Rating Rationale
July 28, 2017 | Mumbai
Tata Communications Limited
Rating reaffirmed 
 
Rating Action
Rs.350 Crore Short Term Debt Programme (Including Commercial Paper) CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its rating on the short-term debt programme of Tata Communications Limited (TCL) at 'CRISIL A1+'.

The rating continues to reflect the strong business risk profile of TCL, backed by growing data business, steady cash accrual from the mature voice business, improving yet moderate financial risk profile, and financial flexibility enjoyed by being a part of the Tata group. These strengths are partially offset by intense competition in the voice segment, and limitation on raising equity capital.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at its rating, CRISIL has combined the business and financial risk profiles of TCL and its operating subsidiaries.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths
* Growing data business supported by healthy cash accrual from the mature voice business: The data segment business has witnessed healthy growth, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 11% over the past five years, on back of increasing off-take of data and established position as one of the world's leading wholesale providers of data, IP (Internet protocol), and mobile signalling services.

In fiscal 2017, data segment witnessed revenue growth of around 10%, and formed 59% of overall sales in fiscal 2017 vis-a-vis 52% in the previous fiscal. The segment reported strong operating margin of 20% during the year, despite investments in new services, which are yet to pick up, and higher spend on sales force and marketing.

In the voice segment, TCL is highly competitive, despite the commodity nature of the business. Given the intense competition and mature stage of the business where the market growth is on a decline, TCL is focused on stable cash flow generation from the business by targeting profitable traffic and reducing capital expenditure (capex) and operational expenses.

CRISIL believes proportion of revenue from the global data business should continue to increase over the medium term, mitigating the impact of decline in volumes and tariff in the highly commoditised wholesale voice segment. 
 
* Improving financial risk profile, supported by sharp debt reduction: Financial risk profile is backed by steady cash accrual, reduction in debt, moderate debt protection metrics, and adequate cash and bank balances.

Increasing scale and focus on reducing cost through process improvement and increasing share of data should help sustain healthy profitability of over 14.5% over the medium term, besides improving cash flow from operations.

In fiscal 2017, TCL had divested its investments in its South African subsidiary and data centre business, leading to cash inflow of around Rs 3300 crore. The divestment has helped reduce debt, owing to de-consolidation and also usage of proceeds towards debt reduction. The same has also aided in improving debt protection metrics (net debt/EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation] has improved to 2.95 times vis-Ã''' -vis 5.27 times, a year back). TCL continues to have adequate liquidity, with cash and bank balances of over Rs 1879 crore.
 
CRISIL believes TCL will maintain the financial risk profile over the medium term, supported by absence of any large debt-funded capex plans, and adequate liquidity.
 
* Financial flexibility enjoyed by being a part of the Tata group: As on June 30, 2017, the Tata group held 47.87% equity stake in TCL. As TCL is an integral part of the group's telecommunications strategy, the group also has management control over the company. CRISIL believes the company would continue to enjoy significant financial flexibility, being a part of the Tata group and receive need-based support.
 
Weakness
* Limitations on raising equity capital: Government of India (GoI) holds a 26.12% stake in TCL and intends to maintain the holding until a demerger of land measuring 740.63 acre takes place, as was agreed to at the time of the divestment of the erstwhile Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL). Till then, it is highly unlikely that TCL will be able to raise equity capital and hence will have to rely on debt to finance its capex plans which it shall be unable to fund through its internal accruals.

* Intense competition in the voice segment: Revenue and margins from the voice segment had been witnessing a protracted slump owing to intense competition from cheaper voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) to traditional circuit-switch-based voice calling. The voice revenue fell 17% in fiscal 2017, owing to lower demand and realisation. The gross revenue per minute from the voice segment declined 16% in fiscal 2017. The overall revenue share from voice segment dropped 38% in fiscal 2017 from 45% in fiscal 2016.

CRISIL believes revenue and profitability from the voice segment will continue to shrink due to availability of cheaper substitutes.
CRISIL expects the share of revenue from the voice segment to further decline to 30-32% over the medium term.
About the Company

TCL is a leading global communications company, offering voice, data, and value-added services to enterprises, carriers, and retail consumers. It is one of the world's largest providers of wholesale international voice services, and operates one of the largest global submarine cable networks.
 
TCL reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 1235 crore on net sales of Rs 17,620 crore for fiscal 2017, vis-a-vis a net profit of Rs 10 crore on net sales of Rs 18,149 crore, for the previous fiscal. For the three months ended June 30, 2017, TCL reported a net profit of Rs 33 crore on operating income of Rs 4354 crore.

Any other information: Not applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL complexity levels are assigned to various types of financial instruments. The CRISIL complexity levels are available on www.crisil.com/complexity-levels. Users are advised to refer to the CRISIL complexity levels for instruments that they consider for investment. Users may also call the Customer Service Helpdesk with queries on specific instruments.
Annexure - Details of Instrument(s)
ISIN Name of the instrument Date of allotment Coupon rate (%) Maturity date Issue size (Rs. Crore) Rating assigned with outlook
NA Short Term Debt (Including Commercial Paper) NA NA 7-365 days 350 CRISIL A1+
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2017 (History) 2016  2015  2014  Start of 2014
Instrument Type Quantum Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Short Term Debt (Including Commercial Paper)  ST  350  CRISIL A1+    No Rating Change    No Rating Change    No Rating Change    No Rating Change  CRISIL A1+ 
Table reflects instances where rating is changed or freshly assigned. 'No Rating Change' implies that there was no rating change under the release.
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
Criteria for Notching up Stand Alone Ratings of Companies based on Group Support
Criteria for rating Short-Term Debt (including Commercial Paper)

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