Rating Rationale
February 19, 2020 | Mumbai
Craftsman Automation Limited
Ratings Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.1353.71 Crore (Reduced from Rs.1433.41 Crore)
Long Term Rating CRISIL BBB+/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A2 (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its ratings on the bank facilities of Craftsman Automation Limited (CAL) at 'CRISIL BBB+/Stable/CRISIL A2'. The ratings on the proposed long term bank loan facility and proposed non fund based limits of Rs 30.18 crore and Rs 49.52 crore, respectively, have been withdrawn at the company's request. The withdrawal is in line with CRISIL's policy on withdrawal of ratings.
 
The ratings reflect expectation of an improvement in the operating performance over the medium term, driven by increasing share of business from existing customers, addition of new customers including in the international market, and growing diversification in the product portfolio. Given the challenging environment in the domestic automobile segment, Revenue for the first nine months of fiscal 2020 declined by 15% over the corresponding period of the previous fiscal. However, the operating margin improved to 26.9% from 23.2% because of effective cost optimisation measures including rationalisation of employee costs and better operating metrics at the plants.
 
The ratings also factor in the expected improvement in the financial risk profile, driven by steady growth in cash accrual and pruned capital expenditure (capex) over the medium term. Though debt repayment obligation will remain high over this period, liquidity will be adequate given the healthy cash accrual.
 
The exit route for private equity investors - Marina III Singapore Pte Ltd; (15.50%) and International Finance Corporation (14.06%) - remains a key rating sensitivity factor.
 
The ratings continue to reflect an established position in the engineering contract-manufacturing segment, strong customer relationship, and improving operating efficiency. These strengths are partially offset by the capital- as well as working capital-intensive nature of operations, and exposure to any sharp slowdown in the automobile sector, despite growing revenue diversity.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at its ratings, CRISIL has considered the standalone business and financial risk profiles of CAL.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths
* Established market position, backed by a strong customer relationship: The company is a leading player in the engineering contract-manufacturing segment with a diversified customer base across industries. It has three business segments: automotive - power train, automotive - aluminium products, and industrial & engineering. The automotive - power train segment caters to commercial vehicles, farm equipment, construction and mining equipment, and passenger car sub-segments of the automotive industry. The automotive - aluminium products division supplies aluminium components to two- and four-wheeler manufacturers. The industrial & engineering segment consists of around nine sub-segments:  locomotives, industrial gears, aluminium castings for power switchgear, high- end sub-assemblies for packaging and printing machinery, material handling equipment, sheet metal fabrication, storage solutions, and special-purpose machines. The addition of capacity, products, and customers and a strong customer relationship have led to a compound average growth rate of 25% in revenue over the five fiscals through 2019. Steady offtake by key customers is expected to help maintain a healthy market position over the medium term.
 
* Healthy and improving operating efficiency: The higher margin from machining operations helped to maintain a better-than-industry operating margin of over 25% till fiscal 2015. In fiscals 2016 to 2018, the more profitable machining business was stagnant and export volume declined, resulting in moderation in the operating margin. Since fiscal 2019, a niche product profile and improving technical capabilities due to cost optimisation measures have improved operating efficiency. The setting up of a non-ferrous foundry and aluminium die-casting facilities has helped to broaden the product range. Furthermore, the general-purpose machines that the company uses have the operational flexibility to be deployed across various products and locations depending on the customer and operational requirement.
 
* Moderate and improving financial risk profile
The gearing is expected to improve to 1.36 times as on March 31, 2020, from 1.5 times a year earlier on account of lower borrowing to fund moderate capital expenditure (capex). Debt protection metrics are expected to be moderate, with the interest coverage ratio of about 3.1 times and net cash accrual to total debt ratio of about 0.22 time in fiscal 2020. Given the expected increase in cash accrual, scheduled repayment of debt, and moderate fund requirement for capex and working capital, the credit metrics are likely to improve further over the medium term.
 
Weaknesses
* Sizeable capex and working capital requirement
The sizeable funding requirement for annual capex and large working capital requirement is predominantly met through debt. As a leading player in the contract manufacturing segment, the company has to incur substantial upfront investment in setting up machining infrastructure and aluminium pressure-die-casting facilities. However, this investment may have a high gestation period because of the vagaries of the market that the original equipment customer is exposed to. The company also has to maintain considerable inventory to meet customer requirement. While it has a diversified customer base, receivables could get stretched during a slowdown, leading to pressure on working capital. Furthermore, high fixed-cost and capital requirement render profitability and cash accrual highly sensitive to orders from key customers.
 
* Exposure to cyclical demand in end-user industries
The company caters to the automotive, farm equipment, construction and earth moving equipment, and locomotive industries, the demand from which is typically linked to economic activity. It is diversifying into non-automotive industries such as aluminium-casting for power transmission and storage solutions to mitigate the concentration risk. However, the business risk profile is expected to remain susceptible to any sharp slowdown in the automotive industry over the medium term.
Liquidity Adequate

Cash accrual is expected at Rs 220-240 crore, against long-term repayment obligation of Rs 150-200 crore, per fiscal in the medium term. Average utilisation of the fund-based limit of Rs 335 crore was 73% during the 12 months through January 2020. Internal cash accrual and unutilised bank lines should be sufficient to meet repayment obligation as well as incremental working capital requirement over the medium term.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes CAL will continue to benefit over the medium term from its established market position, strong customer relationship, and efficient utilisation of resources.
 
