5. We have determined the matter described below to be the key audit matter to be communicated in our report.
Key audit matters
How our audit addressed the key audit matter
Provision for non-saleable return
(Refer Note 2.3(l) and 2.3(m) to the accompanying financialstatements for material accounting policy information onprovision for sales return and Note 17 and 22 for relateddisclosure)
The revenue of the Company consists primarily of sale ofproducts through various distributions channel who furthersells products in the market. Due to the nature of its business,the Company gives right of return to its customers in respectof goods expiring while being in supply chain before reachingend consumers. The amounts pertaining to such sales returnare estimated at the time of sale and deducted from revenueand recorded as provisions for sales returns.
Our audit procedures relating to provision for non-saleablereturns included but were not limited to the followingprocedures:
• Obtained an understanding of management’s processand evaluated the design and tested the operatingeffectiveness of the key controls in relation to provisionfor non-saleable returns;
• Assessed the appropriateness of the Company’s revenuerecognition accounting policy including those related tosales return in accordance with applicable accountingstandards;
• Obtained management’s calculations for provision forsales return, recalculated the amounts, and evaluatedthe reasonableness of assumptions used with referenceto historical trends of sales returns, level of inventoryin distribution channel, shelf life of the products, pricechange in/new launch of competitive products andother known factors, based on our understanding of thebusiness, past practice, industry trends and forecasts;
These estimates are based on analysis of historical trends ofsales return and shelf life of the products along with otherknown factors that may significantly impact future salesreturns. These estimates are complex and requires significantjudgement and estimation by the management for establishingan appropriate accrual. The above complexity leads to a riskof revenue being misstated due to inaccurate estimation ofsuch sales return, and hence, it requires significant auditorattention.
The management has accounted for provision for sales returnsamounting to ' 206.76 Crores as at March 31, 2025 (includingreimbursable sales return amounting to ' 65.26 Crores).
Considering the complexity, significant managementestimates and judgments involved, and the significant auditorattention required to test such management’s judgment andestimates, we have identified this as a key audit matter for thecurrent year.
• Tested unusual non-standard journal entries basedon certain criteria’s which impacts provision for salesreturn recognized during the year;
• Evaluated management’s estimates in determining theexpected sales return by comparing historical accruedprovisions to the actual sales returns and assessedwhether the methodology followed is consistent withprevious year;
• Performed substantive testing on selected samples ofcredit notes issued to the customers by testing relevantapprovals and underlying supporting documents;
• T ested the workings in respect of classification of currentand non-current provisions for sales return prepared bythe management including the underlying assumptions;and
• Assessed the appropriateness and adequacy ofdisclosures made in financial statements in accordancewith applicable accounting standards.
1. We have audited the accompanying financial statementsof Abbott India Limited (‘the Company’), which comprisethe Balance Sheet as at March 31, 2025 the Statementof Profit and Loss (including Other ComprehensiveIncome), the Statement of Cash Flow and the Statementof Changes in Equity for the year then ended, and notes tothe financial statements, including material accountingpolicy information and other explanatory information.
2. In our opinion and to the best of our information andaccording to the explanations given to us, the aforesaidfinancial statements give the information required bythe Companies Act, 2013 (‘the Act’) in the manner sorequired and give a true and fair view in conformity withthe Indian Accounting Standards (‘Ind AS’) specifiedunder Section 133 of the Act read with the Companies(Indian Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015 and otheraccounting principles generally accepted in India, of thestate of affairs of the Company as at March 31, 2025 andits Profit (including Other Comprehensive Income), itsCash Flows and the Changes in Equity for the year endedon that date.
3. We conducted our audit in accordance with theStandards on Auditing specified under Section 143(10) ofthe Act. Our responsibilities under those standards arefurther described in the Auditor’s Responsibilities forthe Audit of the Financial Statements section ofour report. We are independent of the Company inaccordance with the Code of Ethics issued by theInstitute of Chartered Accountants of India (‘ICAI’)together with the ethical requirements that arerelevant to our audit of the financial statements underthe provisions of the Act and the rules thereunder,and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilitiesin accordance with these requirements and the Codeof Ethics. We believe that the audit evidence we haveobtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basisfor our opinion.
4. Key audit matters are those matters that, in ourprofessional judgment, were of most significance in ouraudit of the financial statements of the current period.These matters were addressed in the context of our auditof the financial statements as a whole, and in formingour opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separateopinion on these matters.
6. The Company’s Board of Directors are responsible forthe other information. The other information comprisesthe information included in the Annual Report, but doesnot include the financial statements and our auditor’sreport thereon. The Annual Report is expected to bemade available to us after the date of this auditor’sreport.
Our opinion on the financial statements does not coverthe other information and we will not express any formof assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the financial statements,our responsibility is to read the other informationidentified above when it becomes available and, in doingso, consider whether the other information is materiallyinconsistent with the financial statements or ourknowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears tobe materially misstated.
When we read the Annual Report, if we conclude thatthere is a material misstatement therein, we are requiredto communicate the matter to those charged withgovernance.
