Rating Rationale
July 31, 2019 | Mumbai
Euroschool Foundation
Rating Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.45 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL A-/Stable (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its rating on the long-term bank facility of Euroschool Foundation (ESF; part of the Eurokids group) at 'CRISIL A-/Stable'.
 
The rating continues to reflect a sound business risk profile because of an established market position in the pre-school and school segments, strong brand, and large student base. The rating also factors in an above-average financial risk profile backed by comfortable capital structure, steadily increasing cash flows, and strong debt protection metrics. These strengths are partially offset by susceptibility to intense competition and regulatory risks in the education sector, and to challenges in maintaining its student occupancy levels. The group had acquired the Kangaroo Kids preschool chain and Billabong High International Schools in fiscal 2018 through a mix of debt and cash balance and has successfully integrated it within group. 

Analytical Approach

For arriving at the rating, CRISIL has combined the business and financial risk profiles of EKIPL, Euroschool Properties & Infrastructure Pvt Ltd (ESPIPL), Euroschool International Pvt Ltd (ESIPL), Euroschool Foundation (ESF), Euroschool Education Trust (ESET), Kangaroo Kids Education Ltd, and Lina Ashar Foundation; the last two were acquired in fiscal 2018. All the entities, collectively referred to as the Eurokids group, have strong operational and financial linkages, and are under a common management. ESIPL is a direct subisidiary of EKIPL while ESPIPL, ESF, KKEL are step down subsidiaries.

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 position, strong brand, and wide range of course offerings:
Established in 1997, the group offers education in the preschool and K-12 (kindergarten to 12th standard) segments across India. There are more than a lakh students currently studying across various schools as on March 31, 2019. Occupancy was healthy at around 90% for academic year 2019, backed by a strong brand, and quality education and infrastructure. The acquisition of the Kangaroo Kids pre-school chain and Billabong High International Schools has resulted in Euro group entering into the premium and niche segment. Furthermore, the established brands and reputation of the acquired assets would continue supporting the overall business risk profile.

* Above-average financial risk profile: The Eurokids group had a healthy estimated networth of Rs 243.74 crore as on March 31, 2019. Absence of any dividend payments and robust profitability has resulted in higher accretion to reserves over the years. With no addition in debt in fiscal 2019, the capital structure has remained comfortable indicated by estimated gearing of 0.28 time as on March 31, 2019. The adjusted debt service coverage ratio (ADSCR) and Return on Capital Employed (RoCE) is expected to remain healthy in absence on any major debt funded CAPEX plans over the medium term.

Weakness
* Vulnerability to regulatory risks and to intense competition:
Revenue is derived from the pre-schools and K-12 school segments. The latter is exposed to stringent regulations of the Government of India including the Right to Education Act and also education policy of the states where the group operates its schools. Besides, changes in government regulations related to fees could impact revenue or profitability in this segment.

* Challenges in maintaining student occupancy levels: There is competition from local schools that have established positions supported by extensive tenures. Organised players such as the Eurokids group could benefit from brand recall and standardized curricula, which enables quality education. However, the pre-school and K-12 segments are likely to remain competitive over the medium term due to the presence of several organised and unorganised players. Maintenance of student occupancy levels will remain critical for achieving desired operating efficiency.
Liquidity

Liquidity is adequate. The group is estimated to generate a cash accrual of Rs 81.56 crore with repayment of Rs 20.94 crore in fiscal 2019. The cash accruals are expected to be around Rs 80-100 crore while repayments are expected to be around Rs 24-26 crore over medium term. No major debt funded CAPEX plans provide comfort to liquidity going forward. The cash and bank balance stood at Rs 111.49 crore as on March 31, 2019 providing comfort to liquidity. Bank limit utilization of Rs 20 crore was negligible and stood at 40.21% over past 5 months ending May 2019.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes the Eurokids group will continue to benefit from its strong brand, established market position, and above-average financial risk profile. The outlook may be revised to 'Positive' if there is a significant increase in scale of operations, primarily driven by the school segment with steady addition of assets without impacting profitability and the financial risk profile. The outlook may be revised to 'Negative' in case of large, unexpected debt-funded capex or acquisition, or lower-than-expected profitability, weakening the financial risk profile.

About the Company

Eurokids group is engaged in operating pre-school and schools on owned and franchisee model. It currently has 1146 schools out of which about 1114 schools are operated through franchisee and 32 schools are owned.

EKIPL, incorporated in 1997, is the flagship company and the investment arm of the group. It is engaged in operating pre-schools under Eurokids brand across India.

