Tata Motors Q3 Loss Widens on JLR Cyberattack, Costs

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AuthorKavya Nair|Published at:
Tata Motors Q3 Loss Widens on JLR Cyberattack, Costs
Overview

Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles reported a Rs 3,486 crore net loss for Q3 FY26. The automotive giant's performance was heavily impacted by a cyber incident at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and substantial exceptional items, including labour code adjustments and stamp duty. Revenue declined 25% year-on-year to Rs 69,605 crore, despite a 22% rise in domestic sales, as JLR volumes plunged 43%.

JLR Cyberattack and Exceptional Costs

The Rs 1,600 crore in exceptional items, primarily driving the net loss, included Rs 800 crore dedicated to addressing the costly cyberattack on JLR. This digital breach forced a critical five-week production halt at the luxury carmaker until early October, a disruption that previously cost JLR $228.5 million in the July-September period and necessitated a £1.5 billion UK government loan guarantee. Further exceptional charges added Rs 400 crore for new labour code implementations and another Rs 400 crore for stamp duty, collectively pushing the company's profit before tax (PBT) to a negative Rs 4,700 crore.

Revenue Slump Despite Domestic Strength

Revenue from operations saw a steep 25% year-on-year decline, falling to Rs 69,605 crore from Rs 93,823 crore in the same quarter last year. This marks a 23.56% drop from the previous quarter's Rs 71,714 crore. The sharp revenue contraction was largely driven by JLR's performance, which reported a 43% slump in sales (excluding its Chinese joint venture) as normal production only resumed mid-November. In contrast, Tata Motors' domestic business demonstrated resilience, with local sales and exports rising a healthy 22%. JLR's operational profitability also suffered, with its earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) margin plummeting to a negative 6.8%, a stark reversal from the positive 9% recorded a year ago. For the full fiscal year ending March 2026, JLR has revised its EBIT margin projection downward to between 0% and 2%, having lowered forecasts twice previously due to factors including U.S. tariffs and the cyberattack.

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