Mumbai, Jan. 22 (PTI): Pharma major Nicholas Piramal India Ltd (NPIL) has posted a quantum leap of over 118.2 per cent in consolidated net profit at Rs 77.69 crore in the third quarter ended December 31, 2004, as against Rs 38.97 crore recorded in the same period of the previous fiscal.

The company?s total income rose to Rs 347.31 crore for the quarter under review compared with Rs 321.01 crore recorded during the same period of the previous fiscal.

On a stand-alone basis, the company posted a net profit of Rs 78.92 crore in the reporting quarter on a total income of Rs 329.35 crore compared with a net profit of Rs 36.17 crore with a total income of Rs 309.62 crore registered during the same period of the previous fiscal, it said.

The figures for the quarter ended December 31 are not ?strictly comparable? with that of the comparable quarter as the previous figures include operations of other companies, which were merged with NPIL last year (year ended March 31, 2004) and effective from dates subsequent to September 30, 2003.

NPIL had acquired Sarabhai Piramal Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd, a 50:50 joint venture with Ambalal Sarabhai Enterprise, and merged it with the company, effective April 1, 2003.

The company?s net profit of Rs 78.92 crore (posted on a standalone basis) also includes part payment from Roche Diagnostics as consideration for return of its diagnostics business, it said. On a continuing business basis, NPIL?s domestic formulations continued to ?outperform? the market for the 11th consecutive quarter, recording 13.5 per cent against the industry growth rate of 6.5 per cent.

In the quarter, the pharma major?s exports rose to Rs 33.2 crore from Rs 23.1 crore recorded in the third quarter of the last fiscal.