Latest news with #048
The Star
22-04-2025
- Business
- The Star
Chinese robotics star Unitree opens Hangzhou factory amid humanoid frenzy
Chinese humanoid robot maker Unitree Robotics has opened a new factory in Hangzhou as it races to meet soaring demand amid China's craze for the human-shaped machines. The factory, launched earlier this year, spans over 10,000 square metres, and it is expected to support the company's expansion over the next three to five years, according to the company. 'We won't expand production blindly,' Unitree's marketing director Huang Jiawei told the South China Morning Post in a recent interview. 'Instead, we'll enhance capacity by increasing working hours and efficiency.' The move was supported by the municipal government, which helped the company locate a plant just a 15-minute drive from Unitree's headquarters in China's eastern Zhejiang province. As one of China's most successful robotics start-ups, Unitree's supply chain management and production capacity are seen as key advantages that set it apart in an industry where many peers struggle to commercialise their products, even as competition heats up in the domestic market. The company's Go2 robotic dog starts at US$1,600 (RM7,004), while its G1 humanoid starts at US$16,000 (RM70,048). The company develops core components such as motors in-house, works closely with various suppliers and handles final assembly itself. Earlier this year, Unitree's rising popularity spurred excitement in China's stock market, boosting shares of suppliers associated with the company, dubbed 'Unitree-concept stocks'. Founded in 2016 by robotics enthusiast Wang Xingxing, the company first became known for its quadruped robots before moving into humanoids ahead of an ongoing industry boom aided by the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI). Unitree is continuously investing in AI as the industry looks to give robots a 'brain', Huang said. He added that among the company's growing workforce of around 500 people, more than half are in research and development. Unitree became a household name almost overnight in February after its humanoid robots performed a dance at China's Spring Festival Gala. The company's profile further surged that month when 35-year-old Wang was among an elite group of tech executives – including Huawei Technologies founder Ren Zhengfei, Alibaba Group Holding founder Jack Ma and Tencent Holdings founder Pony Ma Huateng – at a high-profile meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Its profile has also risen alongside a handful of other start-ups based in Hangzhou, home to tech giants Alibaba and NetEase. The so-called six little dragons, which includes AI phenom DeepSeek, have helped shine a spotlight on the city as a centre of innovation amid the escalating US-China tech war. Alibaba owns the Post. Unitree's headquarters has become much busier following its rise to fame. During a recent midweek visit by the Post, staff said that the building had seen hundreds of visitors daily in recent months, including distributors, journalists, government officers and business partners. Last Wednesday, several groups of guests with badges could be seen in the company's modest display room on the second floor. A sign on the first floor warned, 'Unitree does not provide paid tours. Please beware of scams!' The company remains highly protective of its employees. Research staff rarely give public interviews, and office space is strictly off-limits to visitors. Another bold warning greets visitors at the entrance of the office area: 'Severe Warning! Unauthorised persons are strictly forbidden. Violators will be prosecuted for theft of trade secrets!' 'All this attention adds more pressure, pushing our team to uphold even higher standards for products,' said Huang, the marketing director. He warned that consumers could face disappointment from the current state of the technology. 'Public expectations can become unrealistic,' he said. 'Robots are not intelligent enough.' Unlike some of its rivals, Unitree has not promoted its robots as options for handling household chores such as cleaning or providing home care. 'We're not at that stage yet,' Huang said. 'It will take at least another five to 10 years before robots enter household scenarios.' On Saturday, Beijing hosted a humanoid robot half-marathon, where Tien Kung Ultra, a robot developed by Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre and backed by robot maker UBTech Robotics, won with a finish time of 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds – roughly two-and-a-half times longer than the top human male runner. During the live-streamed race, a Unitree robot fell shortly after the start. In response, Unitree clarified it did not officially participate in the marathon. 'Several independent teams used Unitree robots with their own algorithms. Performance varied significantly depending on different operators and developers,' the company said in a statement. Before the marathon, Unitree staff told the Post that while the company lacks the bandwidth to join every event, it views such competitions positively as drivers of industry growth. – South China Morning Post
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ACC Ltd (BOM:500410) Q3 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue Growth Amid Operational ...
