Rating Rationale
October 31, 2017 | Mumbai
Aquamall Water Solutions Limited
Ratings Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.125 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL AA-/Negative (Reaffirmed)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its 'CRISIL AA-/Negative/CRISIL A1+' ratings on the bank facilities of Aquamall Water Solutions Limited (Aquamall).

The ratings continues to factor in Aquamall's adequate business profile and the strong support, it receives from its ultimate parent, Shapoorji Pallonji & Co Ltd (SPCL), given the strategic importance of the water purification business to the Shapoorji Pallonji group and strong operational linkages with Eureka Forbes Limited (EFL). These rating strengths are partially offset by the company's exposure to risks related to intense and increasing competition in the domestic water purification market, moderate diversity in its revenue profile coupled with weak operating performance of Lux International AG (Lux) and deterioration in financial risk profile.

Analytical Approach

* For arriving at its ratings, CRISIL has combined the business and financial risk profiles of Aquamall and Lux. This is because both the entities, collectively referred to as Aquamall, are engaged in related businesses.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths
* Strong support from SP group and good financial flexibility: Aquamall is a wholly owned subsidiary of EFL and step down subsidiary of Forbes & Co Ltd (FCL). SP group, the oldest operating construction group with an established presence in various segments of the industry, holds a 73.85% stake in FCL. The group's strong financial flexibility is also driven by its 18.5% holding in Tata Sons Ltd (rated 'CRISIL AAA/FAAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+'), the holding company for the Tata group of companies. Over the years, the SP group has consistently provided financial and management support to FCL. CRISIL believes that FCL and its subsidiaries including Aquamall will continue to derive need-based financial and managerial support from the SP group.

* Strong operational linkages with EFL: As a wholly owned subsidiary of EFL, Aquamall functions as the manufacturing arm of the parent. Aquamall sells almost its entire production to EFL, and is critical to EFL's operations. EFL spearheaded the launch of domestic water purification systems in India with its prominent brand, Aquaguard, and is currently the market leader, with market share of about 67% in the electric water purifier segment; EFL is also the leader in the domestic vacuum cleaner segment, with an estimated market share of around 75%. EFL's strong market position benefits from its wide product range, its unique direct selling model, its superior technological capabilities and its wide service network with distributor and dealer base across more than 1,550 service centres covering major part of the country. EFL's presence across the value chain, from manufacturing to after-sales, enhances its operational control. CRISIL believes that Aquamall's business risk profile will continue to benefit from its strong operational linkages with EFL, in view of steady demand expected for water purifiers in India. Aquamall has initiated the merger process, whereby it will be merged into EFL. The process is expected to be completed in the current fiscal.

Weakness
* Increasing competition in water purification business: The water purifier industry in India is highly competitive with the industry having witnessed the entry of several organised players. The major players in the market include Kent RO Systems Ltd in RO-based systems, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (rated 'CRISIL AAA/Stable') in storage-based water purifiers; the entry of a few more established names in the home appliances industry is expected to intensify competition in this segment. CRISIL believes that the increasing competition and the resultant pricing pressures may exert pressure on EFL's (and consequently Aquamall's) working capital cycle and margins over the medium term. While EFL is expected to respond to competition with new technology and products, any significant decline in EFL's market share in the water purification business will be a key rating sensitivity factor.

* Moderate diversity in revenue profile and weak operating performance of Lux: Aquamall currently deals in only two product categories in India: water purification systems and vacuum cleaners with higher proportion of revenue coming from water purification business. Although market penetration for these products in India is relatively low, thereby offering good growth opportunities, lack of a diverse product profile will render Aquamall more vulnerable to competitive pressure and business downturns than the more diversified players, including Hindustan Unilever Ltd and Philips India Ltd. While the acquisition of Lux has improved Aquamall's geographic diversity, product diversity remains limited.
 
* The operating performance of its subsidiary, Lux, has remained weak over the past 4 years in view of the weak business environment in Europe which forms the major market for the company. This coupled with various restructuring expenses has led to Lux reported an operating loss in CY16 as compared to operating profitability in the previous years. The company has taken various new initiates over the past two years to turnaround the performance of the company, which is expected to yield results in CY18. CRISIL believes that the business risk profile of Lux is expected to remain weak in the near term thereby impacting the financial metrics of Aquamall at a consolidated level.

