Quess Corp FY26 EBITDA Rises 19% to ₹312 Cr; Board Declares ₹6 Per Share Dividend
Quess Corp reported a strong FY26 with consolidated net profit of INR 2,222.01 million, EBITDA of ₹312 crore (up 19% YoY), and revenue of INR 1,53,051.87 million (up 2% YoY). The Board declared a total dividend of INR 11 per share across three tranches, while statutory auditors issued a qualified opinion related to Section 80JJAA tax deduction disputes. Board changes include the appointment of Mr. Anish Thurthi and resignation of Mr. Chandran Ratnaswami, alongside a transition to KFin Technologies as the new RTA.

*this image is generated using AI for illustrative purposes only.
Quess Corp Limited announced its audited financial results for the quarter and year ended March 31, 2026, at its Board meeting held on May 4, 2026. The company reported a consolidated net profit of INR 2,222.01 million for FY26, a significant increase compared to INR 458.89 million in the previous year. For the quarter ended March 31, 2026, consolidated net profit attributable to owners of the company stood at INR 641.35 million, reversing the loss of INR 954.93 million reported in the same period last year. Profit before tax (PBT) for Q4 FY26 was INR 690.18 million, compared to a loss of INR 989.12 million in Q4 FY25. Total comprehensive income for FY26 stood at INR 2,421.45 million versus INR 380.54 million in the prior year.
Financial Performance
Consolidated revenue from operations for FY26 was INR 1,53,051.87 million, up 2% year-on-year. EBITDA for the year rose 19% to ₹312 crore, with a margin improvement of 29 basis points. Adjusted PAT for FY26 was ₹230 crore, up 10% YoY, with a return on equity (ROE) of 20%. EBITDA to operating cash flow (OCF) stood at 80% for FY26. On a quarterly basis, Q4 revenue was ₹3,892 crore, and EBITDA reached ₹86 crore, up 28% YoY and 8% QoQ. The previous quarter carried an exceptional item of INR 1.58 billion. The following table summarises the key quarterly and annual performance metrics:
| Particulars (₹ Cr.) | Q4 FY26 | Q4 FY25 | YoY | Q3 FY26 | QoQ | FY26 | FY25 | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headcount | 479k | 459k | 4% | 483k | (1%) | 479k | 459k | 4% |
| Total Revenue | 3,892 | 3,656 | 6% | 3,930 | (1%) | 15,305 | 14,967 | 2% |
| EBITDA | 86 | 67 | 28% | 80 | 8% | 312 | 262 | 19% |
| EBITDA% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 37bps | 2.03% | 19bps | 2.0% | 1.8% | 29bps |
| Adj PAT* | 64 | 63 | 2% | 62 | 3% | 230 | 210 | 10% |
| Adj. PAT Margin* | 1.6% | 1.7% | (7)bps | 1.6% | 6bps | 1.5% | 1.4% | 10bps |
| Adj EPS* (₹) | 4.30 | 4.20 | 2% | 4.10 | 3% | 15.40 | 14.10 | 9% |
Excluding one-time exceptional items
Commenting on the results, CEO Mr. Lohit Bhatia said, "I am pleased to report our FY26 results. We closed the year strong with EBITDA of ₹312 crore, up by 19% YoY and Adj. PAT of ₹230 crore, up by 10% YoY. The Board has approved a special interim dividend of ₹3 per share on account of 10 years of IPO and a final dividend of ₹3 per share, staying true to our commitment to shareholders in line with Quess' guiding principles. Our EBITDA growth was driven by Professional Staffing and Overseas Business. Despite regulatory and global headwinds, our Staffing Solutions business added around 26,000 to its headcount, a testament to our resilient, all-weather business model."
Segment-Wise Performance
The company operates across four segments. The following table presents segment revenue for the quarter and year ended March 31, 2026 (INR in millions):
| Segment Revenue (INR Mn) | Q4 FY26 | Q4 FY25 | FY26 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Staffing | 33,279.02 | 31,484.76 | 1,31,758.48 | 1,29,945.88 |
| Professional Staffing | 2,317.42 | 2,190.20 | 9,298.84 | 8,254.45 |
| Overseas Business | 3,322.68 | 2,868.29 | 11,973.16 | 11,421.66 |
| Digital Platforms | 5.41 | 20.96 | 21.39 | 50.00 |
| Total | 38,924.53 | 36,564.21 | 1,53,051.87 | 1,49,671.99 |
General Staffing added around 26,000 to its headcount during the year, with 281 new contracts added. Accounts receivable DSO stood at 15 days with collection and payment (C&P) at 76%, and the construction vertical delivered an 8.3% margin. However, discontinued projects resulted in a headcount loss of 7,000 during the year.
