Rating Rationale
November 11, 2016 | Mumbai
Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Limited
Ratings Reaffirmed 
 
Lower Tier-II Bond Programme Aggregating Rs.2.0 Billion CRISIL AA/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Rs.10.0 Billion Short-Term Debt Programme CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)

CRISIL has reaffirmed its ratings on the lower Tier II bonds and short-term debt programme of Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Ltd (Chola Finance), post the recent announcement by Tube Investments (TI; largest shareholder in the company) to demerge its manufacturing and financial services businesses into different legal entities.
 
On November 3, 2016, TI's Board of Directors approved a de-merger plan to separate its manufacturing and the financial services business into separate legal entities, with identical shareholding. The manufacturing business, comprising bicycles, metal forming, engineering, and TI's subsidiaries - Shanthi Gears Ltd (SGL), TI Subamex Pvt Ltd (TI Tsubamex) and France based Sedis will be demerged into TI Financial Holdings Ltd (TIFHL), a wholly owned subsidiary of TI. Post completion of the de-merger process, the name of TIFHL will be changed to TI and the name of TI, which will initially hold the financial entities viz. Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Ltd (Chola Finance), Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Ltd (Chola MS) and Chola MS Risk Services Ltd (Chola MS Risk), will be changed to TIFHL.
 
Both TI and TIFHL will be listed, with shareholders receiving 1 share of TIFHL for every share held in TI. The de-merger transaction, which will be effective from April 1, 2016, is expected to take 6-8 months to complete and is subject to approvals from the shareholders of both the Companies, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the Chennai High Court.
 
The demerger of the financial businesses to TIFHL will not impact Chola Finance's credit risk profile, which continues to derive significant equity and management support from the Murugappa group (holds majority equity stake of 53.1% in Chola Finance through TI and other group entities). The group has provided timely funding support to the company during weak liquidity conditions (infused capital of Rs 1.5 billion in March 2009). Chola Finance has been the group's financial services arm for over two decades, and CRISIL believes the group will maintain its majority equity and continue to provide financial and managerial support whenever required. The ratings also reflect Chola Finance's continued strong market position in the commercial vehicle financing space and better-than-industry average asset quality. These strengths are partially offset by modest, albeit improving, earnings profile and limited portfolio seasoning in the loan against property (LAP) segment.
Chola Finance has sustained its strong market position in the vehicle financing segment (comprise around two-thirds of portfolio) and is the among the larger vehicle financier in terms of assets under management (AUM)'Rs 218.2 billion as on September 30, 2016 (Rs 204.3 billion as on March 31, 2016). The company has an established track record in catering to specific customer segments such as small fleet operators and first-time users.

Asset quality remains better than industry average, with overall gross non-performing assets at 3.51% as on September 30, 2016, against 4.42% in the previous year. Portfolio delinquency levels on a 90+ days past due (dpd) basis declined to 4.2% as on September 30, 2016, from 5.37% as on September 30, 2015. This was primarily due to reduction in delinquency levels in its core vehicle financing business (67% of total loan portfolio). Improvement in asset quality will be sustained over the medium term.

The LAP portfolio grew at a healthy pace over the past three years to Rs 96.9 billion as on September 30, 2016; constituting 30% of overall AUM as on that date. This segment provides diversification to the company's performance across economic cycles; pre-tax return on assets in this segment was 2.3% in the first-half of fiscal 2017. However, delinquencies in this segment has increased - the 90+ dpd rose to 4.96% as on September 30, 2016, from 4.1% as on September 30, 2015. Asset quality performance in this segment will remain a monitorable given its high growth (compound annual growth rate of 23% between fiscals 2014 and 2016) and relatively limited portfolio seasoning.

Earnings profile is average, albeit improving, with return on managed assets of 2.0% for the first-half fiscal 2017, which improved from 1.6% in the first-half of fiscal 2016. Better profitability was largely on account of lower credit costs, which declined to 0.9% in the first-half of fiscal 2016 from 1.6% for the corresponding period of the previous year.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes Chola Finance will continue to grow and maintain its strong market position in the vehicle financing segment, while maintaining asset quality at better than industry average, over the medium term. The outlook may be revised to 'Positive' in case of an upward revision in CRISIL's view on the Murugappa group's credit risk profile, coupled with a significant improvement in Chola Finance's financial risk profile. The outlook may be revised to 'Negative' in case of deterioration in the company's asset quality, profitability, or capitalisation, or a downward revision in CRISIL's view on the group's credit risk profile.

About the Company

Part of Chennai-based Murugappa group, Chola Finance was incorporated in 1978. The company provides vehicle financing and LAP. It also provides housing loans and SME loans. Chola Finance had 637 branches across India, primarily in Tier-II and Tier-III cities, as on September 30, 2016.

Between April 2005 and March 2010, the company operated as a joint venture between DBS Bank and the Murugappa group. In March 2010, DBS Bank sold its 37.48% equity stake in Chola Finance to the Murugappa group. Chola Finance exited the unsecured personal loan segment in October 2008. It also exited its asset management business through a complete stake sale in DBS Chola Asset Management to L&T Finance Ltd in September 2009. The Murugappa group currently holds 53.1% equity stake in Chola Finance, of which 46.2% is held by TI, a group company.

Chola Finance  currently has three subsidiaries: Cholamandalam Securities Ltd (for stock broking and depository services), Cholamandalam Distribution Services Ltd (for fixed-income and insurance products) and White Data Systems India P Ltd. (freight aggregating business)

For the first-half of fiscal 2017, Chola Finance reported a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 3.3 billion on a total income (net of interest expense) of Rs 11.5 billion, against a PAT of Rs 2.3 billion on a total income (net of interest expense) of Rs 9.9 billion for the first-half fiscal 2016.

For fiscal 2016, Chola Finance reported a PAT of Rs 5.7 billion on a total income (net of interest expense) of Rs 21.0 billion, against a PAT of Rs 4.4 billion on a total income (net of interest expense) of Rs 17.5 billion for fiscal 2015.




Links to related criteria
Rating Criteria for Finance Companies
Criteria for Notching up Stand Alone Ratings of Companies based on Group Support
Criteria for rating Short-Term Debt (including Commercial Paper)
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