# 1. Financial Performance ## A. Key Figures * **Revenue:** **$422.5M** Q3 FY26 (+17.3% YoY) · **₹3,778.21 Cr** in Rupee terms (+23.4% YoY) * EBIT Margin: 14.4% Q3 FY26 (–50 bps YoY) · EBIT: ₹5,427.5 Mn (+19.1% YoY) * **PAT Margin:** **11.6%** Q3 FY26 (+17.8% YoY) · **PAT:** **₹4,394.5 Mn** (+17.8% YoY) * **EPS:** **₹28.20** Q3 FY26 (+16% YoY) * ROCE (ex-cash): 43.8% Q3 FY26 * **Cash & Investments:** **₹265 Cr** as of 31 Dec 2025 * **Forward Contracts:** **$490M** outstanding at avg. **₹1/$** as of 31 Dec 2025 * **Operating Cash Flow / PAT:** **91%** ## B. Revenue Growth * **Stable Growth Trajectory:** Revenue growth remained resilient with **low single-digit YoY expansion** in USD, supported by strong momentum in Rupee terms and constant currency growth of **1% QoQ**. * **Services & IP Convergence:** Services revenue showed **mid-single-digit growth**, driven by increasing bundling of IP and services, blurring traditional revenue classification lines. * **Pricing Model Shift:** New **tool- and platform-driven pricing models** (e.g., SASVA, iAURA, GenAI Hub) are scaling across multiple deals, contributing to sustainable revenue structuring. ## C. EBIT & PAT Margins * **Margin Resilience Amid One-Time Drag:** EBIT margin held at 4% despite a **20 bps headwind from furloughs** and **190 bps QoQ decline**, with underlying performance indicating a **7% adjusted EBIT margin**, reflecting strong operational tailwinds. * **Operational Tailwinds:** Favorable currency, lower subcontractor costs, and **higher on-site utilization** contributed **90 bps** of margin benefit, while **AI platform scaling added 150 bps**. * **Strategic Margin Discipline:** Management confirms **no ambition to exceed current margin targets**, prioritizing reinvestment in technology leadership over short-term margin maximization. * **ESOP Cost Trajectory Improving:** **11 crore shares** issued to ESOP Trust relate to prior RSU grants; associated costs are declining, with **reductions expected in FY26 and FY27**. ## D. Balance Sheet Strength * **Capital Efficiency Under Review:** ROCE (ex-cash) improved to 8%, supported by monetization of **intangible assets now generating revenue**, including AI and productivity platforms. * **Intangible Asset Maturation:** Investments in tools and platforms have stabilized, with intangibles representing **1% of revenue**; growth in this category is **moderating as assets reach maturity**. ## E. Operating Cash Flow * **DSO Pressure from Seasonality:** Billed and unbilled DSO increased by **3 days each** due to **holiday-related collection delays**, weighing on operating cash flow conversion. * **FX Volatility Impact:** Mark-to-market **FX losses of ₹82 Cr** reversed prior gains, driven by hedge revaluation, though operational hedges remain intact. * **Deal-Driven Income:** Other income boosted by **₹98 Cr earnout credit** from recent acquisition, non-recurring in nature. * **Revenue Recognition Flexibility:** Structure varies by client—some deals recognize **upfront license revenue**, others embed it over time, influenced by **private equity-backed carve-outs and client-specific requirements**. --- # 2. Deal Wins & Bookings ## A. Key Figures * TCV: **$674.5 Mn** (includes new, renewal, all segments) · **$369.1 Mn** new bookings * ACV: $501.9 Mn (includes new, renewal, all segments) · $255.8 Mn new bookings * **Client Experience (CX) Score:** **92** (2025 ISG Award) ## B. TCV & ACV Trends * **Strong New Bookings Momentum:** ACV driven by robust new deal intake, reflecting effective market positioning and demand for AI and data solutions. * **Strategic Deal Conversion:** Multi-year contracts increasingly originating from **proactive proof of concepts (POCs)**, including rapid three-week POC-to-deal turnaround with major European bank. * **Revenue Visibility:** Revenue conversion influenced by prior-period ACV and multi-year TCV deals, supporting forward revenue predictability. * **External Validation:** Persistent’s AI solutions gained high-visibility endorsement via **showcases by Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and Rob Howard** at key global events. ## C. Strategic Deal Size * **Expansion into New Verticals:** Secured first-of-its-kind win in **materials science** with semiconductor leader, building an end-to-end digital R&D platform with cross-sector scalability. * **Large-Scale Transformation Engagements:** Won **$100 Mn TCV deal** with tier-one bank and **$50 Mn+ five-year contract** with US pathology organization, emphasizing cloud-native modernization and tech debt reduction. * **Direct Client Wins in Competitive Markets:** Secured mandate from French multinational bank **without RFP**, highlighting differentiated expertise in **Databricks-based data engineering and modernization**. * **Post-Acquisition Integration Role:** Selected by global fintech firm to rearchitect payroll and HCM platforms post-M&A, leveraging **SASVA and iAURA** on Microsoft Azure. ## D. New Logo Acquisition * **Market Expansion in Niche Domains:** Achieved first major win in **Salesforce Life Sciences Cloud** with patient support services provider, unlocking new vertical traction. * **Growing Private Equity Channel:** Increasing demand from **private equity firms and portfolio companies** for AI-driven assessments, driving productivity and long-term savings. --- # 3. Vertical & Geography Mix ## A. Key Figures * **BFSI Growth:** **29.3%** YoY (+29.3%) * Software Hi-Tech & Emerging Industries Growth: 14.7% YoY * Healthcare & Life Sciences Growth: 7.4% YoY (+7.4%) * North America Revenue Growth: 18.6% USD YoY (+18.6%) * Rest of World Revenue Growth: 37.9% YoY (+37.9%) * India Revenue Growth: -2.5% YoY [-2.5%] ## B. BFSI & Hi-Tech Growth * **BFSI as Growth Leader:** BFSI emerged as the top-performing vertical, delivering solid momentum and aligning with full-year expectations. * **Hi-Tech Outperformance Amid Capex Shifts:** Software Hi-Tech achieved strong double-digit growth by positioning software and services as mission-critical, countering industry-wide client focus on Capex over services. * **Strategic Differentiation in Hi-Tech:** Persistent is gaining traction by focusing on **core product engineering and 360-degree partnerships**, including with a leader in Next-Gen Manufacturing, rather than traditional IT services. * **AI Adoption Accelerating:** Increasing use of AI for product development and productivity enhancement is a key trend in the hi-tech vertical. ## C. Healthcare Expansion * **Steady Healthcare Growth Resumes:** Healthcare & Life Sciences showed consistent expansion, supported by improved demand dynamics over the past three to four months. * **Modernization Driving Demand:** Rising interest in **application and data modernization** and transformation programs in mid-to-large healthcare firms is fueling new opportunities. * **Broad-Based Wins and New Logos:** Performance in healthcare reflects strong execution, with growth across **payer-provider tech, providers, and pharma**, including new client acquisition and account expansions. ## D. Geographic Performance * **North America Strength:** North America delivered solid growth in USD terms, underpinning regional resilience and client engagement. * **India Contraction Noted:** India revenue declined year-on-year, marking a continued challenge in the domestic market. * **RoW Growth from Small Base:** Rest of World achieved the highest growth rate, though from a limited scale. --- # 4. Platform & Product Performance ## A. Key Figures * **PiAssist Query Resolution:** **83%** of HR queries resolved autonomously * **IT Incident Resolution Time:** Reduced from **3 hours to under 30 minutes** (**70%** workload reduction) * **SASVA Patent Portfolio:** **105 filed patents**, including **30 in the last quarter** * **Software License Revenue Growth:** **40% QoQ** * **Client Productivity Gains:** **60% uplift in data mining efficiency**, **40% higher productivity** in drug discovery * **Coding Tool Productivity:** **20–25% improvement** in SDLC coding phase ## B. SASVA & iAURA Impact * **Enterprise AI at Scale:** AssistX deploys **domain-specific AI agents** across sales, HR, IT, legal, and finance, enabling autonomous task fulfillment within core enterprise systems. * **Operational Transformation:** AI agents drive **dramatic efficiency gains**, including accelerated proposal development and near-total automation of employee HR workflows. * **Client-Centric Innovation:** SASVA delivers **deep-cycle time reductions** in modernization projects, securing strategic wins like full-scale legacy-to-cloud transformation for a global bank. * **Platform-Led Monetization:** Proprietary platforms contribute to **margin tailwinds** and enable **upfront IP monetization**, with growing integration into outcome-based, end-to-end