KOLKATA - Manufacturers of batteries and packet tea, Eveready Industries, posted a net profit of Rs.84.3 million (Rs.8.43 crore) in the quarter ended Dec 31, against a loss of Rs.27 million (Rs.2.7 crore) in the corresponding period last fiscal, the company said here Wednesday.

Eveready incurred a loss in the third quarter last fiscal as it had to pay a deferred tax of Rs.42.2 million (Rs.4.22 crore), the company said.

It said zinc price, which has a ’substantial influence on input costs’, has been easing over the last six quarters including the quarter under review, though a weakening rupee hit margins as imports or materials linked to foreign exchange account for nearly 40 percent of total consumption.