September 2012: Since 2008, providers of outsourced publishing services in India have been adversely affected by the global economic crisis. The impact is evident in their financial performance, which has deteriorated over the last couple of years from the pre-crisis highs. The gloomy economic forecast for the next few years has made financial prudence even more critical. The future existence and success of companies in this industry will be greatly influenced by their financial management during these difficult times.

 

The revenue of the outsourced publishing services industry in India has seen a 34% decline in the past two years. Large-sized service providers were the most affected, with their revenues in 2011 being less than half of that in 2009. An increase in interest expense has caused the net profit margins of medium-sized companies to be negative despite positive operating profits (EBITDA).

 

These are some of the findings of a report titled “Outsourced Publishing Services: Financial Performance Review” published by ValueNotes, a market intelligence and consulting firm. The report – the second of a series of financial reports on the KPO sector – analyses the key financial ratios of companies that constitute the outsourced publishing services segment. The companies covered in this report are pure-play KPOs with operations in India, which exclusively provide outsourced publishing services.

 

Large-sized companies prove resilient; mid-sized firms flounder

 

“While the sharp slowdown in revenues has impacted profitability across the outsourced publishing services industry, the larger players have been better able to manage the downturn,” says Arjun Bhuwalka, Project Manager at ValueNotes. Despite being affected by the fall in revenue, they have responded quickly to optimise their financials to maintain healthy margins. This will allow them to emerge stronger in the next growth phase. Medium-sized firms have not been able to do this and if they want to survive the economic crisis, they need to act now.

 

The leading contender, Knowledge Global Limited (KGL) represents the financial performance needed by companies in the industry in the current situation. The company has topped the service provider evaluation ranking in 2011 and shown strong financial credentials across parameters.

 

KGL has reported the highest revenue, backed by industry leading margins and high returns to its shareholders. Other companies that have stood out for their financial performance are Altivolus Infotech, Integra, Quadrum and KiwiTech.

 

To learn more about this report, follow this link or write to reports@valuenotes.co.in