Revenue: INR9,329 crores for Q3 FY25. EBITDA: INR1,712 crores with a margin of 18.4% for Q3 FY25. EBITDA per Tonne: INR1,048 for Q3 FY25. Operational Costs: INR4,618 per tonne for Q3 FY25. Energy Costs: Reduced by 7% due to better fuel management. Transportation Costs: Declined by 6% to INR1,239 per tonne. Cash and Cash Equivalents: INR8,755 crores as of December 31. Net Worth: Approximately INR63,000 crores. Ready-Mix Plants: Reached 100 with eight new plants commissioned in Q3 FY25. Limestone Reserves: 631 million tonnes secured in Q3 FY25. Green Power Share: Increased to 21.5% from 15.8%. Lead Distance: Reduced by 4 kilometers to 85 kilometers. Direct Dispatch: Increased by 700 bps to 57%. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Signs with BOM:500410. Release Date: January 29, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. ACC Ltd (BOM:500410) achieved a revenue of INR9,329 crores, driven by strong focus on micro market management strategy and expansion of dealer network. Operational costs for the quarter decreased due to a 7% decline in energy costs, attributed to better fuel management and increased use of green power. The company commissioned a 200-megawatt solar power project in Gujarat and secured 631 million tonnes of new limestone reserves. ACC Ltd (BOM:500410) plans to expand its cement capacity to 140 million tonnes by FY28, with several new facilities and expansions underway. The company is making significant progress in its ESG commitments, aiming for net zero by 2050 and increasing the share of green power in its operations. EBITDA per tonne was reported at INR1,048, with concerns raised about the operational performance and cost structures of newly acquired assets. The company faced higher costs due to shutdowns for maintenance and retrofitting at several plants, impacting overall performance. Realization per tonne decreased sequentially, with challenges in maintaining premium pricing amidst market conditions. The integration of newly acquired assets like Penna and Sanghi is still in progress, with current utilization levels below optimal. There is a significant increase in other expenses, partly due to consolidation of new acquisitions and higher consumption of stores and spares. Q: Why has the operating performance dropped significantly this quarter, especially in terms of EBITDA per tonne? A: Ajay Kapur, CEO: The volume growth was strong at 16.7%, but the inclusion of Penna and Sanghi volumes, which have higher cost structures, impacted overall costs. Additionally, several plants were under maintenance, affecting inventory and costs. We expect improvements as these assets ramp up to higher utilization levels next year. Q: Can you explain the sequential drop in realization despite industry price hikes? A: Ajay Kapur, CEO: The drop is due to the consolidation of sales from markets with depressed prices, particularly in the South. The price increases in December will reflect more in Q4 results. Q: What is the current cost differential for Penna and Sanghi compared to traditional capacities? A: Ajay Kapur, CEO: Currently, costs for Sanghi and Penna are about 10% to 15% higher than Ambuja's. We expect to reduce these costs by implementing various initiatives, including waste heat recovery and alternate fuels. Q: How do you view the industry supply curve and its impact on pricing? A: Ajay Kapur, CEO: Indias demand is expected to grow at 8%, requiring additional capacity. While new capacity additions may create short-term pressure, responsible capacity building is necessary to avoid higher consumer prices. We expect pricing to stabilize as demand catches up. Q: What is the expected timeline for receiving the INR4,500 crore incentives? A: Ajay Kapur, CEO: These incentives are expected to be received over the next seven to nine years, contributing approximately INR500 crore annually. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ambuja Cements Ltd (BOM:500425) Q3 FY25 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue Growth Amid ...
Revenue: INR9,329 crores for Q3 FY25. EBITDA: INR1,712 crores with a margin of 18.4% for Q3 FY25. EBITDA per Tonne: INR1,048 for Q3 FY25. Operational Costs: INR4,618 per tonne for Q3 FY25. Energy Costs: Reduced by 7% due to better fuel management. Transportation Costs: Declined by 6% to INR1,239 per tonne. Cash and Cash Equivalents: INR8,755 crores as of December 31. Net Worth: Approximately INR63,000 crores, up by INR12,000 crores since April. EBITDA Margin for Nine Months: 16.3% with EBITDA of INR4,103 crores. Ready-Mix Plants: Eight new plants commissioned, reaching 100 total. Limestone Reserves: 631 million tonnes secured in Q3 FY25. Green Power Share: Increased to 21.5% from 15.8% in power mix. Lead Distance: Reduced by 4 kilometers to 85 kilometers. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Signs with BOM:500425. Release Date: January 29, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Ambuja Cements Ltd (BOM:500425) achieved a revenue of INR9,329 crores in Q3 FY25, driven by strong market management and expansion of its dealer network. The company commissioned a 200-megawatt solar power project in Gujarat and secured 631 million tonnes of new limestone reserves. Operational costs decreased due to a 7% decline in energy costs and a 6% reduction in transportation costs. EBITDA stood at INR1,712 crores with a margin of 18.4%, supported by cost improvements and increased direct dispatch to customers. The company is on track to expand its cement capacity to 140 million tonnes by FY28, with several new facilities and expansions underway. The operating performance was weaker than expected, with EBITDA per tonne dropping to INR537 when adjusted for incentives. Realization per tonne decreased sequentially, despite industry-wide price hikes in December and January. The newly acquired assets, Sanghi and Penna, are still underutilized, operating at sub-40% and sub-50% capacity, respectively. There was a significant increase in other expenses, partly due to higher consumption of stores and spares for maintenance. The company faces challenges in ramping up the newly acquired assets to full operational efficiency, impacting overall cost structures. Q: Why has the operating performance dropped significantly, with EBITDA per tonne only at INR 537 after removing one-time incentives? A: Ajay Kapur, CEO, explained that while volume growth was strong at 16.7%, the inclusion of Penna and Sanghi volumes, which have higher cost structures and lower capacity utilization, impacted overall costs. Additionally, several plants were under maintenance, affecting inventory and costs. These are expected to stabilize in the next financial year as utilization improves. Q: Can you explain the sequential drop in realization despite industry-wide price hikes? A: Ajay Kapur noted that 1.4 million tonnes of sales came from markets with depressed prices, particularly in the South. The price increases in December will reflect more in Q4 results. Q: What is the current cost differential for Penna and Sanghi compared to traditional capacities? A: Ajay Kapur stated that both Penna and Sanghi have costs about 10% to 15% higher than Ambuja's traditional costs. Initiatives are underway to reduce these costs, with expectations of significant improvements as capacity utilization increases. Q: How does Ambuja plan to achieve the targeted cost reduction to INR 3,650 per tonne? A: Ajay Kapur outlined several initiatives, including increasing green power usage, optimizing logistics, and improving operational efficiencies. These efforts are expected to progressively reduce costs over the next few years, with significant savings anticipated from captive coal mines and other projects. Q: What is the expected timeline for receiving the INR 4,500 crore in incentives? A: Ajay Kapur mentioned that these incentives are expected to be received over the next seven to nine years, with an annual addition of approximately INR 500 crores on top of the current INR 600 crores from expanded capacity. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
