Led by a strong unit volume growth of 13 per cent, net sales increased 18.5 per cent during the period to Rs 301.3 crore from Rs 254.2 crore last year. Total revenues grew 18.8 per cent to Rs 306.3 crore against Rs 257.9 crore last year. Other income for the company increased to Rs 5 crore, as against Rs 3.7 crore during the same period last year. Earnings per share for the period stood at 0.90.

Total expenditure grew 19.8 per cent at Rs 281.2 crore, as against Rs 234.6 crore. While depreciation and amortisation went down to Rs 3.9 crore against Rs 6.2 crore, provision for taxation stood at Rs 9 crore as against Rs 7 crore.

Operating profit climbed up to Rs 20.1 crore from Rs 19.6 crore during the period. Margins, however, came under pressure. While operating margins dropped to 6.7 per cent from 7.7 per cent, net profit margins rose marginally to 4 per cent from 3.9 per cent.

The key toothpaste brands - Colgate Dental Cream, Colgate Herbal and Colgate Cibaca Top and company's popular soap Palmolive Naturals - were the main growth drivers for the company, the company said. The company added that the strong sales growth has reflected in an improvement in its toothpaste marketshare since September on an all-India basis. In metros, the share growth has been three share points over the same period last year.

Tata Elxsi posts 700% rise in Q3 net
Tata Elxsi Ltd has posted net profit of Rs 3.93 crore in the quarter ended December 2000, a 700 per cent rise in net profits as against Rs 0.49 crore in the corresponding Q3 last year. The total revenues for the period stood at Rs 35.17 crore (Rs 28.04 crore), a 25 per cent rise in total revenues. For the nine months period ended December 2000, the company posted net profits of Rs 8.24 crore (Rs 1.54 crore), a 435 per cent increase. The total revenues for the nine month period were pegged at Rs 96.66 crore (Rs 82.58 crore), a 17.05 per cent growth. Moser Baer India posts 247% rise in netMoser Baer India has reported over 247 per cent growth in its net profit at Rs 37.02 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2000 as against Rs 10.6 crore in the corresponding period previous year. The total revenue of the company has gone up by 125 per cent to Rs 92.4 crore in this quarter from Rs 41.05 crore in the same quarter previous year. The company's board has also cleared its proposal to put in place an employees stock option (ESOP) plan amounting to five per cent of Moser Baer's equity share capital, it said. BOC posts Rs 51-lakh Q3 profit, chalks out 3-pronged strategyBOC India Ltd continued its profit-trend in the third quarter to December 31, 2000. The industrial gases major reported a Rs 51 lakh net profit in the quarter to December 31, 2000, as compared to a net loss of Rs 4.79 crore in the same period of the previous year. The company has chalked out a three-pronged strategy, which includes moving towards a balanced portfolio, focussing on value-added products and identifying new projects, according to a company press release.Chettinad Cement Q3 net rises to Rs 3.85 croreBuoyed by significantly high cement prices, Chennai-based Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd posted a net profit of Rs 3.85 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2000 as against a loss of Rs 1.87 crore in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.The company's turnover registered a marginal increase to Rs 45.62 crore (Rs 44.29 crore). Consumption of raw material and power costs were lower as the manufacturers in the region scaled down production to meet reduced despatches. Interest cost was Rs 6.29 crore (Rs 6.27 crore). Depreciation at Rs 4.97 crore (Rs 7.80 crore) was lower, as the company sold a ship in the previous quarter. Raymond posts Rs 21.91 crore Q3 netRaymond Ltd has recorded a net profit of Rs 21.91 crore in the third quarter ended December 2000, compared to a net loss of Rs 2.53 crore in same period of previous year. Net sales for the Q3 declined by 22.80 per cent at Rs 257.07 crore as against Rs 333 crore in corresponding period of last year, the company said in a release. The fall in sales was on account of divestment of the steel division effective September nine, 2000, it added. For the nine months ended December, the company posted a net loss of Rs 163.78 crore (net profit of Rs 25.90 crore in same period of last year) while net sales stood at Rs 837.92 crore (Rs 936.26 crore). ICI posts 45% dip in net to Rs 28 croreICI India Ltd has recorded a 45 per cent dip in net profits to Rs 28.12 crore in April-December, 2000, against Rs 51.02 crore in the same period a year ago. Net sales of ICI also witnessed eight per cent fall to Rs 643.33 crore in the first nine months of the current fiscal, as compared to Rs 702.41 crore for the corresponding period in the previous year, an ICI statement said.