Rating Rationale
May 21, 2020 | Mumbai
Craftsman Automation Limited
Ratings Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.1353.71 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 'CRISIL BBB+/Stable/CRISIL A2' ratings on the bank facilities of Craftsman Automation Limited (CAL).
 
Amid a widespread consumption slowdown, liquidity crunch, and transition to stringent BS-VI emission norms, fiscal 2020 was a challenging year for the automobile industry in India. The situation was further aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic in the last quarter of the fiscal. CAL's revenue for fiscal 2020 declined by 18% over the corresponding period of the previous fiscal due to reduced offtake from original equipment manufacturers (OEM), though this was partially mitigated by growth in general engineering products, such as storage solutions. Operating profitability during this period, however, improved to 26.6% (compared to 22.9% in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal), driven by effective cost optimisation measures, including rationalisation of employee costs and better operating metrics at the plants.
 
Demand in fiscal 2021 is expected to remain subdued in domestic as well as export markets due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19 and weak demand because of lower discretionary spending and slowing economic conditions. Sharper-than-expected decline in volume leading to a larger impact on profitability and accrual would remain a key rating monitorable.
 
CAL's credit metrics should temporarily moderate due to anticipated decline in accrual in fiscal 2021. However, pruned capital expenditure (capex) and reduced working capital requirement should support gearing. Liquidity is supported by unutilised bank lines of about Rs 100 crore and cash and cash equivalents of Rs 70 crore as on March 31, 2020.
 
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 CAL's strong position in the engineering contract-manufacturing sector, healthy customer relationships, and improving operating efficiency. These strengths are partially offset by large capex and working capital requirement and exposure to any sharp slowdown in the automobile industry 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: 
* Strong market position, backed by healthy customer relationships
CAL is a leading player in the engineering contract-manufacturing sector, with a diversified clientele across industries. It has three business segments: automotive - power train, automotive - aluminium products, and industrial and 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 and engineering segment offers goods and services such as castings, gears, material handling equipment, railway products, storage products, special purpose machines and other general engineering products to various end user industries. The addition of capacity, products, and customers and healthy customer relationships have led to revenue registering compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14% over the five fiscals through 2020. Steady offtake by key customers is expected to help with maintenance of the healthy market position over the medium term.
 
* Healthy, improving operating efficiency
Higher margin from machining operations led to a better-than-industry operating margin of over 25% until fiscal 2015. In fiscals 2016-2018, 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 better technical capabilities due to cost optimisation measures have improved the operating efficiency. The setting up of a non-ferrous foundry and aluminium die-casting facilities has helped broaden the product range. Furthermore, the general-purpose machines used by the company have the operational flexibility to be deployed across various products and locations depending on the customer and operational requirement. In fiscal 2020, the company additionally undertook cost control initiatives through automation, employee base optimisation, and wastage reduction; this should sustain and support the operating efficiency over the medium term.
 
* Moderate financial risk profile
Gearing was 1.56 times as on March 31, 2020, higher than 1.31 times a year earlier on account of rise in borrowing to fund the capex on increasing capacity of aluminium pressure die-casting facilities. Debt protection metrics moderated as well, indicated by interest coverage and net cash accrual to total debt ratios of about 2.7 times and 0.22 time, respectively, in fiscal 2020 compared to 3.23 times and 0.25 time, respectively, in fiscal 2019. While gearing is likely to improve over the medium term, driven by limited capex requirement and steady repayment of loans, the metrics should remain subdued in fiscal 2021 due to expected moderation in cash accrual.
 
Weaknesses:
* Large capex and working capital requirement
Operations are intrinsically capex and working capital-intensive. In the past, the company has funded these requirements predominantly through debt. As a leading player in the contract manufacturing sector, the company had incurred substantial upfront investment in setting up machining infrastructure and aluminium pressure-die-casting facilities in an attempt to diversify its customer and product base. Given the reduced demand in fiscals 2020 and 2021, significant expansions are unlikely until fiscal 2022, as the company will strive to monetise the current asset base. However, in the event of significant uptick in demand, the company may resort to higher capex given the capital-intensive operations.
 
The company has to maintain considerable inventory given its customer and product portfolio. Also, with a large clientele and strong export presence, receivables are high, too, and could get stretched during a slowdown, leading to pressure on the working capital.
 
* Exposure to cyclical demand in end-user industries
The company caters to the automotive, farm equipment, construction and earthmoving equipment, and locomotive industries, 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

Despite moderation, cash accrual is expected at Rs 150 crore in fiscal 2021 vis-a-vis debt obligation of Rs 129 crore. Utilisation of fund-based limit of Rs 335 crore was 67% during March 2020. The company had surplus cash of Rs 70 crore as on March 31, 2020. Internal cash accrual, unutilised bank lines, and surplus cash should sufficiently cover the debt obligation as well as the incremental working capital requirement. While maturing debt is expected to be high at Rs 213 crore in fiscal 2022, business performance should recover significantly by that time, after being subdued in fiscals 2020 and 2021. The extent of performance recovery will remain a key monitorable.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes CAL will continue to benefit from its strong market position, healthy customer relationships, and efficient utilisation of resources. CRISIL also expects anticipated decline in performance to be mitigated by improving operating efficiency, addition of customers, and diversification into non-automotive industries.

Rating Sensitivity factors
Upward factors
* Diversification in revenue and steady improvement in the market share in operating segments, with healthy revenue growth (more than 10% CAGR) and stable operating margin leading to sustained increase in cash accrual
* Strengthening of the financial risk profile, with gearing below 1.0 time
 
Downward factors
* Sustained decline in revenue or weakening of the operating margin to 18% or lower
* Large, debt-funded capex or acquisition or significant stretch in the working capital cycle weakening the gearing and decreasing the cushion between cash accrual and debt obligation
About the Company

Incorporated in 1986 in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 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 vehicles, sports utility vehicles, two-wheelers, 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, including industrial gears, storage solutions, material handling, and locomotive engine components. CAL has a tool room that supplies dies for injection moulding and mould base. Moreover, it manufactures special-purpose machines for metal and non-metal cutting.  The promoters hold the majority stake, while 15.5% is held by Marina III Singapore Pte Ltd and 14.06% by International Finance Corporation.

Key Financial Indicators
As on/for the period ended March 31  Unit 2020* 2019
Revenue Rs.Crore 1483 1810
Profit After Tax (PAT) Rs.Crore 37 94
PAT Margin % 2.5 5.2
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 1.56 1.31
Interest coverage Times 2.72 3.26
*Provisional

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.Crore) 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 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 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  19-02-20  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  19-02-20  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 25 CRISIL A2
Cash Credit@ 285 CRISIL BBB+/Stable Cash Credit@ 285 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
Letter of Credit 85 CRISIL A2 Letter of Credit 85 CRISIL A2
Long Term Loan 808.71 CRISIL BBB+/Stable Long Term Loan 808.71 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 90 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
-- 0 -- Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 30.18 Withdrawn
-- 0 -- Proposed Non Fund based limits 49.52 Withdrawn
Total 1353.71 -- 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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