Rating Rationale
August 12, 2022 | Mumbai
BLDE Association
Rating Reassigned; Rated amount enhanced
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.30 Crore (Enhanced from Rs.10 Crore)
Long Term RatingCRISIL BBB+/Stable (Reassigned)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to Annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities

Detailed Rationale

CRISIL Ratings has reassigned its ‘CRISIL BBB+/Stable rating to the long-term bank facility of BLDE Association (BLDEA; part of the BLDE group).

 

The rating continues to reflect the BLDE group's established market position in the education sector with diverse revenue streams, its sound operating efficiency and strong financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by its vulnerability to stringent regulations and geographic concentration in revenue.

 

CRISIL Ratings had assigned its ‘CRISIL A2’ rating to the short-term bank facility (Bank Guarantee) of BLDEA on July 28, 2022. Bank guarantee is now a sublimit of the overdraft facility, as per the latest bank sanction letter.

Analytical Approach

CRISIL Ratings has combined the business and financial risk profiles of BLDEA and BLDE (Deemed to be University) as both the entities, together referred as the BLDE group, have common management, operate in the same industry and have operational and financial linkages.

 

Please refer Annexure - List of Entities Consolidated, which captures the list of entities considered and their analytical treatment of consolidation.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description

Strengths:

  • Established market position in the education sector, strong brand and diverse revenue streams: The BLDE group has been providing quality education in north Karnataka for 112 years. The group operates around 80 institutions across various disciplines, such as medicine, engineering, management, arts, science, pharmacy and technical education. Experience of the management in the education sector and the group’s strong reputation have resulted in healthy occupancy for the institutes.

 

  • Sound operating efficiency: The group has sound operating efficiency as reflected in occupancy of 85-90% and even higher in some of the prominent institutions, resulting in healthy operating margin and return on capital employed. The occupancy has remained comfortable despite the impact of Covid-19. The medical and engineering colleges have occupancy of over 95%, and should support operating efficiency over the medium term.

 

  • Strong financial risk profile: The group has a strong financial risk profile, supported by healthy networth, low gearing and comfortable debt protection indicators. Networth is estimated at Rs 633 crore and the group had no outstanding long-term debt as on March 31, 2022. The group plans to purchase land and set up infrastructure in Bengaluru at an investment of Rs 300 crore. This will be funded through internal sources and no incremental term debt is expected. However, the group may avail of short-term loan of Rs 150 crore backed by medical fees to be received in the current academic year. The loan is likely to be repaid next year. The financial risk profile should continue to improve supported by healthy cash accrual.

 

Weaknesses:

  • Vulnerability to stringent regulations: Establishment and operations of educational institutions are regulated by various governmental and quasi-governmental agencies, such as the University Grants Commission, the Medical Council of India, the All-India Council for Technical Education, the Central Board of Secondary Education and state governments. Each body has detailed procedures for granting permission to set up institutions, and approvals need to be renewed every three or five years. Any non-compliance will result in cancellation of affiliation or license, leading to loss of reputation and revenue. The risk is mitigated by the experience of the BLDE group in managing various institutions and complying with regulations since several decades.

 

  • Geographic concentration in revenue: The group derives majority of its revenue from colleges in Karnataka, though it offers a variety of courses. The group also faces competition from many private universities and reputed colleges in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Any increase in competition or slowdown in student intake because of shift in student preference to competing institutes can impact the business risk profile.

Liquidity: Adequate

BLDEA’s liquidity is adequate marked by the projected cash accruals of Rs. 30-40 crore against nil term debt obligation over the medium term. Average bank limit utilization was low at 33% for the past 12 months through May 2022. At group level, cash reserve is estimated over Rs 224 crore as on March 31, 2022, and around Rs 353 crore as on June 30, 2022. Cash accrual is expected at Rs 180-200 crore over the medium term. Low gearing and strong networth support financial flexibility to withstand exigencies.

Outlook Stable

CRISIL Ratings believes the group will continue to benefit over the medium term from its reputation, established market position, healthy occupancy levels and a strong financial profile.

Rating Sensitivity factors

Upward factors

  • Healthy growth in revenue backed by occupancy improving to over 90%
  • Sustained financial risk profile with strong liquidity buffer and capex plans in line with expectations

 

Downward factors

  • Decline in occupancy to below 75% constraining the revenue and profitability
  • Any significant decline in cash buffer or materially larger-than-expected debt-funded capex or substantial delay/disruption in fee collection impacting the financial risk profile

About the Group

BLDEA was set up in 1910 by the late Dr P G Halakatti in Bijapur. BLDEA operates 80 educational institutions with over 33,000 students, including professional colleges, arts and science colleges, pre-university colleges, schools and technical institutes, mostly in Bijapur. Dr M B Patil, (MLA and former Minister of Water Resources and Home, Government of Karnataka) is the current president of BLDEA.

 

BLDE (Deemed to be University) came into existence in 2008 under the sponsorship of BLDEA. Shri B M Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre is the only constituent college of the university.

Key Financial Indicators

As on / for the period ended March 31

 

2022

2021

Operating income

Rs crore

369.71

316.40

Reported profit after tax

Rs crore

146.28

87.07

PAT margins

%

39.57

27.52

Adjusted Debt/Adjusted Net worth

Times

0.02

0.02

Interest coverage

Times

249.82

121.95

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 Cr)

Complexity

Levels

Rating Assigned

with Outlook

NA

Overdraft Facility

NA

NA

NA

30

NA

CRISIL BBB+/Stable

Annexure – List of entities consolidated

Names of Entities Consolidated

Extent of Consolidation

Rationale for Consolidation

BLDE Association

Full

Common management, operate in the same industry and have operational and financial linkages

BLDE (Deemed to be university)

Full

Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2022 (History) 2021  2020  2019  Start of 2019
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund Based Facilities LT 30.0 CRISIL BBB+/Stable 28-07-22 CRISIL A2   --   --   -- Suspended
Non-Fund Based Facilities ST   --   --   --   --   -- --
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Overdraft Facility 10 State Bank of India CRISIL BBB+/Stable
Overdraft Facility 20 State Bank of India CRISIL BBB+/Stable

This Annexure has been updated on 12-Aug-2022 in line with the lender-wise facility details as on 26-Jul-2022 received from the rated entity.

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
CRISILs criteria for rating Education institutions
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt

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