Chauffeur to India Inc, Ecos Offers Growth Ride in Mobility

Ashutosh Shyam Ashutosh Shyam | 08-27 16:20

Ecos (India) Mobility and Hospitality plans to raise ₹601 crore through an offer for sale by promoters.
Ecos (India) Mobility and Hospitality, a provider of corporate car rental services, plans to raise ₹601 crore through an offer for sale by promoters, which will reduce their stake to 98% from 68%.

The company has access to over 12,500 vehicles, ranging from economy to luxury cars, but only 6% of the fleet is owned by the company. This asset-light business model supports a high return on equity (RoE). The growing share of the organised market for employee transportation services driven by the expansion of global capability centres (GCCs) augurs well for the company. Given these factors, investors may consider the IPO.

Business:
Founded in 1996, New Delhi-based Ecos Mobility operates in two segments: employee transportation services (ETS), which contributes two-thirds to the revenue and the rest is from chauffeur car rentals (CCR). The company provides services across 109 cities in India, although nearly 60% of the revenue comes from four metro cities: Bengaluru, Gurugram, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. The company’s clients include InterGlobe Aviation, HCL Corp, Safexpress, Deloitte, IndusInd Bank, and HDFC Life Insurance. Over 57% of the clients have been with the company for over five years. The combined market size for ETS and CCR in India is approximately ₹1 lakh crore, with organised players capturing 15% and 22% of the respective markets.

Financials:
Revenue increased by 94% annually to ₹554 crore between FY22 and FY24. Net profit rose to ₹62.5 crore from ₹9.8 crore while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (Ebitda) grew by 123% to ₹89.9 crore during the period, achieving an Ebitda margin of 16.2%. It had a return on equity (RoE) of 70% in FY24.

Risks:
The ETS and CCR market is highly competitive with low barriers to entry, providing little competitive moat. Ecos Mobility’s business relies on relationships with vendors who supply vehicles and chauffeurs; any adverse changes in these relationships or inability to establish new ones could negatively impact the business.

Valuation:
The company seeks a price-earnings (P/E) multiple of 32 based on FY24 numbers. While there are no directly comparable listed players on the main board, Wise Travel and Shree OSFM, listed on the SME platform, trade at 25-28 times earnings but with lower RoE.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.


ALSO READ

Hyundai Motor India lists with record IPO, commits to Indian market with new tech and EV plans

As part of its effort to introduce clean mobility solutions for Indian buyers, Hyundai will launch f...

auto | 3 hours ago

Skoda Auto Volkswagen India plants over 7 lakh trees in Maharashtra for ecological restoration

Additionally, SAVWIPL has installed 18.5 MWp of rooftop solar power at its Chakan facility, which of...

auto | 3 hours ago

Mega Corporation launches Lendingo to enhance EV financing solutions

Mega Corporation on Monday announced the launch of a new division, Lendingo. Mega Corporation on Mon...

auto | 3 hours ago

GreenLine accelerates decarbonisation efforts with 1,000 LNG trucks by March 2025

The government in a recent draft policy proposed to convert a third of long-haul trucks into LNG pow...

auto | 3 hours ago

Remsons Industries acquires 51% stake in BEE Lighting to enhance automotive lighting solutions

Established in 2006, BEE Lighting specialises in automotive headlamps, rear lamps, and various exter...

auto | 3 hours ago

EV Recharge partners with ZEVO for mobile EV charging solutions

EV Recharge’s technology can charge vehicles from 0% to 80% in just 20 minutes, a significant improv...

auto | 3 hours ago