Orient Press Narrows September Loss as Revenue Falls 20%

Orient Press Limited reported an Rs 86.51 lakh pre-tax loss for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, compared with an Rs 1.02 crore loss a year earlier, while revenue from operations fell 20.1% to Rs 30.03 crore. The standalone unaudited result recorded a net loss of Rs 63.60 lakh.

How did Orient Press perform in the September 2026 quarter?

Orient Press narrowed its pre-tax loss to Rs 86.51 lakh in the quarter ended September 30, 2026, from Rs 1.02 crore in the quarter ended September 30, 2025. Total income declined 21.1% to Rs 31.11 crore from Rs 39.44 crore, as revenue from operations fell to Rs 30.03 crore from Rs 37.61 crore and other income decreased to Rs 1.08 crore from Rs 1.83 crore.

Orient Press reported a net loss of Rs 63.60 lakh, compared with an Rs 75.55 lakh loss a year earlier. Its tax line showed a deferred-tax benefit of Rs 22.91 lakh, versus Rs 26.58 lakh in the prior-year quarter. Total comprehensive loss was Rs 59.71 lakh, against Rs 71.71 lakh, while basic and diluted earnings per share, or EPS, were each negative Rs 0.64, compared with negative Rs 0.76.

Orient Press’s total expenses fell by Rs 8.47 crore to Rs 31.98 crore, slightly exceeding the Rs 8.33 crore fall in total income. Material consumption declined to Rs 16.51 crore from Rs 21.73 crore, purchases of stock-in-trade fell to Rs 3.93 crore from Rs 5.95 crore, and other expenses reduced to Rs 5.65 crore from Rs 6.81 crore. Finance costs increased to Rs 1.58 crore from Rs 1.55 crore.

Which segments shaped Orient Press’s quarterly result?

Orient Press’s Printing segment remained its largest revenue contributor, reporting Rs 12.39 crore for the September 2026 quarter, down from Rs 18.29 crore a year earlier. Its segment result increased to Rs 3.76 crore from Rs 3.21 crore. The reported segment results are before finance costs, unallocable expenditure or income, exceptional items and tax.

Flexible Packaging recorded revenue of Rs 11.01 crore, compared with Rs 13.58 crore in the September 2025 quarter, while its segment loss reduced to Rs 2.62 crore from Rs 2.76 crore. Paper Board Packaging revenue increased to Rs 6.29 crore from Rs 5.69 crore, but its segment result fell to Rs 5.53 lakh from Rs 12.65 lakh.

Orient Press’s Others segment, which the filing identifies as the Candles business, generated Rs 33.49 lakh in revenue, up from Rs 6.85 lakh a year earlier. Its segment loss widened to Rs 59.22 lakh from Rs 9.18 lakh. Aggregate segment results were positive Rs 60.06 lakh, versus Rs 51.75 lakh, before Rs 1.58 crore of finance costs and Rs 11.81 lakh of net unallocable income.

What do Orient Press’s half-year figures show?

Orient Press reported a wider pre-tax loss of Rs 2.57 crore for the half year ended September 30, 2026, compared with an Rs 2.12 crore loss in the corresponding 2025 half year. Net loss widened to Rs 1.89 crore from Rs 1.55 crore, and total comprehensive loss increased to Rs 1.85 crore from Rs 1.46 crore. The improved September-quarter comparison therefore did not reverse the year-on-year movement over six months.

Revenue from operations for the half year fell to Rs 51.56 crore from Rs 63.85 crore, while total income declined to Rs 53.67 crore from Rs 66.62 crore. Total expenses reduced to Rs 56.23 crore from Rs 59.74 crore. The Rs 3.51 crore reduction in expenses was smaller than the Rs 12.95 crore reduction in total income, and basic and diluted EPS were each negative Rs 1.89, against negative Rs 1.55.

Printing revenue declined to Rs 16.53 crore from Rs 24.89 crore in the half year, and its segment result fell to Rs 4.93 crore from Rs 6.05 crore. Flexible Packaging revenue decreased to Rs 22.71 crore from Rs 25.81 crore, while its segment loss widened to Rs 4.56 crore from Rs 1.93 crore. Paper Board Packaging revenue rose to Rs 11.94 crore from Rs 9.87 crore and its segment result increased to Rs 44.23 lakh from Rs 7.83 lakh.

What changed in Orient Press’s balance sheet and cash flow?

Orient Press reported total assets of Rs 153.79 crore at September 30, 2026, down from Rs 159.72 crore at March 31, 2026. Current assets declined to Rs 92.73 crore from Rs 99.08 crore, including trade receivables of Rs 23.11 crore against Rs 28.72 crore. Inventories increased to Rs 61.95 crore from Rs 61.01 crore, while cash and cash equivalents rose to Rs 19.46 lakh from Rs 15.80 lakh.

Total equity was Rs 62.67 crore at September 30, 2026, down from Rs 64.52 crore at the preceding financial year-end. Other equity declined to Rs 52.67 crore from Rs 54.52 crore. Total liabilities were Rs 91.12 crore, compared with Rs 95.20 crore, while current borrowings increased to Rs 55.05 crore from Rs 52.77 crore and non-current borrowings rose to Rs 4.38 crore from Rs 3.38 crore.

Operating activities used Rs 1.45 crore of cash in the half year ended September 30, 2026, compared with cash generated from operations of Rs 7.34 crore a year earlier. Trade and other payables represented an Rs 6.95 crore outflow, against an Rs 2.24 crore inflow in the prior-year half. Investing activities provided Rs 1.58 crore of cash and financing activities provided Rs 42.26 lakh.

Conclusion

Orient Press narrowed its September-quarter pre-tax and net losses, but the improvement came alongside a one-fifth year-on-year decline in revenue from operations. Printing produced a higher quarterly segment result despite lower revenue, while Flexible Packaging remained loss-making and the Candles business reported a wider segment loss.

The filing leaves unresolved whether the improvement in the September quarter can offset the weaker half-year performance, including the Rs 4.56 crore Flexible Packaging segment loss and Rs 1.45 crore operating cash outflow. Subsequent results will also show how current borrowings of Rs 55.05 crore and non-current borrowings of Rs 4.38 crore change from the September 30, 2026 position.