Rating Sensitivity Factors
Upward factors
* Diversification in revenue and steady improvement in market share in operating segments, with healthy revenue growth (more than 10% compounded average per fiscal), and maintenance of the operating margin, leading to sustained increase in cash accrual.
* Strengthening of the financial risk profile, with the gearing at below 1.0 time
 
Downward Factors
* Sustained decline in revenue or weakening of the operating margin to less than 18%
* Large, debt-funded capex or acquisition, or significant stretch in working capital requirement, weakening the gearing and decreasing the cushion between cash accrual and debt repayment.

About the Company

Established in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, in 1986 by Mr S Ravi, CAL manufactures several components and sub-assemblies on a supply and job-work basis, according to client specifications in the automotive, industrial, and engineering segments. Key products in the automotive segment include power train products, cylinder blocks, cylinder heads, cam shafts, and crank cases  for commercial vehicle, sports utility vehicle, two wheeler, farm equipment and earthmoving, and construction equipment. The company also has a non-ferrous sand foundry catering to the requirement of power transmission equipment manufacturers and its industrial and engineering segments have a wide range of products - industrial gears, storage solutions, material handling, and locomotive engine components. It has a tool room that supplies dies for injection moulding and mould base. The company also manufactures special-purpose machines for both metal and non-metal cutting.  Majority stake is held by the promoters while Marina III Singapore Pte Ltd  holds 15.5% and International Finance Corporation holds 14.06%.

Key Financial Indicators
As on/for the period ended March 31 Unit 2019 2018
Revenue Rs crore 1810 1471
Profit After Tax (PAT) Rs crore 94 32
PAT Margin % 5.2 2.2
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 1.49 1.64
Interest coverage Times 3.24 2.74

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)
ISIN Name of Instrument Date of Allotment Coupon Rate (%) Maturity Date Issue Size (Rs.Cr) Rating Assigned with Outlook
NA Cash Credit@ NA NA NA 285.00 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Packing Credit NA NA NA 60.0 CRISIL A2
NA Bank Guarantee NA NA NA 25.00 CRISIL A2
NA Letter of Credit NA NA NA 85.00 CRISIL A2
NA Proposed Non-Fund based limits NA NA NA 49.52 Withdrawn
NA Long Term Loan NA NA Feb-2025 53.19 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Long Term Loan NA NA Oct-2023 39.71 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Long Term Loan NA NA Sep-2024 65.42 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Long Term Loan NA NA Dec-2023 52.61 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Long Term Loan NA NA Nov-2023 74.77 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Long Term Loan NA NA Jul-2022 17.60 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Long Term Loan NA NA Aug-2022 16.44 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Long Term Loan NA NA May-2025 70.83 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Long Term Loan NA NA Mar-2023 33.61 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Long Term Loan NA NA Jun-2023 33.75 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Long Term Loan NA NA Jul-2024 47.50 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Long Term Loan NA NA Dec-2026 213.75 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Long Term Loan NA NA Sep-2023 49.53 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Long Term Loan NA NA Sep-2024 40.00 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility NA NA NA 30.18 Withdrawn
NA Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility NA NA NA 90 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
@Interchangeable with working capital demand loan
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
Vendor Financing  ST                  05-04-17  CRISIL A3+  CRISIL A3+ 
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  1243.71  CRISIL BBB+/Stable/ CRISIL A2      11-03-19  CRISIL BBB+/Stable/ CRISIL A2  23-03-18  CRISIL BBB+/Stable/ CRISIL A2  05-04-17  CRISIL BBB/Stable/ CRISIL A3+  CRISIL BBB/Stable/ CRISIL A3+ 
            08-01-19  CRISIL BBB+/Stable/ CRISIL A2           
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  110.00  CRISIL A2      11-03-19  CRISIL A2  23-03-18  CRISIL A2  05-04-17  CRISIL A3+  CRISIL A3+ 
            08-01-19  CRISIL A2           
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of various bank facilities
Current facilities Previous facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating
Bank Guarantee 25 CRISIL A2 Bank Guarantee 20 CRISIL A2
Cash Credit@ 285 CRISIL BBB+/Stable Cash Credit 200 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
Letter of Credit 85 CRISIL A2 Letter of Credit 100 CRISIL A2
Long Term Loan 808.71 CRISIL BBB+/Stable Long Term Loan 797.42 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
Packing Credit 60 CRISIL A2 Packing Credit 60 CRISIL A2
Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 90 CRISIL BBB+/Stable Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 131.47 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 30.18 Withdrawn Proposed Non Fund based limits 49.52 CRISIL A2
Proposed Non Fund based limits 49.52 Withdrawn Working Capital Demand Loan 75 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
Total 1433.41 -- Total 1433.41 --
@Interchangeable with working capital demand loan
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
Rating Criteria for Auto Component Suppliers
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt

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