182 | 177 | 202 | 201 | 182 |
| Depreciation | 618 | 580 | 605 | 603 | 651 | 634 | 648 | 637 | 672 | 666 | 679 | 751 | 731 |
| PBT | 345 | 504 | 298 | 154 | 207 | 417 | 321 | 350 | 1,193 | 249 | 255 | 458 | 434 |
| Tax % | 8% | 26% | 26% | 74% | -52% | 21% | 30% | 36% | 15% | 26% | 32% | 22% | 42% |
| Net Profit | 327 | 382 | 221 | 45 | 322 | 333 | 227 | 236 | 1,041 | 190 | 183 | 364 | 259 |
| EPS in Rs | 11.44 | 13.39 | 7.74 | 1.57 | 11.27 | 11.68 | 7.97 | 8.28 | 36.5 | 6.67 | 6.42 | 12.82 | 9.24 |
Profit & Loss
| Mar 2015 | Mar 2016 | Mar 2017 | Mar 2018 | Mar 2019 | Mar 2020 | Mar 2021 | Mar 2022 | Mar 2023 | Mar 2024 | Mar 2025 | Mar 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 19,913 | 18,149 | 17,620 | 16,772 | 16,525 | 17,068 | 17,100 | 16,725 | 17,838 | 20,969 | 23,109 | 24,803 |
| Expenses | 16,919 | 15,714 | 15,214 | 14,359 | 13,780 | 13,779 | 12,840 | 12,498 | 13,520 | 16,739 | 18,540 | 19,980 |
| Operating Profit | 2,994 | 2,434 | 2,406 | 2,412 | 2,745 | 3,289 | 4,261 | 4,227 | 4,318 | 4,230 | 4,569 | 4,822 |
| OPM % | 15% | 13% | 14% | 14% | 17% | 19% | 25% | 25% | 24% | 20% | 20% | 19% |
| Other Income | 291 | 82 | 1,294 | -116 | 62 | -321 | 82 | 338 | 440 | 47 | 1,033 | 162 |
| Interest | 751 | 409 | 367 | 344 | 397 | 471 | 420 | 360 | 432 | 644 | 729 | 762 |
| Depreciation | 2,161 | 1,864 | 1,866 | 1,906 | 2,068 | 2,358 | 2,314 | 2,205 | 2,262 | 2,470 | 2,592 | 2,827 |
| PBT | 373 | 243 | 1,467 | 46 | 343 | 140 | 1,609 | 2,000 | 2,063 | 1,163 | 2,281 | 1,396 |
| Tax % | 99% | 96% | 16% | 778% | 80% | 162% | 22% | 26% | 14% | 18% | 21% | 31% |
| Net Profit | 3 | 10 | 1,235 | -326 | -80 | -85 | 1,252 | 1,485 | 1,801 | 970 | 1,837 | 997 |
| EPS in Rs | 0.05 | 0.3 | 43.26 | -11.53 | -2.89 | -3.02 | 43.88 | 51.99 | 63.02 | 33.98 | 64.43 | 35.14 |
| Div. Payout % | 12151% | 1412% | 14% | -39% | -156% | -133% | 32% | 40% | 33% | 49% | 39% | 50% |
Balance Sheet
| Mar 2015 | Mar 2016 | Mar 2017 | Mar 2018 | Mar 2019 | Mar 2020 | Mar 2021 | Mar 2022 | Mar 2023 | Mar 2024 | Mar 2025 | Mar 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity Capital | 285 | 285 | 285 | 285 | 285 | 285 | 285 | 285 | 285 | 285 | 285 | 285 |
| Reserves | 36 | -648 | 1,307 | 214 | -467 | -1,563 | -170 | 643 | 1,233 | 1,501 | 2,736 | 3,162 |
| Borrowings | 13,076 | 14,231 | 9,214 | 8,927 | 9,935 | 12,413 | 11,394 | 9,122 | 8,577 | 11,263 | 12,357 | 12,249 |
| Other Liabilities | 10,798 | 11,230 | 10,228 | 10,131 | 10,198 | 10,996 | 9,797 | 9,588 | 10,424 | 11,316 | 11,065 | 12,591 |
| Total Liabilities | 24,195 | 25,098 | 21,033 | 19,557 | 19,951 | 22,131 | 21,306 | 19,638 | 20,519 | 24,365 | 26,444 | 28,287 |
| Fixed Assets | 14,704 | 14,444 | 10,929 | 10,797 | 11,289 | 12,768 | 11,520 | 10,936 | 10,500 | 13,467 | 13,919 | 15,481 |