7. The accompanying financial statements have beenapproved by the Company’s Board of Directors. TheCompany’s Board of Directors are responsible forthe matters stated in Section 134(5) of the Act withrespect to the preparation and presentation of thesefinancial statements that give a true and fair view ofthe financial position, financial performance includingOther Comprehensive Income, Changes in Equityand Cash Flows of the Company in accordance withthe Ind AS specified under Section 133 of the Act andother accounting principles generally accepted inIndia. This responsibility also includes maintenanceof adequate accounting records in accordance with theprovisions of the Act for safeguarding of the assets ofthe Company and for preventing and detecting fraudsand other irregularities; selection and application ofappropriate accounting policies; making judgments andestimates that are reasonable and prudent; and design,implementation and maintenance of adequate internalfinancial controls, that were operating effectivelyfor ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the
on whether the Company has adequate internalfinancial controls with reference to financialstatements in place and the operating effectivenessof such controls;
• Evaluate the appropriateness of accountingpolicies used and the reasonableness ofaccounting estimates and related disclosuresmade by management;
• Conclude on the appropriateness of Board ofDirectors’ use of the going concern basis ofaccounting and, based on the audit evidenceobtained, whether a material uncertainty existsrelated to events or conditions that may castsignificant doubt on the Company’s ability tocontinue as a going concern. If we conclude thata material uncertainty exists, we are required todraw attention in our auditor’s report to the relateddisclosures in the financial statements or, if suchdisclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion.Our conclusions are based on the audit evidenceobtained up to the date of our auditor’s report.However, future events or conditions may cause theCompany to cease to continue as a going concern;and
• Evaluate the overall presentation, structure andcontent of the financial statements, including thedisclosures, and whether the financial statementsrepresent the underlying transactions and events ina manner that achieves fair presentation.
12. We communicate with those charged with governanceregarding, among other matters, the planned scopeand timing of the audit and significant audit findings,including any significant deficiencies in internal controlthat we identify during our audit.
13. We also provide those charged with governance witha statement that we have complied with relevantethical requirements regarding independence, and tocommunicate with them all relationships and othermatters that may reasonably be thought to bear on ourindependence, and where applicable, related safeguards.
14. From the matters communicated with those chargedwith governance, we determine those matters thatwere of most significance in the audit of the financialstatements of the current period and are therefore thekey audit matters. We describe these matters in ourauditor’s report unless law or regulation precludespublic disclosure about the matter or when, in extremelyrare circumstances, we determine that a matter
accounting records, relevant to the preparation andpresentation of the financial statements that give a trueand fair view and are free from material misstatement,whether due to fraud or error.
8. In preparing the financial statements, the Board ofDirectors is responsible for assessing the Company’sability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, asapplicable, matters related to going concern and usingthe going concern basis of accounting unless the Boardof Directors either intends to liquidate the Company orto cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but todo so.
9. The Board of Directors is also responsible for overseeingthe Company’s financial reporting process.
10. Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance aboutwhether the financial statements as a whole are free frommaterial misstatement, whether due to fraud or error,and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion.Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but isnot a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordancewith Standards on Auditing will always detect a materialmisstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arisefrom fraud or error and are considered material if,individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonablybe expected to influence the economic decisions of userstaken on the basis of these financial statements.
11. As part of an audit in accordance with Standards onAuditing, specified under Section 143(10) of the Actwe exercise professional judgment and maintainprofessional skepticism throughout the audit. We also:
• Identify and assess the risks of materialmisstatement of the financial statements, whetherdue to fraud or error, design and perform auditprocedures responsive to those risks, and obtainaudit evidence that is sufficient and appropriateto provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of notdetecting a material misstatement resulting fromfraud is higher than for one resulting from error,as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentionalomissions, misrepresentations, or the override ofinternal control;
• Obtain an understanding of internal controlrelevant to the audit in order to designaudit procedures that are appropriate in thecircumstances. Under Section 143(3)(i) of the Actwe are also responsible for expressing our opinion
should not be communicated in our report because theadverse consequences of doing so would reasonably beexpected to outweigh the public interest benefits of suchcommunication.
15. The financial statements of the Company for the yearended March 31, 2024 were audited by the predecessorauditor, S R B C & CO LLP, who have expressed anunmodified opinion on those financial statements videtheir audit report dated May 09, 2024.
16. As required by Section 197(16) of the Act, based on ouraudit, we rep ort that the C ompany has paid remunerationto its directors during the year in accordance with theprovisions of and limits laid down under Section 197 readwith Schedule V to the Act.
17. As required by the Companies (Auditor’s Report) Order,2020 (‘the Order’) issued by the Central Government ofIndia in terms of Section 143(11) of the Act we give inthe Annexure A a statement on the matters specified inparagraphs 3 and 4 of the Order, to the extent applicable.
