Real Cash Earnings · Intermediate · Pro filter
DPO (payable days): what it means and how to read it
Days payable outstanding: on average, how many days the company takes to pay its suppliers.
What is DPO (payable days)?
Days payable outstanding: on average, how many days the company takes to pay its suppliers.
A worked example
A supermarket that pays suppliers after 60 days but sells goods in 20 is run on its suppliers' money. A very high figure can also mean it is struggling to pay.
Why does DPO (payable days) matter?
Paying later keeps cash in the business longer.
How do you read DPO (payable days)?
Higher helps cash flow, but very high can mean the company is struggling to pay.
Neither high nor low is good by itself; it depends on the business.
What is a typical DPO (payable days) in India today?
The median across the 5082 listed companies that report it, as of 12 Oct 2026. Half sit above each figure and half below.
By company size
Median
Large Cap · 90 companies53.9
Mid Cap · 143 companies56.3
Small Cap · 4849 companies43.8
By industry
Median, largest industries first
Pharmaceuticals · 20972.6
Computers - Software & Consulting · 6328.7
Refineries & Marketing · 833.0
Non Banking Financial Company (NBFC) · 588.8
Power Generation · 2982.1
Heavy Electrical Equipment · 4387.3
Auto Components & Equipments · 11458.9
Cement & Cement Products · 3348.7
Civil Construction · 12474.1
Aerospace & Defense · 3366.9
Compare a company with its own industry before the whole market. Every industry, and each company's rank within it, is in the screener.