Rating Rationale
October 23, 2019 | Mumbai
Northern Arc 2019 MFI Bruges
(Originator: Asirvad Microfinance Limited)
'CRISIL A+ (SO)' for Series A PTCs converted from provisional rating to final rating
 
Rating Action
Trust Name Details Amount rated (Rs Cr) Outstanding Principal
(Rs Cr)*
Original tenure (Months)# Credit collateral
(Rs Cr)
Rating Rating action
Northern Arc 2019 MFI Bruges Series A PTCs 75.00 69.99 22 5.06 CRISIL A+ (SO) Converted from Provisional Rating to Final Rating
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
#Indicates door to door tenure from pool cut-off date. Actual tenure will depend on the level of prepayments in the pool, and exercise of the clean-up call option
*After September 2019 Payouts
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has converted its provisional rating assigned to Series A pass-through certificates (PTCs) issued by 'Northern Arc 2019 MFI Bruges' to final rating of 'CRISIL A+ (SO)'. The provisional rating was assigned on August 16, 2019. CRISIL has received the below mentioned documents executed for this transaction. These executed documents are in line with terms of the transaction when provisional rating/credit opinion was assigned. Hence, CRISIL has converted the provisional rating/credit opinion to a final rating/credit opinion.
 
Legal Documents:

  1. Assignment Agreement       
  2. Trust Deed  
  3. Servicing Agreement
  4. Accounts Agreement           
  5. Power of Attorney   

Other Documents:  

  1. Legal Opinion
  2. Information Memorandum
  3. Auditor's Certificate
  4. Trustee Awareness Letter
  5. Representations and Warranties

Please click on the following link for detailed information on CRISIL's policy on provisional rating: Revision in CRISIL policy for assigning 'provisional' ratings
 
 The transaction is backed by microfinance loan receivables originated by Asirvad Microfinance Limited (AML; Rated 'CRISIL 'CRISIL AA-/CRISIL PP-MLD AA-r/Stable/CRISIL A1+'). The ratings are based on the credit support available to the PTCs, credit quality of underlying pool receivables, AML's origination and servicing capabilities, and soundness of the transaction's legal structure.
 
The transaction has a 'Par with Excess Interest Spread' structure. In exchange for a purchase consideration amounting to 89.0% of future principal outstanding as on the pool cut-off date, AMl assigned the loan pool to 'Northern Arc 2019 MFI Bruges', a trust settled by Catalyst Trusteeship Limited (CTL), which then issued instruments to investors. Investor payouts for Series A PTCs are supported by credit collateral and cashflow subordination.
 
The PTCs are supported by the credit collateral - in the form of fixed deposit - and cashflow subordinbation. The total credit support available in the transaction is as below:

  • External credit collateral of Rs 5.06 crore (6.0% of pool principal or 5.1% of pool cash flow)
  • Internal credit support in the form of cashflow subordination aggregating to Rs. 19.38 crore (23.0% of pool principal or 19.4% of pool cash flow) ' including Rs 9.27 crore of principal overcollateralisation (11.0% of pool principal or 9.3% of pool cash flow)

Series A PTCs are promised monthly interest payments. Series A PTCs are eligible for principal payments on a monthly basis, but principal payments are promised and due only at the final maturity date. As per the transaction's terms, in case of collection shortfalls in the underlying pool, the available credit collateral shall be utilised only to the extent required to fund interest payouts and any senior costs on a monthly basis. However, at final maturity, the available credit collateral can be utilised to repay any Series A PTC principal outstanding also.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Supporting Factors 
  • Credit support available in the structure at the time of Securitization
    • Credit collateral of Rs 5.06 crore (6.0% of the pool principal or 5.1% of the pool cash flow) provides credit support to Series A PTCs. The PTCs also benefit from scheduled cashflow subordination aggregating Rs 19.38 crore including Rs.9.27 crore of principal overcollateralisation for Series A PTCs. 
       
  • Moderate seasoning of contracts in the pool
    • The contracts in the pool have an amortisation of 21.6% as of the cut-off date and all the contracts in the pool are current as of cut off date.
Constraining Factors 
  • Susceptibility to political and regulatory environment
  • The microfinance industry remains susceptible to risks arising out of socio-political issues and regulatory changes. Such events have the ability to disrupt loan repayments of underlying borrowers. The unsecured nature of microfinance loans and inherent modest credit risk profile of the borrowers have been considered.
Liquidity:Strong
  • Liquidity is strong given that the credit enhancement available in the structure is sufficient to cover losses exceeding 1.5 times the currently estimated base shortfalls
These aspects have been factored by CRISIL in its rating analysis.

Rating Sensitivity factors
  • Upward
    • Credit enhancement (both internal and external credit enhancement) available in the structure exceeding 2.0 times the estimated base case shortfalls on the residual cash flows of the pool. 
       