client solutions. ## C. GenAI Hub Adoption * **Agentic AI Leadership:** Persistent operates as **Customer Zero**, leveraging a **modular agentic platform** with **200+ AI agents** and **ISO 42001-aligned governance** to drive enterprise hyper-productivity. * **Strategic Differentiation:** Recognition as a **leader in 2025 ISG Provider Lens** underscores strength in **AI-powered insurance engineering** and **responsible, scalable AI deployment**. * **Ecosystem Expansion:** Partnerships with **hyperscalers and frontier model providers** (e.g., Anthropic, Google, Microsoft) and the launch of **P(AI)X** and **Agent Processing Unit** enhance interoperability and usability across platforms. * **Beyond Point Solutions:** While client adoption of third-party coding tools yields **modest SDLC gains**, Persistent’s **end-to-end SASVA platform** addresses broader lifecycle challenges, enabling previously infeasible services. --- # 5. Client & Revenue Concentration ## A. Key Figures * Top 5 Revenue Growth: +25.6% YoY · Top 10: +28.3% YoY · Top 20: +26.3% YoY · Top 50: +22.7% YoY · Top 100: +20.1% YoY * **Headcount:** **26,711** (Q3 FY26) (+487 QoQ) ## B. Client Concentration & Relationship Depth * **High Revenue Concentration:** Top 100 clients continue to drive **approximately 82% of total revenue**, with strategic focus on deepening ties through tailored technology solutions addressing specific business challenges. * **Broadening Large Client Base:** Significant expansion in mid-tier enterprise clients, particularly those generating **USD 5M+ in annual revenue**, reflecting successful market penetration and client base diversification. * **Stable Anchor Clients:** Despite modest growth in top-tier revenue, the increase in **USD 75M+ clients from 3 to 4** signals progress in scaling relationships with marquee accounts. ## C. Productivity & Margin Drivers * **Flat Revenue per Employee:** Despite **150 bps margin improvement from internal tools**, revenue productivity has not yet improved, indicating that recent gains stem from cost and operational efficiencies rather than revenue leverage. * **Long-Term Decoupling Goal:** Management aims to break the linear link between headcount and revenue growth by investing in **better technology and productivity enhancements**, with expectation of future improvement in revenue per employee. * **One-Time Distortions:** Current productivity metrics are affected by transitory factors, but underlying initiatives are aligned with sustainable, non-linear growth model. --- # 6. Risks & Labor Code Impact ## A. Key Figures * **EBIT Margin Impact:** **~300 bps** total (180 bps wage hike + 230 bps one-time provisioning) * **PAT Margin Impact:** **~1.8%** due to one-time labor code-related provisioning * Attrition Rate: 13.5% TTM (down from 13.8%) ## B. Labor Code & Margin Impact * **One-Time Cost Shock:** EBIT and PAT margins absorbed significant pressure from New Labour Code compliance, including wage hikes and elevated gratuity/leave encashment liabilities. * **Forward-Looking Stability:** Post-implementation, gratuity and leave provisioning will follow new statutory norms, removing future uncertainty on this front. * **Resilient Margins:** Despite ~300 bps EBIT headwind, margins held firm due to **cost discipline** and operational efficiency gains. ## C. Competitive Landscape * **Defensible AI Position:** Management expects rising competition in AI tools but sees current **technology lead** and **sustained R&D investment** as key to maintaining differentiation. --- # 7. Guidance & Outlook ## A. Key Figures * **Revenue Target:** **$2B** by Mar 2027 · **$5B** by Mar 2031 ## B. Strategic Priorities & Capital Policy * **Growth with Discipline:** Company to maintain **consistent dividend payout ratio** while advancing growth via capability-led acquisitions. * **FY27 Focus Set:** Leadership priorities for FY27 finalized, aligned with long-term $5B revenue ambition and AI integration. ## C. Performance & Forward View * **AI-Led Momentum:** Confidence in sustained growth over 12–18 months, underpinned by **AI-led, platform-driven execution** and strong quarterly trends. * **Cautious on Margins:** Recent margin improvement not indicative of **linear progression**; management cautions against forward extrapolation. * **Next Check-In:** Next major update expected in **three months**, with ongoing leadership upskilling in AI.