Gateway Distriparks Limited — Q4 FY25 earnings call

Call held 27 May 2025

Management summary

Gateway Distriparks reported Q4 FY25 results with several accounting adjustments, including a significant goodwill impairment correction and a provision for stamp duty. Snowman Logistics' consolidation contributed to full-year financials, with expansion plans underway for cold storage facilities. Management discussed margin pressures in the 5PL and warehousing segments due to business mix changes and the 'Park 'n' Pay' model, alongside challenges in land acquisition for new ICDs and delays in DFC completion. Despite these, the company maintains confidence in its legal position regarding the Jaipur land case and its strategic growth initiatives.

Highlights

  • CFS revenue for FY25, after accounting adjustment, was Rs. 46 crores.

  • Snowman Logistics, now consolidated, reported full-year revenue of Rs. 145 crores, EBITDA of Rs. 25 crores, and PAT of Rs. 3.5 crores.

  • A one-time provision of Rs. 12.8 crores was made for stamp duty related to a past group merger.

  • A goodwill impairment correction resulted in a net impact of Rs. 131 crores, following a previous gain.

  • Q4 depreciation impact was lower by Rs. 3.5-4 crores due to asset utilization reassessment.

  • Rail EBITDA per TEU for Q4 stood at Rs. 9,500-9,600, while CFS EBITDA per TEU was Rs. 1,300-1,400.

  • Snowman's 5PL gross margins are now targeted at 6-8%, revised from 8-9% due to business mix changes.

  • The company targets a double stacking percentage of 42-43% for rail operations going forward.

Concerns

  • Legal challenge on Jaipur land acquisition under Benami Property Act

Key financials

4 periods

Headline

  • Stamp Duty Provision
    ₹12.8 Cr
  • Goodwill Impairment (net)
    ₹131 Cr

Q4

  • Depreciation Impact
    ₹3.5 Cr

FY25 adjusted

  • CFS Revenue
    ₹46 Cr

FY25 consolidated

  • Snowman Logistics Revenue
    ₹145 Cr
  • Snowman Logistics EBITDA
    ₹25 Cr
  • Snowman Logistics PAT
    ₹3.5 Cr

What they filed

Q1 FY27: revenue down 3.4%, net profit down 25.0% against the same quarter last year.

₹ Cr · quarterly
Line itemQ2 FY25Q3 FY25Q4 FY25Q1 FY26Q2 FY26Q3 FY26Q4 FY26Q1 FY27
Revenue384 386 391 380 403 +5%410 +6%385 −2%367 −3%
EBITDA94 92 79 89 95 +1%96 +4%92 +16%87 −2%
Net profit70 57 65 64 69 −1%71 +25%65 +0%48 −25%
How to read this

₹ crore, as filed. The percentage beside a figure is the change against the same quarter a year earlier — never the quarter before, which would make every seasonal business look like it collapses and booms each year.

Segment breakdown

  • Rail Operations
    ₹9,500 EBITDA per TEU (Q4)41% Double Stacking Percentage (Q4)17% Market Share NCR (Q4)27% Market Share Ludhiana (Q4)37% Market Share Kashipur (Q4)17% Market Share NCR (FY25)25% Market Share Ludhiana (FY25)28% Market Share Kashipur (FY25)
  • CFS Operations
    ₹1,300 EBITDA per TEU (Q4)
  • Snowman Logistics (5PL)
    6% Gross Margins (New Target)8% Gross Margins (Old Target)
  • Snowman Logistics (Warehousing)
    5% Growth (ex-Amazon)4% Pricing Increase (Contract Renewals)

Guidance & targets

Capacity

  • Kolkata facility pallets Capacity · June 2025 · High confidence 6,000 pallets
    Hi, see the facility in Calcutta is starting in the month of June itself and it will add additionally almost 6,000 pallets.

    — Padamdeep Singh Handa

  • Krishnapatnam facility start Capacity · July 2025 · High confidence July 2025
    As far as Krishnapatnam goes, that will be up in this year only, in the month of July.

    — Padamdeep Singh Handa

Capex

  • Snowman Logistics Annual CAPEX Capex · per year · High confidence Rs. 100-150 crores
    Rs. 100 crores to Rs. 150 crores per year.

    — Samvid Gupta

  • Gateway Distriparks Annual CAPEX (excluding new terminals) Capex · per year · High confidence Rs. 30 crores
    So, maybe around Rs. 30 crores, other than the new terminals.

    — Samvid Gupta

  • Combined CAPEX (warehousing & vehicles) Capex · next two years · High confidence Rs. 60 crores
    So, say Rs. 60 crores for the next two years. This is basically some warehousing capacity and vehicles.

    — Samvid Gupta

Profitability

  • Snowman 5PL Gross Margins Profitability · ongoing · Medium confidence 6-8%

    Previously 8-9% → 6-8%

    Yes, correct. That is changed, but it will remain in the range of 6% to 8% depending upon the product mix.

    — Padamdeep Singh Handa

Rail Operations

  • Double Stacking Percentage Rail Operations · going forward · Medium confidence 42%-43%
    So, we are targeting 42%-43% going forward.

    — Rajguru Behgal

Infrastructure

  • JNPT Corridor completion Infrastructure · next year · Medium confidence March

    Previously December → March

    So, hopefully once the JNPT Corridor is completed, which now they are saying is, as per the site they are mentioning December, but as per our sources it might take another couple of months. So, it should happen by March.

    — Rajguru Behgal

Risks & concerns

  • Legal challenge on Jaipur land acquisition under Benami Property Act

    high

    A land acquisition deal in Jaipur is subject to a legal case under the Benami Property Act, posing a potential operational and financial risk.

    Analyst acknowledged

  • Land acquisition challenges for new ICDs

    medium

    Difficulty in finalizing land parcels due to due diligence issues, title problems, and price disagreements, leading to re-evaluation of expansion plans.

