Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands operating cash flow rises 42%

Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands Limited reported net cash flow from operating activities of Rs 403.89 crore for the six months ended September 30, 2026, up 42% from Rs 283.48 crore a year earlier. Cash generated from operations increased to Rs 460.03 crore, despite a Rs 261.32 crore working-capital outflow from trade receivables.

Why did Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands' operating cash flow rise?

Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands' operating cash flow rose because cash generated from operations increased by Rs 143.02 crore year on year to Rs 460.03 crore in the six months ended September 30, 2026. Operating profit before working-capital changes increased to Rs 665.61 crore from Rs 595.64 crore, while profit before tax rose to Rs 109.60 crore from Rs 59.24 crore.

The group reported Rs 403.89 crore of net operating cash flow, compared with Rs 283.48 crore in the corresponding six months of 2025. Its cash-flow statement records income taxes paid, net of refunds, at Rs 156.14 crore for the 2026 period, against an amount of Rs 33.53 crore shown in brackets for the prior-year period.

How did receivables and inventories affect working capital?

Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands' trade receivables consumed Rs 261.32 crore of cash in the first half of 2026, compared with Rs 45.08 crore in the first half of 2025. Trade receivables on the balance sheet rose to Rs 1,459.50 crore at September 30, 2026, from Rs 1,198.10 crore at March 31, 2026.

Inventories absorbed Rs 150.83 crore, a smaller outflow than Rs 334.80 crore a year earlier, while other assets used Rs 128.49 crore against Rs 131.27 crore. Inventory increased to Rs 2,499.36 crore at September 30 from Rs 2,348.53 crore at March 31, matching the Rs 150.83 crore inventory movement in the cash-flow statement.

Trade payables supplied Rs 269.27 crore of cash, close to the Rs 273.73 crore contribution in the prior-year half. Other liabilities added Rs 59.01 crore, down from Rs 145.74 crore, and provisions added Rs 6.78 crore against Rs 4.53 crore; together, the disclosed working-capital movements reduced cash by Rs 205.58 crore in 2026, compared with Rs 278.63 crore in 2025.

What was Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands' first-half operating performance?

Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands' revenue from operations increased 11% to Rs 4,311.35 crore for the six months ended September 30, 2026, from Rs 3,878.48 crore a year earlier. Net profit after tax increased to Rs 82.07 crore from Rs 47.50 crore, while total income rose to Rs 4,359.62 crore from Rs 3,922.13 crore.

Finance costs declined to Rs 179.35 crore from Rs 182.80 crore, even as depreciation and amortisation rose to Rs 427.73 crore from Rs 381.46 crore. Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands identifies manufacturing and trading of branded apparel, including garments and accessories, as its single operating and reporting segment under Indian Accounting Standard 108.

In the September 2026 quarter, revenue from operations was Rs 2,265.61 crore, compared with Rs 2,045.74 crore in the June 2026 quarter and Rs 2,037.90 crore in the September 2025 quarter. Quarterly profit before tax was Rs 70.43 crore, up from Rs 39.17 crore in the preceding quarter and Rs 31.07 crore a year earlier.

How were Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands' cash inflows used?

Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands used Rs 341.45 crore in investing activities during the six months ended September 30, 2026, compared with Rs 123.21 crore in the prior-year period. The principal movements were Rs 138.63 crore spent on property, plant and equipment and Rs 210.12 crore used for net purchases of current investments.

Financing activities used Rs 112.01 crore, compared with Rs 60.04 crore used a year earlier. Net proceeds from current borrowings were Rs 420.42 crore, while lease-liability repayments were Rs 323.91 crore, interest on lease liabilities was Rs 82.09 crore, interest paid was Rs 49.73 crore and dividends paid were Rs 60.45 crore.

The operating, investing and financing movements resulted in a Rs 49.60 crore decrease in cash and cash equivalents, compared with a Rs 100.23 crore increase in the previous first half. Cash and cash equivalents were Rs 41.36 crore at September 30, 2026, down from Rs 90.96 crore at the beginning of the financial year.

What changed in Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands' funding position?

Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands' current borrowings rose to Rs 677.17 crore at September 30, 2026, from Rs 252.73 crore at March 31, 2026. The Rs 424.44 crore balance-sheet increase was close to the Rs 420.42 crore of net proceeds from current borrowings reported in the six-month cash-flow statement.

Non-current borrowings moved in the other direction, falling to Rs 560.85 crore from Rs 580.96 crore over the six months. Total lease liabilities were Rs 2,285.50 crore at September 30, comprising Rs 1,655.77 crore of non-current lease liabilities and Rs 629.73 crore of current lease liabilities.

Current liabilities increased to Rs 5,102.09 crore from Rs 4,300.22 crore at March 31. Trade payables to creditors other than micro and small enterprises increased to Rs 2,442.85 crore from Rs 2,189.00 crore, while other current liabilities rose to Rs 647.72 crore from Rs 545.46 crore.

Conclusion

Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands converted higher first-half profit before tax of Rs 109.60 crore into Rs 403.89 crore of reported operating cash flow. Higher operating profit before working-capital changes and lower inventory cash absorption than the prior year offset the substantially larger Rs 261.32 crore receivables outflow.

The next financial disclosure will show whether trade receivables, which stood at Rs 1,459.50 crore on September 30, continue to use cash and whether current borrowings remain near Rs 677.17 crore. The source also reports Rs 156.14 crore of income taxes paid, net of refunds, alongside Rs 460.03 crore of cash generated from operations and Rs 403.89 crore of operating cash flow.