Sri Havisha Hospitality and Infrastructure Ltd - Stock Valuation and Financial Performance

Shri Shakti LPG (SSLPG) is an integrated LPG company with its own dedicated port facilities, bulk storage terminals, network of bottling plants and distribution outlets and manufacture of LPG cylinders and LPG conversion kits for two-wheelers, three-wheelers and gensets. In 2010 the company changed its name from Shri Shakti LPG Ltd. to Shri Matre Power & Infrastructure Ltd.

SSLPG has established itself as the market leader in the Indian private sector and has the largest customer base of over 2 lakh. On September 23, 1996, SSLPG commissioned its own port facilities at Kakinada, which is the first LPG import facility to be designed and built from scratch after the Government of India permitted private sector in the field of LPG marketing. It is also the first LPG import facility at a minor port in our country. This facility consists of SSLPG’s own LPG vessel 'MB - Shri Shakti', which is the first LPG carrier to be built in India and classified by Lloyds Register of Shipping, London.

Shri Shakti Gas has already established itself as the private sector market leader and is working hard to be known as the most reliable and safest gas company. Shri Shakti’s achievements have been crowned at a glittering ceremony on 28th January, 1997 where the then Prime Minister, H D Deve Gowda, dedicated India’s largest LPG Infrastructure to the nation. The company has its own port facilities and an LP gas carrier at Kakinada (on the east coast), that are supplemented by a bulk handling terminal, storage facilities, and bottling plants spread across south India in as many as six locations. Over 300 exclusive dealers with own showrooms, godowns and delivery vehicles, and more than 3,50,000 LP gas connections -- including over 12,000 commercial and industrial customers -- speak of the goodwill and fundamental strengths SSLPG enjoys. SSLPG has import facilities on the east coast (Kakinada). SSLPG has three bottling plants at Kakinada, Hyderabad and Bangalore and the distribution network covers entire southern India.

In 1993 when SSLPG was floated, India’s policy for parallel marketing of LP gas by the private sector was just being formulated. With the right governmental thrust, hard work by a dedicated team, and highly receptive consumers, SSLPG has emerged as the leading company in its field in the country and today it owns one of south India’s most popular brand names, ‘Shakti Gas’, which is serving to springboard the company into interior India, with diverse offerings in the energy sector.

SSLPG started marketing in Dec '94 in its home state (Andhra Pradesh) with a handful of dealers. The company's marketing and distribution strategy became a success and backed with reliable infrastructure and service, SSLPG could expand rapidly and establish as the No. 1 private sector LPG company. 1997-98 was the first full year of operation for SSLPG after commissioning of its dedicated import facilities and the total sales volume was around 40,000 MT. The household face of SSLPG is ‘Shakti Gas’, which is sold and serviced through a 300 strong exclusive distribution network in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Orissa. Shri Shakti LPG is a customer-friendly company. The closeness it enjoys with its customers is evident in its marketing network. A network that is open for other products as well.

As of February 1999, Shri Shakti’s dealers are spread as follows: Andhra Pradesh (169), Karnataka (62), Kerala (20), Tamil Nadu (39), Pondicherry (1), Goa (6), Orissa (6). All the dealers of SSLPG are generally proprietor or partnership concerns except for a few private limited companies. All dealers are exclusive and deal only with LP Gas - meaning Shakti Gas. Each Shakti Gas dealer has invested Rs 5 to 10 lakhs in stock, investment in showroom, godown and delivery vehicles.

Business areas of the company:

Shri Shakti LPG, is engaged in the manufacture and marketing of LP gas in the Indian peninsula. SSLPG is also the most integrated LP gas company in the country, with activities spanning imports, bulk storage, bottling, marketing and distribution; and manufacture of equipment such as cylinders and conversion kits for using LP gas as an automotive fuel.

SSLPG sells LP gas in bulk to industrial customers and in cylinders to domestic, commercial (hotels and restaurants) and industrial customers. About 80% of the sale is in cylinders and 20% is in bulk. LP gas is sold in 15 kg cylinders as a deluxe connection (with imported valve and regulators) and in 12kg cylinders (with indigenous valves and regulators) as an economy connection respectively. A 33kg cylinder to meet the special requirements of industrial and commercial customers is being introduced shortly. LPG stoves and accessories such as rubber tubes, lighters etc, are also sold by the dealers.

In addition, instant gas water heaters from Fagor Electrodomesticos, Spain, gas cutting and gas welding equipment from Advani Oerlikon and industrial burners and commercial kitchen equipment from United Works Ltd., are also sold and serviced through the SSLPG distribution network.

SSLPG offers application development in the form of complete solutions to meet the energy needs of individual customers in the agro, commercial and industrial sectors. SSLPG has pioneered the usage of LPG in the country for tobacco drying, sago (tapioca) manufacture and cotton yarn singeing.

The company has also indigenously developed LPG conversion kits for 3-wheelers, in collaboration with Automobile Research Association of India (ARAI). These reduce pollution -- in particular, carbon monoxide emissions by 76% -- while increasing the overall performance and the fuel economy substantially. LP gas will also be introduced shortly as an automotive fuel through SSLPG's network. In the meantime, SSLPG has made firm arrangements for export of the LPG conversion kits for 3-wheelers to Sri Lanka

Collaborations:

• Kosan Teknova Gas Appliances -- SSLPG entered into a 50:50 joint venture with Kosan Teknova Gas Appliances Pvt. Ltd. (KTGA), Denmark. Under this joint venture, state-of-the-art Kosanova Valves and Regulators would be manufactured in India and the manufacturing capacity of this plant will be 1.5 million valves per year and 9 million regulators per year starting 1999.

• Automotive Research Association of India -- In developing LP gas based solutions for the automobile sector SSLPG has partnered with the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Pune, with whom India’s first 3-wheeler conversion kit has been pioneered in the country. ARAI is a premier research, testing and statutory certification agency for the automobile industry promoted by the industry itself.