Udit Batra on China localization
From Waters Corp ($WAT) Q1 2026 Earnings Call · · Castify Earnings Call
“We intend to begin manufacturing key products in China for China starting in the third quarter, which is already providing our team a strong impetus to begin competing for tenders that require local manufacturing.”
On , Udit Batra, President, Chief Executive Officer & Director at Waters Corp, spoke about China localization during Waters Corp ($WAT) Q1 2026 Earnings Call on Castify Earnings Call.
About Udit Batra
Udit Batra, President and CEO of Waters, has been leading the company through its combination with BD’s biosciences and diagnostic solutions business, which closed around the end of the first quarter of 2026. On the Q1 2026 earnings call, Batra described the quarter as “excellent” and said the combined company achieved double-digit organic growth in legacy businesses and better-than-expected revenue from the acquired businesses. He noted that Waters intends to begin manufacturing key products in China for China starting in the third quarter of 2026, and that an initial review of 1,600 US diagnostic solutions contracts identified approximately 700 out of compliance, representing a “double-digit million dollar shortfall annually.” Batra raised full-year 2026 organic constant currency revenue growth guidance to 6.5% to 8% and adjusted EPS guidance to $14.40–$14.60. In prior earnings calls, Batra discussed the company’s strategy for the BD acquisition, including expectations for $345 million in adjusted EBITDA synergies by year five. He also commented on the instrument replacement cycle, stating it is “going really well” and provides a runway into 2027, with reshoring expected to bridge into the next cycle. Batra highlighted the potential for a proposed FDA biosimilar framework to increase demand for analytical instruments, and noted that Waters is introducing cloud-native features using AI and machine learning for QA/QC labs. He raised full-year 2025 guidance twice during the year, citing strong performance in segments such as battery testing and high-resolution mass spectrometry in China.