    Management acknowledged

  • Delays in DFC completion and realization of commercial advantages

    medium

    The JNPT Corridor completion is delayed (expected March vs. December), and anticipated positive commercial advantages for trade have not yet materialized.

    Management acknowledged

  • Working capital intensity of 5PL business

    medium

    The 5PL business requires careful customer selection due to its working capital intensive nature, focusing on growth potential and payment ability.

    Management acknowledged

  • Competitive intensity in cold chain warehousing

    medium

    While Snowman is a market leader, healthy competition is expected as the cold chain industry matures and shifts from unorganized to organized players.

    Management acknowledged

  • Client industry slowdown impacting Snowman margins

    medium

    Certain customer segments like meat, seafood, and poultry experienced a 15% year-on-year decline, directly impacting Snowman's overall margins.

    Management acknowledged

Areas of evasion (1)

  • Specific revenue breakdown by industry for Snowman Logistics

Q&A highlights

3 direct
Snowman Logistics Krishnapatnam facility timeline discrepancy Direct
As far as Krishnapatnam goes, that will be up in this year only, in the month of July. So, for that, when I go back to expansion plans, that is the second phase of Krishnapatnam, which will be taken in future for the expansion. There is a possibility, as we do have another warehouse available in Krishnapatnam to be converted to a cold store.

This clarifies the phased approach for the Krishnapatnam facility, with the first phase starting significantly earlier than a previously mentioned date, impacting immediate capacity.

Asked by Love Jain

Decline in Snowman Logistics warehousing margins Direct
So, some of it is contributed by the "Park 'n' Pay" model. This year we have grown 500x in "Park 'n' Pay" model wherein close to 60,000 pallets were outsourced and built. So, wherein the margins are lower, thus the percentage margin is pulled down on the warehousing part.

Management directly addressed the reason for margin compression in the core warehousing business, attributing it to the lower-margin 'Park 'n' Pay' model and the impact of the Amazon business shutdown.

Asked by Rohit

Jaipur land acquisition issue under Benami Property Act Direct
Sir, it wasn't our intention to do anything like that. We still believe we did it the right way. We have a good top legal firm also advising us, who believes that we have a strong case. We are hopeful within the next year or two, for whatever reason, this got caught in this legal case. But according to us, it's still fine.

This question addresses a significant legal risk concerning a past land acquisition, with management expressing confidence in their legal position despite the ongoing case.

Asked by Gaurav Gandhi

3 min read 6 chapters

Detailed narrative

Q4 FY25 Performance and Accounting Adjustments

Gateway Distriparks reported several one-off accounting entries impacting Q4 FY25 results. CFS revenue, after an accounting method change, was adjusted to Rs. 46 crores for the full year. Snowman Logistics, now consolidated, contributed Rs. 145 crores in revenue, Rs. 25 crores in EBITDA, and Rs. 3.5 crores in PAT for the full year. A Rs. 12.8 crore provision was made for stamp duty related to a past group merger, and a goodwill impairment correction of minus Rs. 258 crores (net Rs. 131 crores) was recorded, though stated as a non-cash balance sheet item. Depreciation was lower by Rs. 3.5-4 crores in Q4 due to reassessment of asset utilization.

Snowman Logistics Expansion and Margin Dynamics

Snowman Logistics is set to expand its cold storage capacity with a new facility in Kolkata adding 6,000 pallets by June 2025 and the first phase of Krishnapatnam facility commencing in July 2025. However, warehousing margins have seen a decline, attributed to the growth of the lower-margin 'Park 'n' Pay' model and the shutdown of Amazon business. The 5PL gross margin target has been revised downwards from 8-9% to 6-8%. Despite these pressures, the company reported a 5% growth in its warehousing business excluding the Amazon impact and achieved 4-5% pricing increases on contract renewals for existing customers.

Gateway Distriparks Rail & ICD Strategy

Gateway Distriparks reported Q4 Rail EBITDA per TEU at Rs. 9,500-9,600 and CFS EBITDA per TEU at Rs. 1,300-1,400. The company's double stacking percentage increased to 41% in Q4, with a target to reach 42-43% going forward. Market share in NCR remained steady at 17% for Q4 and the full year, while Ludhiana regained to 27% (Q4) and 25% (full year), and Kashipur to 37% (Q4) and 28% (full year). Management noted challenges in land acquisition for new ICDs and delays in the JNPT Corridor completion, now expected by March, impacting rail volume growth.

Capital Expenditure Plans

For the upcoming fiscal year, Snowman Logistics plans an annual CAPEX of Rs. 100-150 crores, primarily funded by 80% debt and 20% internal accruals. Gateway Distriparks anticipates a CAPEX of approximately Rs. 30 crores per year, excluding new terminals. Combined, the companies project a CAPEX of around Rs. 60 crores over the next two years for warehousing capacity and vehicles, indicating continued investment in infrastructure despite a cautious market sentiment.

Jaipur Land Acquisition Legal Challenge

A significant concern raised was the land acquisition deal in Jaipur, which has been caught in a legal case under the Benami Property Act. Management asserted confidence in their position, stating they believe they acted correctly and have strong legal advice, hoping for a resolution within the next one to two years. This issue highlights potential operational and financial risks associated with past land deals, requiring close monitoring by investors.

5PL Business and Customer Strategy

Snowman Logistics has added two new 5PL customers, Unilever and Kopi Kenangan, with Unilever focusing on ice cream distribution in Northeastern states. The 5PL business is noted for its working capital intensity, leading management to carefully select customers based on their growth potential and ability to make timely payments. The company performs detailed due diligence to safeguard its interests while expanding its 5PL offerings, aiming for sustainable growth in this segment.

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