Hikal Moves Into Animal Health and Personal Care to Boost Growth

Hikal Ltd. is branching into animal health and personal care as part of a new growth plan leading up to the year 2030. The company plans to use its current manufacturing assets, regulatory systems and relationships with multinational customers to enter these new areas without spending large amounts of money. During the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders Sameer Hiremath and Anish Swadi studied how far their main businesses in pharmaceuticals and crop protection could grow. Consultants advised them to create a long-term strategy focused on value rather than just chasing high turnover. Crop protection suffered from pricing pressure after the pandemic, while pharmaceutical units faced regulatory work. Hikal chose to build the new businesses during this downturn to protect itself from market ups and downs. Right now, pharmaceuticals bring in 60 percent of the company's revenue, while crop protection provides about 40 percent. Hikal expects this mix to change in the next three to four years. The firm wants animal health revenue to cross 400 crore rupees by the financial year 2030, with double-digit margins. Its personal care division recently started commercial production at Panoli and aims to reach more than 200 crore rupees in revenue by the same year. For the 2026 financial year, Hikal posted total revenue of 1,713 crore rupees and an EBITDA of 232.8 crore rupees, which gives a 13.6 percent margin. The company expects revenue to grow by 14 to 16 percent in the 2027 financial year and does not plan to take on major debt unless it makes a large acquisition. In related news, the proxy advisory firm Institutional Investor Advisory Services has advised shareholders to vote for appointing Sameer Hiremath as Chairperson and Managing Director for five years starting October 1, 2026. This vote happens ahead of the company's Annual General Meeting on September 23, following Jai Hiremath stepping down as Executive Chairperson.