IPO listed on 6 May'25
Ather Energy Ltd
Minimum Investment
₹ 14,766 / 46 shares
Grey market premium
₹ 7 (2.2% premium)
Issue price
₹ 321
Listing price
₹ 328
Listing day %
-7%
Listing on
May 6, 2025
Our Verdict:
Avoid
- Ather Energy, a prominent player in India’s electric two-wheeler (E2W) market, is set to become the second pure-play EV company to be listed in the country. While the E2W market in India is expected to grow significantly, Ather has been consistently posting losses and faces substantial accumulated losses.
- Its financials reflect a negative Price-to-Earnings (PE) ratio. As of December 31, 2024, the company’s total outstanding borrowings stood at Rs 521 crore, which raises concerns about its financial stability.
- Despite strong backing from Hero MotoCorp and a strategic position in India’s rapidly growing E2W market—where scooter penetration is projected to rise from 5.1% in FY24 to 70% by FY31—Ather faces intense competition from established OEMs like TVS and Bajaj Auto. Furthermore, its ongoing financial challenges increase the investment risk.
- Given these challenges, geopolitical uncertainties and broader market sentiment, it is advisable to avoid subscribing to the IPO, as the inherent risks outweigh the potential rewards at this stage. Investors looking to tap into the clean mobility sector may consider buying the stock from the secondary market post-listing, once the company’s financial performance improves.
About the company
Founded in
21 Oct'13
Managing director
Tarun Mehta
- Ather is a leading innovator in the Indian E2W market, specializing in the design, development and in-house assembly of electric scooters, battery packs, charging infrastructure and integrated software solutions. Its E2W portfolio includes two distinct product lines: the Ather 450 series, designed for performance-oriented customers, and the Ather Rizta series, catering to families looking for convenient and reliable scooters.
- As of FY25, Ather holds ~11% market share in the E2W sector. By December 31, 2024, the company has expanded its footprint with 265 experience centres and 233 service centres across India, along with 5 experience centres and 4 service centres in Nepal and 10 experience centres and 1 service centre in Sri Lanka.
STRENGTHS
- Strong Market Positioning: Ather is a key player in India’s rapidly growing E2W industry. Ranked 3rd and 4th by sales volume in FY24 and 9MFY25, respectively, the company has shown remarkable sales growth, selling 109,577 vehicles in FY24—up from 23,402 in FY22. This represents a nearly 4.7x growth over two years.
- Capacity Expansion: With the E2W market set for significant growth, Ather is strategically expanding its production capacity. The current Hosur plant has an annual capacity of 420,000 E2Ws and 379,800 battery packs. The upcoming Factory 3.0 in Maharashtra will increase the total production capacity to 1.42 million E2Ws annually. This expansion will support anticipated demand and improve operational efficiency through backward integration in crucial processes such as transmission and electronics assembly.
- Improved Gross Margins: Ather has significantly improved its gross margins, rising from 7% in FY22 to 19% in 9MFY25. This improvement is driven by cost-saving measures across new products, in-house component development, a consistent reduction in warranty costs and better management of working capital days.
RISK FACTORS
- Weak Financials: While Ather's revenue grew over 4x YoY in FY23, driven by new product launches and network expansion, it experienced a 2% decline in FY24 due to reduced subsidies, resulting in subdued demand. Despite improving operating margins, the company’s EBITDA remains deeply in the red, indicating that the path to profitability remains a significant challenge.
- Cash Flow Concerns: Ather has faced persistent negative cash flows from operations since its inception. In 9MFY25, the company reported a negative net cash flow from operating activities of Rs 717 crore. Continued negative cash flows could jeopardize business continuity and financial stability.
- Legal Risks: Ather is currently embroiled in legal proceedings involving the company, some of its promoters and directors, with an outstanding total of Rs 10,260 crore in claims. A negative outcome from these legal challenges could harm the company’s reputation, financial health and cash flows.
- Stiff Competition: Ather faces intense competition from established OEMs like TVS and Bajaj Auto, who have aggressively expanded their market presence. These legacy players have leveraged their strong brand equity, supplier networks and distribution capabilities to rapidly gain market share, going from almost no presence in FY22 to becoming formidable competitors.
Financials
All Values are in Cr.
Issue details
Issue type
Mainstream
Issue size
₹ 2,980.76 crore
Fresh Issue
₹ 2,626 crore
OFS
₹ 354.76 crore
Price range
₹ 304 - 321
Lot size
46 shares
Issue Objective
The net proceeds from the fresh issue will be utilized for the following purposes:
- Capex for the establishment of an E2W factory in Maharashtra;
- Repayment/pre-payment of certain borrowings availed by the company;
- Investment in research and development;
- Expenditure towards marketing initiatives; and
- General corporate purposes
Dates
Bidding open
28 Apr'25
Bidding close
30 Apr'25
Allotment date
2 May'25
Refund date
5 May'25
Listing
6 May'25
IPO Reservations
Qualified institutional buyers
>75%
Non-institutional investors
<15%
Retail individual investors
<10%
Read the Offer Document
© 2025 by Liquide Solutions Private Limited, SEBI Registered Research Analyst (Registration number - INH000009816)
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