Refinery Expansions And Clean Energy Investments Will Redefine India's Landscape

Key Takeaways

• Expanded refining and petrochemical capacity, along with digitalization and operational efficiency, is expected to boost margins, stabilize cash flows, and drive long-term profitability.
  
• Investments in clean energy initiatives and continued government support position the company to capture future energy market growth and manage risks related to traditional fuels.
  
• Extensive government intervention, high capital intensity, global competition, lagging energy transition, and rising retail presence collectively threaten Indian Oil's profitability, cash flow, and market relevance.

Catalysts

Engages in the oil, gas, petrochemicals, and alternative energy source businesses in India and internationally.

• Upcoming completion and ramp-up of major refinery expansion projects (Panipat, Gujarat, Barauni) by 2026–2027 will increase refining capacity from ~81 to 98 million metric tonnes per year, directly boosting revenues and earnings as capacity utilization rises and incremental output supports India's fast-growing energy demand.
  
• Strategic push to significantly scale up petrochemical integration (targeting increase from 6% to 15% of the business by 2030) leverages India's low per capita consumption and high import dependence; this diversification should enhance margins and stabilize cash flows relative to traditional fuels.
  
• Accelerated investments in clean energy-including large-scale green hydrogen, biofuels, natural gas, CBG, EV charging, and renewables-positions Indian Oil to capture future alternative energy growth and offset long-term risks to fossil fuel demand, supporting revenue streams and operating margin durability.
  
• Ongoing investments in digitalization, operational efficiency, and supply chain optimization through initiatives like Project Sprint are expected to reduce costs and support sustained improvements in net margins and overall profitability.
  
• Government support for oil marketing companies (e.g., consistent compensation for LPG under-recoveries, clear policy backing) and India's robust GDP growth projections reinforce long-term volume growth visibility and improve market share stability, increasing confidence in future revenue and earnings streams.

Indian Oil Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

• Analysts are assuming Indian Oil's revenue will decrease by 0.5% annually over the next 3 years.
• Analysts assume that profit margins will increase from 2.2% today to 3.4% in 3 years time.
• Analysts expect earnings to reach ₹263.6 billion (and earnings per share of ₹17.53) by about August 2028, up from ₹168.8 billion today. However, there is a considerable amount of disagreement amongst the analysts with the most bullish expecting ₹345.1 billion in earnings, and the most bearish expecting ₹196.6 billion.
• In order for the above numbers to justify the analysts price target, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 11.4x on those 2028 earnings, down from 11.5x today. This future PE is lower than the current PE for the IN Oil and Gas industry at 17.6x.
• Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to decline by 2.59% per year for the next 3 years.
• To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 14.42%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

Indian Oil Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Risks

• Persistent government intervention in the form of price controls and subsidies (such as the ongoing LPG under-recoveries and compensation mechanisms) continues to create uncertainty and potential volatility in Indian Oil's net margins and earnings, dampening investors' confidence about earnings visibility.
  
• Ongoing high CapEx commitments across refineries, petrochemicals, renewables, and CGD/gas businesses over the next several years may elevate leverage and strain free cash flow, with the company already maintaining a significant debt burden (debt/equity ratio at 0.66, targeted to remain under 1), potentially pressuring future profitability and the ability to fund returns to shareholders.
  
• Indian Oil's expansion into petrochemicals faces margin risk as global overcapacity persists, especially from China, keeping spreads subdued and potentially dragging on overall returns and group EBITDA for a cyclical segment where breakeven and competitive cost leadership are yet to be fully demonstrated.
  
• Despite renewable energy and hydrogen initiatives, Indian Oil's energy transition investments remain nascent relative to global peers, heightening long-term risk of demand erosion in core petroleum products (due to EVs, clean fuels, and greater renewable adoption), which could erode revenue growth and market relevance before new segments scale up.
  
• Aggressive expansion of retail outlets (targeting 48,000 by FY27), combined with weakening throughput per outlet and intensifying competition from both PSU and private players, may dilute operating margins and increase exposure to periods of stagnant or declining demand, thus impacting revenue quality and asset utilization over the medium and long term.

Valuation

• The analysts have a consensus price target of ₹158.2 for Indian Oil based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors. However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of ₹199.0, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just ₹95.0.
  
• In order for you to agree with the analyst's consensus, you'd need to believe that by 2028, revenues will be ₹7690.9 billion, earnings will come to ₹263.6 billion, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 11.4x, assuming you use a discount rate of 14.4%.
  
• Given the current share price of ₹141.44, the analyst price target of ₹158.2 is 10.6% higher.
  
• We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.