Rating Rationale
November 29, 2021 | Mumbai
Auro Laboratories Limited
Ratings Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.18 Crore
Long Term RatingCRISIL BBB-/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term RatingCRISIL A3 (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to Annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities

Detailed Rationale

CRISIL Ratings has reaffirmed its ‘CRISIL BBB-/Stable/CRISIL A3’ ratings on the bank facilities of Auro Laboratories Limited (Auro).

 

The ratings continue to reflect the extensive experience of the promoters of Auro in the pharmaceutical industry, improving operating margins and its comfortable financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by the large working capital requirement, modest scale of operations amid intense competition and product concentration in revenue.

Analytical Approach

Unsecured loan is treated as debt.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description

Strengths:

  • Established market position: The three decades of experience of the promoters in the pharmaceutical industry, their in-depth understanding of market dynamics and strong relationships with suppliers and customers in India and abroad should continue to support the business. Auro has a large client base with the top five customers accounting for 25% of total revenue in fiscal 2021. The regular launch of new products and repeat orders from existing customers helped revenue increase to Rs 54.25 crore in fiscal 2021 from Rs 40.79 crore in fiscal 2018.

 

  • Improving operating margins: with improvement in capacity utilization from 75% to over 90% over the last 2 fiscal years ended March 31, 2021, the company has been able to reduce it overall cost of production which has thereby improving its operating margins from 16% in fiscal 2019 to 21% in fiscal 2021.

 

  • Comfortable financial risk profile: Networth remained healthy at Rs 28.55 crore as on March 31, 2021 and limited reliance on outside borrowings kept gearing and total outside liabilities to adjusted networth ratios comfortable at 0.11 time and 0.46 time, respectively. With limited debt levels, capital structure is expected to remain at similar levels. Debt protection metrics continue to be robust with healthy operating margin as highlighted by interest coverage and net cash accrual to adjusted debt ratios of 26.17 and 2.60 times, respectively, for fiscal 2021. With no major deviation expected in operating margin, debt protection metrics should remain adequate over the medium term.

 

Weaknesses:

  • Modest scale of operations amid intense competition: Despite growth in revenue, scale of operations remains modest with revenue of Rs.54.24 crore in fiscal 2021, and Rs. 20 crores in first half of fiscal 2022. The pharmaceutical industry is highly competitive, which constrains sizeable growth and restricts bargaining power with customers and suppliers, and benefits accruing from economies of scale.

 

  • Product concentration in revenue profile: Nearly 90% of the revenue is derived through Metformin HCL (an active pharmaceutical ingredient).  Hence, slowdown in demand or price reduction due to replacement products or regulatory interventions, may impact the business significantly. Product concentration in revenue is likely to reduce with the expected addition of more products. Hence, diversification of product profile and revenue growth will remain key monitorables.

 

  • Large working capital requirement: Gross current assets were sizeable at 184 days, as on March 31, 2021, due to receivables of around 50 days and high other current assets, which includes Goods and Services Tax (GST) receivables, although inventory was moderate at 22 days. The company usually offers an open credit of 60-90 days to its major clients. Payables of 60-90 days support working capital. Management of working capital will remain a key monitorable over the medium term.

Liquidity: Adequate

Cash accrual, expected at Rs 6.5-7.0 crore each in fiscals 2022 and 2023 should comfortably cover debt obligation of Rs 0.89 crore and Rs 1.0 crore, respectively. Fund-based limit of Rs 9 crore was utilised 22% on average during the 12 months through September 2021. Cash and equivalents stood at Rs 13.82 crore as on March 31, 2021.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL Ratings believes Auro will continue to benefit from the extensive experience of its promoters and established customer relationships.

Rating Sensitivity factors

Upward factors

  • Increase in revenue to over Rs 70 crore along with sustenance of operating margins (over 16%), leading to higher cash accruals
  • Improvement in working capital cycle to below 120 days, thereby further improving financial profile of the company.

 

Downward factors

  • Decline in revenue or fall in profitability, leading to net cash accrual of less than Rs 5 crore
  • Large debt-funded capital expenditure or stretched working capital cycle, leading to significant weakening in the financial risk profile

About the Company

Incorporated in 1989 by Mr Sharat Deorah and Mr Siddhartha Deorah, Auro manufactures APIs, majorly Metformin HCL. Its manufacturing facility is located in Tarapur, Maharashtra. It is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Key Financial Indicators

As on / for the period ended March 31

 

2021

2020

Operating income

Rs crore

54.25

43.80

Reported profit after tax (PAT)

Rs crore

7.18

4.05

PAT margin

%

13.23

9.26

Adjusted debt / adjusted networth

Times

0.11

0.15

Interest coverage

Times

26.17

12.47

 

Any other information: Not applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL Ratings' complexity levels are assigned to various types of financial instruments. The CRISIL Ratings' complexity levels are available on www.crisil.com/complexity-levels. Users are advised to refer to the CRISIL Ratings' 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 crore)

Complexity levels

Rating assigned

with outlook

NA

Bank Guarantee

NA

NA

NA

0.6

NA

CRISIL A3

NA

Cash Credit

NA

NA

NA

4.5

NA

CRISIL BBB-/Stable

NA

Letter of Credit

NA

NA

NA

5.0

NA

CRISIL A3

NA

Working Capital Term Loan

NA

NA

Jul-24

0.37

NA

CRISIL BBB-/Stable

NA

Export Packing Credit

NA

NA

NA

4.5

NA

CRISIL BBB-/Stable

NA

Proposed Fund-Based Bank Limits

NA

NA

NA

3.03

NA

CRISIL BBB-/Stable

 

Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2021 (History) 2020  2019  2018  Start of 2018
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund Based Facilities LT 12.4 CRISIL BBB-/Stable   -- 27-08-20 CRISIL BBB-/Stable 21-05-19 CRISIL BBB-/Stable   -- --
Non-Fund Based Facilities ST 5.6 CRISIL A3   -- 27-08-20 CRISIL A3 21-05-19 CRISIL A3   -- --
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating
Bank Guarantee 0.6 CRISIL A3
Cash Credit 4.5 CRISIL BBB-/Stable
Export Packing Credit 4.5 CRISIL BBB-/Stable
Letter of Credit 5 CRISIL A3
Proposed Fund-Based Bank Limits 3.03 CRISIL BBB-/Stable
Working Capital Term Loan 0.37 CRISIL BBB-/Stable
Criteria Details
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition

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