| CWIP | 638 | 800 | 751 | 520 | 361 | 349 | 493 | 852 | 1,148 | 1,327 | 1,100 | 850 |
| Investments | 1,768 | 1,837 | 2,434 | 1,250 | 1,491 | 1,563 | 2,233 | 1,565 | 1,951 | 1,608 | 2,714 | 2,297 |
| Other Assets | 7,086 | 8,017 | 6,920 | 6,990 | 6,809 | 7,451 | 7,060 | 6,284 | 6,921 | 7,963 | 8,711 | 9,659 |
| Total Assets | 24,195 | 25,098 | 21,033 | 19,557 | 19,951 | 22,131 | 21,306 | 19,638 | 20,519 | 24,365 | 26,444 | 28,287 |
Cash Flow
| Mar 2015 | Mar 2016 | Mar 2017 | Mar 2018 | Mar 2019 | Mar 2020 | Mar 2021 | Mar 2022 | Mar 2023 | Mar 2024 | Mar 2025 | Mar 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating | 3,028 | 2,363 | 2,394 | 1,713 | 1,844 | 2,525 | 3,180 | 4,204 | 4,384 | 3,182 | 2,911 | 4,479 |
| Investing | -1,908 | -2,313 | 940 | -500 | -2,284 | -1,521 | -2,007 | -894 | -1,836 | -2,641 | -2,173 | -1,434 |
| Financing | -1,388 | -9 | -3,276 | -959 | -28 | -942 | -1,205 | -3,431 | -2,241 | -813 | -936 | -2,937 |
| Net Cash Flow | -268 | 41 | 58 | 254 | -467 | 61 | -32 | -121 | 308 | -272 | -198 | 108 |
| Free Cash Flow | 1,257 | 334 | 598 | 102 | 106 | 844 | 1,828 | 2,554 | 2,899 | 1,110 | 711 | 2,060 |
| CFO/OP | 105 | 114 | 130 | 82 | 88 | 85 | 86 | 97 | 106 | 80 | 82 | 108 |
Ratios
| Mar 2015 | Mar 2016 | Mar 2017 | Mar 2018 | Mar 2019 | Mar 2020 | Mar 2021 | Mar 2022 | Mar 2023 | Mar 2024 | Mar 2025 | Mar 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debtor Days | 46 | 61 | 54 | 64 | 66 | 69 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 65 | 63 | 61 |
| Cash Conversion Cycle | 46 | 61 | 54 | 64 | 66 | 69 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 65 | 63 | 61 |
| Working Capital Days | -155 | -139 | -105 | -125 | -124 | -150 | -88 | -103 | -119 | -151 | -107 | -120 |
| ROCE % | 8% | 7% | 23% | 8% | 8% | 9% | 18% | 22% | 24% | 18% | 15% | 15% |
Documents
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Company Information
Tata Communications was incorporated on March 19, 1986 as VSNL. In February 2002, the Government of India, as per their disinvestments plan, sold 25% of their holding in the company to the strategic partner. Consequently, the company was taken over under the administrative control of TATA. [1] It is the leading global digital ecosystem enabler. It has a leadership position in emerging markets, and an infrastructure that spans the globe. It delivers managed solutions to multinational companies and service providers. It partners with 300 of the Fortune 500 companies with their state-of the-art solutions, including a wide range of communication, collaboration, cloud, mobility, connected solutions, network and data center services. [2]