Quess Corp interim dividend: ₹5, Feb 6 record date

What Quess Corp announced

Quess Corp Ltd has declared an interim dividend of ₹5 per equity share for the financial year 2025-26. The decision was taken at the company’s board meeting held on January 28, 2026, which also considered and approved the unaudited financial results for the quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2025. The record date for determining eligible shareholders has been fixed as February 6, 2026. The company said the dividend will be paid on or before February 16, 2026. The announcement was made through a stock exchange filing on BSE.

Interim dividend: rate, face value, and eligibility

The interim dividend is ₹5 per equity share, which the company described as 50% of the face value. Quess Corp’s equity shares have a face value of ₹10 per share, as stated in the filing. Shareholders whose names appear in the company’s register of members (or as beneficial owners in depository records) as of the record date will be eligible for the payout. The company also communicated that tax deduction at source (TDS) would apply on the interim dividend, as per applicable rules. Such TDS communication is typically relevant for resident and non-resident shareholders who may need to submit documents for lower or nil deduction, depending on eligibility.

Key dates investors should note

For dividend eligibility, two dates matter most: the record date and the ex-date. The provided corporate action table shows February 6, 2026 as the ex-date and record date for the interim dividend.

Q3 FY26 results: consolidated performance snapshot

Alongside the dividend, the board reviewed and approved unaudited results for the quarter ended December 31, 2025 (Q3 FY26). On a consolidated basis, Quess Corp reported total income of ₹3,931.26 crore for Q3 FY26. Revenue from operations was ₹3,929.71 crore for the quarter. Profit before tax stood at ₹51.09 crore, while profit for the period was ₹55.09 crore. Total comprehensive income for the period was ₹51.10 crore.

For the nine months ended December 31, 2025, the company reported total income of ₹11,423.04 crore on a consolidated basis. Profit for the nine-month period was ₹157.85 crore, and total comprehensive income was ₹167.95 crore. The company’s filing states these results were subject to a limited review by the statutory auditors.

Segment revenue: where the quarter’s income came from

The filing provided segment-wise revenue for Q3 FY26. General Staffing contributed the bulk of segment revenue at ₹3,408.98 crore. Professional Staffing revenue was ₹230.13 crore, while Overseas Business reported ₹290.38 crore. Digital Platforms was reported at ₹0.22 crore for the quarter.

These segment figures help explain how Quess Corp’s staffing-led business model shapes its quarterly numbers, with General Staffing remaining the dominant revenue contributor.

Auditor’s qualified review conclusion and the tax dispute

The limited review report on the unaudited financial results included a qualified conclusion from Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP, as stated in the filing. The basis for the qualification relates to certain tax deductions claimed by the company that were disallowed by the Income Tax Authority. Quess Corp said it is contesting these disallowances and believes they will ultimately be resolved favorably.

Separately, another portion of the provided text summarises contingent liabilities and mentions tax disputes and other matters, including a Provident Fund demand. It cites a Provident Fund litigation demand of ₹71.66 crore (₹716.56 million) related to alleged non-remittance for FY19, with the company stating it has obtained a stay on pre-deposit and considers the demand unsustainable based on external legal advice. It also mentions contingent liabilities related to tax disputes of about ₹296.40 crore (₹2,964 million).

Labour codes: exceptional item impact disclosed

The filing also noted an accounting impact linked to labour code changes. Quess Corp recognised an incremental impact of ₹6.81 crore (₹68.12 million) under “Exceptional Items” due to new labour codes that came into effect on November 21, 2025. The disclosure matters because labour compliance costs and accounting treatment can affect reported profitability and comparability across periods.

Context from earlier performance updates

In another update included in the provided material, Quess Corp reported a year-on-year revenue increase of 3% to ₹3,832 crore in Q2 FY26, with EBITDA reaching a record ₹77 crore, up 11%. The same note attributes growth primarily to the General Staffing segment, which added 21,000 employees, and highlights strong performance in Professional Staffing, particularly in the GCC segment.

While this Q2 FY26 update is separate from the Q3 board outcome, it provides context on where growth was being reported earlier in FY26.

Board meeting and dividend history from disclosures

The company’s disclosures include a schedule of recent board meetings and corporate actions. The latest board meeting for Quess Corp took place on January 28, 2026 for “Quarterly Results & Interim Dividend.” The table also lists prior meetings on October 29, 2025, July 28, 2025, and May 19, 2025, among others.

The dividend table provided also reflects a final dividend of ₹6 with an ex-date of August 8, 2025. This sits alongside the interim dividend of ₹5 with an ex-date of February 6, 2026.

Trading window closure and governance process

Ahead of the January 28, 2026 board meeting, Quess Corp announced a trading window closure for company securities from January 1, 2026 to January 30, 2026 (both days inclusive), with reopening scheduled for January 31, 2026. The stated purpose was compliance with insider trading regulations and the company’s internal code of conduct. Such trading window closures are standard practice around earnings and dividend decisions, as price-sensitive information is expected to be discussed and disclosed.

Market impact: what the disclosures change for shareholders

The interim dividend sets a clear timeline for eligibility and cash receipt, with the record date and payment deadline explicitly stated. For investors, the Q3 FY26 numbers provide an updated view of quarterly scale, segment mix, and profitability. The qualified review conclusion is also a key disclosure, because it points to ongoing tax matters that are still under dispute.

The exceptional item recognition linked to labour codes adds another data point for readers tracking cost and compliance related impacts in staffing businesses. Along with earlier updates on Q2 FY26 revenue and EBITDA, the filings collectively outline the operational backdrop while the company continues to report relatively thin profit margins typical of high-volume staffing models.

Conclusion

Quess Corp’s January 28, 2026 board meeting delivered two headline outcomes: approval of unaudited Q3 FY26 results and a ₹5 per share interim dividend for FY2025-26. Shareholders will be assessed for eligibility on February 6, 2026, and the company has guided that payment will be completed on or before February 16, 2026. Investors will also track subsequent updates on the tax matters underlying the auditors’ qualified conclusion and any further disclosures tied to labour code related impacts.