Rating Rationale
September 30, 2020 | Mumbai
Cargill India Private Limited
Rating Reaffirmed 
 
Rating Action
Rs.300 Crore Commercial Paper Programme CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its 'CRISIL A1+' rating on the commercial paper programme of Cargill India Private Limited (Cargill India).
 
The rating continues to reflect the strong support the company receives from its parent, Cargill Inc, USA (Cargill; rated 'A/Stable/A-1' by S&P Global Ratings [S&P]). The rating also factors in Cargill India's established position in the agricultural commodities trading and processing, and edible oil refining businesses. These strengths are partially offset by its average standalone financial risk profile.

Analytical Approach

CRISIL has notched up the standalone rating based on the expectation of strong support from the ultimate parent, Cargill, both on an ongoing basis and in the event of distress. Cargill owns 100% stake in Cargill India through group companies. This is in line with CRISIL's criteria for notching up standalone ratings of companies based on parent support. External commercial borrowings (ECBs) and loans in the form of buyer's credit from fellow subsidiaries have been treated as debt because they are interest bearing, ECBs have a fixed repayment schedule and buyer' credit have a tenure of one year.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
* Strong support from the parent, Cargill: Cargill's product and geographical diversity, and extensive supply chain and distribution network, help Cargill India optimise the movement of its products. Cargill India also leverages its parent's established customer relationships, and expertise in commodity risk and supply chain management. Moreover, the company receives strong financial support from the parent through guaranteed bank lines of over Rs 3,000 crore ($430 million) that are carved out of the parent's lines and through continuous equity infusions. In fiscal 2019, equity of Rs 358.8 crores (including security premium) was infused. Furthermore, the Cargill Group had provided debt in the form of ECBs for undertaking capex in the past of which Rs 60.3 crore is outstanding as on June 30, 2020. Additionally, Cargill India has been extended low cost credit lines to the tune of over Rs 1,400 crore ($200 million) in the form of  buyer's credit from fellow subsidiary Cargill Asia Pacific Treasury Ltd of which Rs 860 crores was outstanding as on June 30, 2020. Cargill's ownership of Cargill India, and the latter's strategic importance to the former, underscore the parent's moral obligation to support the subsidiary.
 
* Established market position: Cargill India is one of the few large, organised players in the edible oil and commodities trading business in India. The company's brands, Nature Fresh, Gemini, Sweekar, Leonardo, and Rath, have established retail presence and strong recall. The company also caters to strategic institutional customers. The agricultural commodities portfolio is diversified, including edible oil, soya meal, oil seeds, corn, wheat, rice, pulses, cotton, sorghum, and flour, along with animal nutrition products. The company has well established brands in the animal nutrition business including Provimi, Purina and EWOS. Cargill is also establishing the brand 'Carfe' to cater to feed industry in India

* Average financial risk profile: Company's performance in fiscal 2020 has improved due to better performance of its food ingredient segment (which accounts for about 75% of Cargill India's revenues), with revenues estimated to have grown by a healthy 13% to around Rs 8,600 crore as per provisional financials for fiscal 2020.  While operating margins for fiscal 2020 is estimated to have improved by about 200 basis points over the previous fiscal, they still remain muted at around 2.5%. The company is expected to have generated net profit in fiscal 2020 after incurring losses in the previous three fiscals.   Despite losses over the last few years, periodic equity infusions from parent have sustained moderate capital structure- gearing is estimated at 1.59 times as on March 31, 2020.
Liquidity Superior

The superior liquidity is driven by the expectation of ongoing and need-based support from parent, Cargill. The company's bank lines are carved out of the limits for the Asia'Pacific region fully covered under Cargill Inc, however the commercial paper outstanding is not backed by a corporate guarantee from the parent. There is no CP outstanding as on June 30, 2020. The company has bank lines of over Rs 3000 crores ($430 million)- the utilization of the same was only around 18% in June 30, 2020. CRISIL expects the unutilized bank lines to be sufficient to meet any incremental working capital requirement. The company has no long term debt repayments except repayment of Rs 60.3 crores to a fellow subsidiary in March, 2021. Liquidity is also supported by the availability of over Rs 1,400 crore ($200 million), low cost credit lines in the form of buyer's credit from a fellow subsidiary, of which Rs 860 crores (61%) were utilised as on June 30, 2020.

Rating sensitivity factors
Downward factors
* Significant deterioration in operating performance
* Deterioration in capital structure
* Diminution in support from parent, Cargill Inc
* Downgrade in S&P's rating on Cargill by 2 notches

About the Company

Cargill India was incorporated in April 1996 as a 100% subsidiary of Cargill. It trades primarily in edible oil, soya bean meal, and other agricultural commodities, including corn, wheat, cotton, sorghum, and oil seeds. The company has two edible oil refining plants, one each in Kurkumbh, Maharashtra, and in Kandla, Gujarat, and a corn starch processing plant in Davangere, Karnataka. Between November 2010 and February 2014, Cargill India acquired vanaspati brands Rath and Sunflower, sunflower oil brand Sweekar, and olive oil brand Leonardo, expanding its product portfolio in the consumer food business. The company also generates revenue from its active treasury management operations.

Key Financial Indicators
Particulars Unit 2020* 2019
Operating income Rs crore 8584 7610
Profit after tax (PAT) Rs crore 20 (159)
PAT Margin 0.2 (2.1)
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 1.59 1.19
Interest coverage Times 2.09 0.30
*FY20 financials are provisionals

Any other information: Not applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL complexity levels are assigned to various types of financial instruments and are included (where applicable) in the Annexure -- Details of Instrument in this Rating Rationale. For more details on the CRISIL complexity levels, please visit www.crisil.com/complexity-levels.
Annexure - Details of Instrument(s)
ISIN Name of instrument Date of allotment Coupon rate (%) Maturity date Issue (Rs Cr) Complexity levels Rating outstanding with Outlook
NA Commercial paper NA NA 7-365 days 300.0 Simple CRISIL A1+
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2020 (History) 2019  2018  2017  Start of 2017
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Commercial Paper  ST  300.00  CRISIL A1+      30-09-19  CRISIL A1+  27-09-18  CRISIL A1+  13-09-17  CRISIL A1+  CRISIL A1+ 
                    11-08-17  CRISIL A1+   
                    24-03-17  CRISIL A1+   
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt
Criteria for Notching up Stand Alone Ratings of Companies based on Parent Support
Mapping global scale ratings onto CRISIL scale

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