  • Downward
    • Credit enhancement falling below 1.5 times the estimated base case shortfalls
    • A sharp downgrade in the rating of the servicer/originator
    • Non-adherence to the key transaction terms envisaged at the time of the rating

About the Pool
The pool securitised comprises of microfinance loan receivables. The pool has weighted average net seasoning of 5.8 months. The pool is geographically concentrated with top three states in the pool accounting for 86.2% of pool principal. Average ticket size is Rs 32,059 with weighted average interest rate of 21.9%. All the contracts in the pool were current as on pool cut-off date (July 31, 2019). CRISIL has adequately factored all these aspects in its rating analysis.


Rating Assumptions

To assess the base case shortfalls for the transaction, CRISIL has analysed the moving portfolio delinquency information on portfolio for performance from May-12 to Jun-19.
 
60+ dpd and 0+ dpd on the portfolio is 0.8% and 1.4% as of Jun-19 respectively. Due to demonetisation, the 60+ dpd and 0+ dpd peaks observed were 9.1% and 16.5% respectively, but there have been recoveries from the peaks observed.
 
Based on these aspects, CRISIL has estimated base case shortfalls in the pool at 6.0-8.0%% of cash flows. 

  • CRISIL has assumed a stressed monthly prepayment rate of 0.5 to 1.0% in its analysis.
  • CRISIL does not envisage any risk arising on account of commingling of cash flows since CRISIL's short term rating on the servicer is 'CRISIL A1+'
  • CRISIL has adequately factored in the risks arising on account of counterparties (refer to counterparty details below)
  • CRISIL has run sensitivities based on various shortfall curves (front-ended, back-ended and normal) and has adequately factored the same in its analysis.
 
Counterparty Details

Capacity

Counterparty Name

Counterparty Rating/Track record

Effect on credit ratings in case of non-performance

Originator AML 'CRISIL 'CRISIL AA-/CRISIL PP-MLD AA-r/Stable/CRISIL A1+' No effect.
Servicer AML 'CRISIL 'CRISIL AA-/CRISIL PP-MLD AA-r/Stable/CRISIL A1+' Significant effect, because of change in servicing quality and replacement cost of servicer. However, currently CRISIL does not envisage the need for replacement. The Trust or investor has right to change the servicer with an intimation to CRISIL.
Collection and Payout Account Bank ICICI Bank Rated 'CRISIL AAA/CRISIL AA+/Stable' Negligible effect. Account bank can be changed without impacting the rating.
Collateral in the form of Fixed Deposit DCB Bank Rated 'CRISIL AA-/Stable/CRISIL A1+' Negligible effect. Bank with whom the fixed deposit is maintained can be changed without impacting the rating.
Trustee CTL Adequate track record Negligible effect. Can be replaced at minimal cost.

About the Originator
Asirvad, an NBFC microfinance institution, is a majority owned subsidiary of MAFIL. It was set up by the current managing director, Mr S V Raja Vaidyanathan, in 2007. MAFIL acquired stake in Asirvad in February 2015, which it subsequently increased to 93.33% in March 2019. Asirvad had 961 branches in 296 districts in 22 states as on June 30, 2019.
 
Asirvad reported PAT of Rs 133 crore on total income of Rs 677 crore in fiscal 2019. The profit was Rs 49 crore on total income of Rs 213 crore in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. Loan portfolio outstanding increased to Rs 4,196 crore as on June 30, 2019, from Rs 3,841 crore as on March 31, 2019, and Rs 2,438 crore as on March 31, 2018.

Past Rated Pools
CRISIL has ratings outstaing on ten securitistion transactions originated by AML. CRISIL is receiving monthly payout reports pertaining to these transactions.
Key Financial Indicators
As On/For The Period Ended March 31, Unit June-19* March-2019* March-2018*
Total managed assets Rs. Crore 4,648 4,558 2,717
Total income Rs. Crore 213 677 470
Gross NPA % 0.7 0.48 1.73
Adjusted gearing  Times 4.6 4.9 10.3
Profit after tax Rs. Crore 49 133 (10)
Return on assets % 4.3 3.6 (0.4)
*As per Ind-AS

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)
Type of Instrument Rated Amount
(Rs Crore)
Date of Allotment Maturity
Date#
Coupon Rate (p.a.p.m) Outstanding
Rating&
Credit collateral (Rs Crore)^
Series A PTCs 75.00 19-Aug-19 28-Jun-21 9.30% CRISIL A+ (SO) 5.06
#Indicates door to door tenure. Actual tenure will depend on the level of prepayments in the pool, and exercise of the clean-up call option
&Series A PTCs are entitled to monthly interest payments. The principal repayment to Series A PTCs, while expected on a monthly basis, is promised and due only at the final maturity date.
^Additional credit support in the form of cashflow subordination (assuming zero prepayments) aggregating Rs 19.38 crore (including principal overcollateralisation of Rs 9.27 crore).
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2019 (History) 2018  2017  2016  Start of 2016
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Series A PTCs  LT  69.99   CRISIL A+ (SO) 16-08-19  Provisional CRISIL A+ (SO)               
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
 
Links to related criteria
CRISILs rating methodology for ABS transactions

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