ESIPL is the owner of the Euroschool brand and provides faculty, curriculum assistance, and consultancy services to ESF and ESET, which operate schools. ESPIPL leases infrastructure (furniture and interiors) to ESF and ESET.

The Euro group had acquired Kangaroo Kids Education Ltd. (KKEL) and Lina Ashar Foundation (LAF) in fiscal 2018. These entities operate pre-schools and K-12 schools under the Kangaroo Kids and Billabong High International Schools brands, respectively. These institutions have a presence in Dubai, Qatar, Maldives, and Saudi Arabia through franchisees.

Key Financial Indicators
Particulars Unit 2018 2017
Revenue Rs crore 340.07 275.42
Profit After Tax (PAT) Rs crore 44.47 32.47
PAT Margins % 13.1 11.8
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 0.48 0.18
Interest coverage Times 10.46 16.83

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 Term Loan NA NA 30-Sept-2024 45 CRISIL A-/Stable

Annexure - List of entities consolidated
Names of Entities Consolidated Extent of Consolidation Rationale for Consolidation
Eurokids International Private Limited Full All the entities have strong operational and financial linkages, and are under a common management.
Euroschool Properties & Infrastructure Pvt Ltd Full
Euroschool International Pvt Ltd Full
Euroschool Foundation Full
Kangaroo Kids Education Ltd Full
Lina Ashar Foundation Full
Euroschool Education Trust Full
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2019 (History) 2018  2017  2016  Start of 2016
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  45.00  CRISIL A-/Stable      16-05-18  CRISIL A-/Stable    --    --  -- 
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
Term Loan 45 CRISIL A-/Stable Term Loan 45 CRISIL A-/Stable
Total 45 -- Total 45 --
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
CRISILs criteria for rating Education institutions
CRISILs Approach to Recognising Default
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation
Criteria for rating entities belonging to homogenous groups
The Rating Process
Understanding CRISILs Ratings and Rating Scales

For further information contact:
Media Relations
Analytical Contacts
Customer Service Helpdesk
Saman Khan
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
D: +91 22 3342 3895
B: +91 22 3342 3000
saman.khan@crisil.com

Naireen Ahmed
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
D: +91 22 3342 1818
B: +91 22 3342 3000
naireen.ahmed@crisil.com

Vinay Rajani
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
D: +91 22 3342 1835
M: +91 91 676 42913
B: +91 22 3342 3000
vinay.rajani@ext-crisil.com

Rahul Guha
Director - CRISIL Ratings
CRISIL Limited
D:+91 22 4097 8320
rahul.guha@crisil.com


Shirish Mujumdar
Associate Director - CRISIL Ratings
CRISIL Limited
D:+91 20 4018 1934
shirish.mujumdar@crisil.com


Dhaval Vora
Rating Analyst - CRISIL Ratings
CRISIL Limited
D:+91 22 6172 3788
Dhaval.Vora@crisil.com
Timings: 10.00 am to 7.00 pm
Toll free Number:1800 267 1301

For a copy of Rationales / Rating Reports:
CRISILratingdesk@crisil.com
 
For Analytical queries:
ratingsinvestordesk@crisil.com


 

Note for Media:
This rating rationale is transmitted to you for the sole purpose of dissemination through your newspaper / magazine / agency. The rating rationale may be used by you in full or in part without changing the meaning or context thereof but with due credit to CRISIL. However, CRISIL alone has the sole right of distribution (whether directly or indirectly) of its rationales for consideration or otherwise through any media including websites, portals etc.


About CRISIL Limited

CRISIL is a leading agile and innovative, global analytics company driven by its mission of making markets function better. We are India’s foremost provider of ratings, data, research, analytics and solutions. A strong track record of growth, culture of innovation and global footprint sets us apart. We have delivered independent opinions, actionable insights, and efficient solutions to over 1,00,000 customers.
 
We are majority owned by S&P Global Inc., a leading provider of transparent and independent ratings, benchmarks, analytics and data to the capital and commodity markets worldwide.
 
For more information, visit www.crisil.com 


Connect with us: TWITTER | LINKEDIN | YOUTUBE | FACEBOOK

About CRISIL Ratings
CRISIL Ratings is part of CRISIL Limited (“CRISIL”). We pioneered the concept of credit rating in India in 1987. CRISIL is registered in India as a credit rating agency with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (“SEBI”). With a tradition of independence, analytical rigour and innovation, CRISIL sets the standards in the credit rating business. We rate the entire range of debt instruments, such as, bank loans, certificates of deposit, commercial paper, non-convertible / convertible / partially convertible bonds and debentures, perpetual bonds, bank hybrid capital instruments, asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities, partial guarantees and other structured debt instruments. We have rated over 24,500 large and mid-scale corporates and financial institutions. CRISIL has also instituted several innovations in India in the rating business, including rating municipal bonds, partially guaranteed instruments and microfinance institutions. We also pioneered a globally unique rating service for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and significantly extended the accessibility to rating services to a wider market. Over 1,10,000 MSMEs have been rated by us.