Professional Staffing delivered a 43% YoY increase in EBITDA with a record margin of approximately 12%, driven by sustained GCC hiring momentum. GCC share of total headcount stood at 71%, and 13 new client logos were added in Q4, taking total new contracts for FY26 to 61.
Overseas Business closed the year with 21% EBITDA growth, driven by strong performances from UAE, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The Middle East closed FY26 with an 11% EBITDA margin, posting revenue and EBITDA growth of 27% and 40% respectively. Malaysia delivered revenue growth of 83% YoY, scaling to 900 headcount with an EBITDA margin of 4.3%. The Philippines posted 49% revenue growth and a 10% EBITDA margin, crossing the 700 headcount milestone. Quess Singapore – General Staffing added 68 new contracts and 491 local headcount, taking overall headcount to 1,026. A total of 125 new logos were added across the Overseas Business with double-digit growth in both revenue and EBITDA.
Dividend Declaration
The Board declared a special interim dividend of INR 3 per equity share to mark the tenth anniversary of the company's listing, aggregating to INR 447.99 million. The record date for this special interim dividend is May 8, 2026, with payment scheduled on or before May 21, 2026. Additionally, the Board recommended a final dividend of INR 3 per equity share for FY26, subject to shareholder approval at the 19th Annual General Meeting, also aggregating to INR 447.99 million. Separately, an interim dividend of INR 5.00 per equity share was declared in January 2026, aggregating to INR 746.02 million, which was paid on February 16, 2026. The total dividend per share for FY26 thus stands at INR 11 per share across all three tranches.
Auditor Qualification and Tax Matters
Statutory auditors, Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP, issued a qualified opinion on the audited financial results for both standalone and consolidated financials. The qualification relates to income tax matters where certain deductions claimed under Section 80JJAA and depreciation on goodwill have been disallowed by tax authorities for fiscal years 2017 to 2023. The company has challenged these disallowances and assessed INR 3,879.94 million as contingent liabilities. The company has claimed Section 80JJAA deduction of INR 1,588.24 million for the year ended March 31, 2026, and for fiscal 2024 and 2025, had also claimed deductions aggregating to INR 8,447.82 million for which assessment is yet to be completed. Additionally, the company recognised an incremental expense of INR 62.23 million under Exceptional Items on account of new Labour Codes effective November 21, 2025. The company also incurred professional fees relating to demerger and certain employee benefits expense aggregating to INR 18.51 million for FY26 towards the Composite Scheme of Arrangement.
Board and Governance Changes
The Board approved several governance changes at its May 4, 2026 meeting. Mr. Anish Thurthi (DIN: 08713000) was appointed as an Additional Director (Non-Executive, Non-Independent) effective June 1, 2026, till the ensuing 19th AGM, based on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Mr. Thurthi is a Chartered Accountant with over 20 years of experience in investment management, M&A, and financial advisory, and is a Director at Fairbridge Capital Private Limited. Concurrently, Mr. Chandran Ratnaswami (DIN: 00109215) resigned as Non-Executive Director effective May 31, 2026, citing advancing age. The Board also announced the appointment of KFin Technologies Limited as its new Registrar and Share Transfer Agent, replacing MUFG Intime India Private Limited, with the effective date to be communicated in due course.
Historical Stock Returns for Quess Corp
| 1 Day | 5 Days | 1 Month | 6 Months | 1 Year | 5 Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +4.16% | +3.75% | +12.11% | -0.81% | -35.18% | -67.66% |
How might the unresolved Section 80JJAA tax disputes and the INR 3,879.94 million contingent liability impact Quess Corp's future cash flows and investor confidence if ruled against the company?
Given the strong GCC hiring momentum driving Professional Staffing's 43% EBITDA growth, how sustainable is this trend amid potential shifts in global technology spending and GCC expansion plans in India?
How could the proposed Composite Scheme of Arrangement (demerger) reshape Quess Corp's business structure, valuation, and segment-level capital allocation going forward?


