* Deterioration in Financial Risk Profile: Aquamall's financial risk profile is marked by leveraged capital structure and deterioration in debt protection metrics. While Aquamall's capital structure was comfortable until fiscal 2013, the large debt funding involved in acquisition of Lux in fiscal 2014 led to increase in the Aquamall's consolidated gearing to 2.3 times as on March 31, 2014 (0.01 times as on March 31, 2013). Furthermore, deterioration in the operating performance of Lux has led to decline in the consolidated operating profit margin to 4.0% in fiscal 2017 as compared to 10.3% in fiscal 2016. This along with elevated level of debt over the past few years has led to deterioration in the debt protection metrics. At a consolidated level, Aquamall's ratio of debt to earnings before interest, depreciation, amortization and tax (EBITDA), and interest cover has declined to 9.28 times and 2.37 times in fiscal 2017 from 4.96 times and 10.30 times in fiscal 2014 respectively. Any further deterioration in the operating performance of Lux will be a key rating sensitivity factor going ahead.
Outlook: Negative

CRISIL believes that Aquamall's financial credit metrics will remain moderate over the medium term on account of delay in recovery in performance of Lux.

Upside Scenario:
* Significant improvement in operating performance of Lux.
* Greater than expected cash accruals, resulting in a faster than expected improvement in consolidated gearing.

Downside Scenario:
* Further decline in operating performance of Lux leading to deterioration in Aquamall's debt protection measures
* Significant decline in profitability for Aquamall's domestic operations.
* Elongation of Aquamall's working capital cycle
* Significant debt-funded capex/investments/acquisitions leading to weakening of key credit metrics.

About the Company

Aquamall was incorporated in 1980 as Andhra Pradesh Industrial Components Ltd. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of EFL in 1983, and was renamed in March 2002. EFL is a step-down subsidiary of SPCL, the flagship company of the Shapoorji Pallonji group.
 
Aquamall manufactures water purifiers and components at its three facilities at Baddi (Himachal Pradesh), Dehradun (Uttarakhand), and Bengaluru (Karnataka). The company also manufactures domestic vacuum cleaners at Baddi Factory and air purifiers at Bangalore factory.
 
Set up in 1982, EFL markets, sells, and services domestic and industrial water purification systems, vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, and security solutions. EFL derives around 25% of its revenue through retail sales and the balance through direct sales; the company has a wide distribution network of over 4,500 direct-selling personnel, distributor and dealer base of over 25,000 across more than 1,550 service centres.
 
Lux, founded in 1901, is engaged in direct sales of premium home products, primarily vacuum cleaners and air purifiers. The company is present in around 40 countries, primarily in Europe, and has a small presence in Africa and Latin America. Lux is wholly owned by EFL and its subsidiaries; EFL acquired a 25% stake in Lux during fiscal 2012 and the balance 75% in June 2013. Aquamall has an 91% equity stake in Forbes Lux International AG, Switzerland (Forbes Lux; a special purpose vehicle), which in turn has 100% stake in Lux; the remaining 9% stake in Forbes Lux is held by another wholly-owned subsidiary of EFL.

Key Financial Indicators
As on / for the period ended March 31 2017 2016
Revenue Rs crore 700 682
Profit after tax Rs crore 47 66
PAT margins % 6.6 9.6
Adjusted Debt/Adjusted Net worth Times 0.48 0.46
Interest coverage Times 7.77 7.71

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 Instrument Date of Allotment Coupon rate (%) Maturity Date Issue size (Rs Cr) Rating Assigned with Outlook
NA Bank Guarantee NA NA NA 2.00 CRISIL A1+
NA Cash Credit & Working Capital Demand Loan NA NA NA 38.00 CRISIL AA-/Negative
NA Letter of Credit NA NA NA 10.00 CRISIL A1+
NA Proposed Fund-Based Bank Limits NA NA NA 15.00 CRISIL AA-/Negative
NA Sales Bill Discounting NA NA NA 10.00 CRISIL A1+
NA Working Capital Demand Loan NA NA NA 50.00 CRISIL AA-/Negative
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
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  113  CRISIL AA-/Negative/ CRISIL A1+    No Rating Change  12-10-16  CRISIL AA-/Negative/ CRISIL A1+  01-04-15  CRISIL AA-/Stable/ CRISIL A1+    No Rating Change  CRISIL AA-/Stable 
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  12  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.
Annexure - Details of various bank facilities
Current facilities Previous facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating
Bank Guarantee 2 CRISIL A1+ Bank Guarantee 2 CRISIL A1+
Cash Credit & Working Capital demand loan 38 CRISIL AA-/Negative Cash Credit & Working Capital demand loan 38 CRISIL AA-/Negative
Letter of Credit 10 CRISIL A1+ Letter of Credit 10 CRISIL A1+
Proposed Fund-Based Bank Limits 15 CRISIL AA-/Negative Proposed Fund-Based Bank Limits 15 CRISIL AA-/Negative
Sales Bill Discounting 10 CRISIL A1+ Sales Bill Discounting 10 CRISIL A1+
Working Capital Demand Loan 50 CRISIL AA-/Negative Working Capital Demand Loan 50 CRISIL AA-/Negative
Total 125 -- Total 125 --
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
Rating Criteria for Consumer Durable Industry
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation
Criteria for Notching up Stand Alone Ratings of Companies based on Parent Support

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