Thirumalai Chemicals Plans ₹400–500 Crore Fundraise

Thirumalai Chemicals is executing a defensive capital-raising plan of ₹400–500 crore (including a ₹200–250 crore preference share issue and the ₹10.35 crore sale of four windmills) to address a widening liquidity gap and meet near-term debt obligations. Key Financial & Operational Highlights (Q1 FY27): Standalone Turnaround: Core domestic operations showed resilience, with standalone net profit turning positive at ₹14.21 crore (vs. a ₹13.80 crore loss in Q1 FY26). Consolidated Recovery: Consolidated revenue grew 21.47% YoY to ₹546.67 crore, and EBITDA turned positive at ₹35.90 crore (6.6% margin), narrowing the consolidated net loss to ₹43.67 crore. Liquidity Strain: A severe working capital mismatch persists, with consolidated current liabilities exceeding current assets by ₹742.12 crore. Root Cause of Stress: The consolidated financial strain is primarily driven by severe cost overruns (escalated to $340 million) and construction delays at the company’s US subsidiary, TCL Specialties LLC. The project's commercial launch has been pushed to December 2026, locking up essential capital. Consequently, ICRA revised the company’s credit rating to BBB (Negative) in August 2026. Strategic Outlook: While the standalone business demonstrates strong operational recovery, the consolidated balance sheet remains under heavy pressure. The planned fundraising (alongside a broader board approval to raise up to ₹750 crore via debt/equity/QIP) acts as a critical survival mechanism to service debt and fund day-to-day operations. Financial stability will remain contingent on the timely commissioning and successful debt refinancing of the US expansion project.