CRISIL PRIVACY
 
CRISIL respects your privacy. We may use your contact information, such as your name, address, and email id to fulfil your request and service your account and to provide you with additional information from CRISIL.For further information on CRISIL’s privacy policy please visit www.crisil.com.


DISCLAIMER

This disclaimer forms part of and applies to each credit rating report and/or credit rating rationale that we provide (each a “Report”). For the avoidance of doubt, the term “Report” includes the information, ratings and other content forming part of the Report. The Report is intended for the jurisdiction of India only. This Report does not constitute an offer of services. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, nothing in the Report is to be construed as CRISIL providing or intending to provide any services in jurisdictions where CRISIL does not have the necessary licenses and/or registration to carry out its business activities referred to above. Access or use of this Report does not create a client relationship between CRISIL and the user.

We are not aware that any user intends to rely on the Report or of the manner in which a user intends to use the Report. In preparing our Report we have not taken into consideration the objectives or particular needs of any particular user. It is made abundantly clear that the Report is not intended to and does not constitute an investment advice. The Report is not an offer to sell or an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment in any securities, instruments, facilities or solicitation of any kind or otherwise enter into any deal or transaction with the entity to which the Report pertains. The Report should not be the sole or primary basis for any investment decision within the meaning of any law or regulation (including the laws and regulations applicable in the US).

Ratings from CRISIL Rating are statements of opinion as of the date they are expressed and not statements of fact or recommendations to purchase, hold, or sell any securities / instruments or to make any investment decisions. Any opinions expressed here are in good faith, are subject to change without notice, and are only current as of the stated date of their issue. CRISIL assumes no obligation to update its opinions following publication in any form or format although CRISIL may disseminate its opinions and analysis. CRISIL rating contained in the Report is not a substitute for the skill, judgment and experience of the user, its management, employees, advisors and/or clients when making investment or other business decisions. The recipients of the Report should rely on their own judgment and take their own professional advice before acting on the Report in any way.CRISIL or its associates may have other commercial transactions with the company/entity.

Neither CRISIL nor its affiliates, third party providers, as well as their directors, officers, shareholders, employees or agents (collectively, “CRISIL Parties”) guarantee the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the Report, and no CRISIL Party shall have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions therein, regardless of the cause, or for the results obtained from the use of any part of the Report. EACH CRISIL PARTY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, SUITABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE. In no event shall any CRISIL Party be liable to any party for any direct, indirect, incidental, exemplary, compensatory, punitive, special or consequential damages, costs, expenses, legal fees, or losses (including, without limitation, lost income or lost profits and opportunity costs) in connection with any use of any part of the Report even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

CRISIL Ratings may receive compensation for its ratings and certain credit-related analyses, normally from issuers or underwriters of the instruments, facilities, securities or from obligors. CRISIL’s public ratings and analysis as are required to be disclosed under the regulations of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (and other applicable regulations, if any) are made available on its web sites, www.crisil.com (free of charge). Reports with more detail and additional information may be available for subscription at a fee – more details about CRISIL ratings are available here: www.crisilratings.com.

CRISIL and its affiliates do not act as a fiduciary. While CRISIL has obtained information from sources it believes to be reliable, CRISIL does not perform an audit and undertakes no duty of due diligence or independent verification of any information it receives and / or relies in its Reports. CRISIL keeps certain activities of its business units separate from each other in order to preserve the independence and objectivity of the respective activity. As a result, certain business units of CRISIL may have information that is not available to other CRISIL business units. CRISIL has established policies and procedures to maintain the confidentiality of certain non-public information received in connection with each analytical process. CRISIL has in place a ratings code of conduct and policies for analytical firewalls and for managing conflict of interest. For details please refer to: https://www.crisil.com/en/home/our-businesses/ratings/regulatory-disclosures/highlighted-policies.html

CRISIL’s rating criteria are generally available without charge to the public on the CRISIL public web site, www.crisil.com. For latest rating information on any instrument of any company rated by CRISIL you may contact CRISIL RATING DESK at CRISILratingdesk@crisil.com, or at (0091) 1800 267 1301.

This Report should not be reproduced or redistributed to any other person or in any form without a prior written consent of CRISIL.

All rights reserved @ CRISIL