18. Further to our comments in Annexure A, as required bySection 143(3) of the Act based on our audit, we report, tothe extent applicable, that:
a) We have sought and obtained all the informationand explanations which to the best of our knowledgeand belief were necessary for the purpose of ouraudit of the accompanying financial statements;
b) Except for the matters stated in paragraph18(h)(vi) below on reporting under Rule 11(g) ofthe Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014(as amended), in our opinion, proper books ofaccount as required by law have been kept by theCompany so far as it appears from our examinationof those books. Further, the back-up of the booksof accounts and other books and papers of theCompany maintained in electronic mode hasbeen maintained on servers physically located inIndia, on a daily basis except for an applicationused for processing expenses of field employeeswhere backup taken on daily basis were kept on aserver physically located outside India as stated inNote 46(i) to the financial statements;
c) The financial statements dealt with by this reportare in agreement with the books of account;
d) In our opinion, the aforesaid financial statementscomply with Ind AS specified under Section 133 ofthe Act;
e) On the basis of the written representations receivedfrom the directors and taken on record by the Boardof Directors, none of the directors is disqualifiedas on March 31, 2025 from being appointed as adirector in terms of Section 164(2) of the Act;
f) The modification relating to the maintenance ofaccounts and other matters connected therewithare as stated in paragraph 18(b) above onreporting under Section 143(3)(b) of the Act andparagraph 18(h)(vi) below on reporting underRule 11(g) of the Companies (Audit and Auditors)Rules, 2014 (as amended);
g) With respect to the adequacy of the internalfinancial controls with reference to financialstatements of the Company as on March 31, 2025and the operating effectiveness of such controls,refer to our separate report in Annexure B whereinwe have expressed an unmodified opinion; and
h) With respect to the other matters to be includedin the Auditor’s Report in accordance with rule 11of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014(as amended), in our opinion and to the best of ourinformation and according to the explanationsgiven to us:
i. The Company, as detailed in Note 37 to thefinancial statements, has disclosed the impactof pending litigations on its financial positionas at March 31, 2025;
ii. The Company did not have any long-termcontracts including derivative contracts forwhich there were any material foreseeablelosses as at March 31, 2025;
iii. There has been no delay in transferringamounts, required to be transferred, to theInvestor Education and Protection Fundby the Company during the year endedMarch 31, 2025;
iv. a. The management has represented that, to the
best of its knowledge and belief, as disclosedin Note 45(iii) to the financial statements,no funds have been advanced or loaned or
invested (either from borrowed funds orsecurities premium or any other sources orkind of funds) by the Company to or in anyperson(s) or entity(ies), including foreignentities (‘the intermediaries’), with theunderstanding, whether recorded in writingor otherwise, that the intermediary shall,whether, directly or indirectly lend or investin other persons or entities identified in anymanner whatsoever by or on behalf of theCompany (‘the Ultimate Beneficiaries’) orprovide any guarantee, security or the like onbehalf the Ultimate Beneficiaries;
b. The management has represented that, to thebest of its knowledge and belief, as disclosedin Note 45(iv) to the financial statements, nofunds have been received by the Companyfrom any person(s) or entity(ies), includingforeign entities (‘the Funding Parties’), withthe understanding, whether recorded inwriting or otherwise, that the Company shall,whether directly or indirectly, lend or investin other persons or entities identified in anymanner whatsoever by or on behalf of theFunding Party (‘Ultimate Beneficiaries’) orprovide any guarantee, security or the like onbehalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries; and
c. Based on such audit procedures performedas considered reasonable and appropriatein the circumstances, nothing has come toour notice that has caused us to believe thatthe management representations under sub¬clauses (a) and (b) above contain any materialmisstatement.
v. The final dividend paid by the Company during
the year ended March 31, 2025 in respect ofsuch dividend declared for the previous yearis in accordance with Section 123 of the Act tothe extent it applies to payment of dividend.
As stated in Note 15 to the accompanyingfinancial statements, the Board of Directors ofthe Company have proposed final dividend forthe year ended March 31, 2025 which is subjectto the approval of the members at the ensuingAnnual General Meeting. The dividenddeclared is in accordance with Section 123 of
the Act to the extent it applies to declarationof dividend.
vi. As stated in Note 46(ii) to the financialstatements and based on our examinationwhich included test checks, except for instancementioned below, the Company, in respectof financial year commencing on or afterApril 1, 2024 has used an accounting softwarefor maintaining its books of account whichhave a feature of recording audit trail(edit log) facility and the same have beenoperated throughout the year for all relevanttransactions recorded in the software.Further, during the course of our audit wedid not come across any instance of audit trailfeature being tampered with other than theconsequential impact of the exception givenbelow. Furthermore, except for instancementioned above, the audit trail has beenpreserved by the Company as per the statutoryrequirements for record retention.
For Walker Chandiok & Co LLP
Chartered Accountants
Firm’s Registration No.: 001076N/N500013
Ashlsh Gupta
Partner
Membership No.: 504662UDIN: 25504662BMOOEW3189
Place : MumbaiDate : May 15, 2025
Nature of exceptionnoted
Details of Exception
Instances of
The audit trail
accounting software
feature was not
for maintaining
enabled at the
books of account for
database level for
which the feature
of recording audit
to log any direct data
trail (edit log) facility
changes, used for
was not operated
maintenance of all
throughout the
accounting records
year for all relevanttransactionsrecorded in thesoftware
by the Company.