Rating Rationale
February 07, 2025 | Mumbai
G G Automotive Gears Limited
Ratings reaffirmed at 'Crisil BBB-/Stable/Crisil A3'
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.25 Crore
Long Term RatingCrisil BBB-/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term RatingCrisil A3 (Reaffirmed)
Note: None of the Directors on Crisil Ratings Limited’s Board are members of rating committee and thus do not participate in discussion or assignment of any ratings. The Board of Directors also does not discuss any ratings at its meetings.
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to Annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities

Detailed rationale

Crisil Ratings has reaffirmed its Crisil BBB-/Stable/Crisil A3 ratings on the bank loan facilities of G G Automotive Gears Ltd (GGAGL).

 

The ratings continue to reflect the company’s established market position in the locomotive gear business supported by an experienced management team, improving business performance and moderate financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by susceptibility of operating margin to volatility in raw material prices, vulnerability to risks inherent in tender-based business and working capital-intensive operations.

Analytical approach

Crisil Ratings has considered the standalone business and financial risk profiles of GGAGL.

Key rating drivers and detailed description

Strengths:

  • Established market position supported by experienced management team: GGAGL has been manufacturing locomotive gears for 45 years. It has strategic tie-up with the Indian Railways for providing traction gear and shafts and is a part 1 supplier for locomotive gears. This has given the management an understanding of the market dynamics and enabled them to establish relationships with suppliers and customers. The company has diversified its product portfolio, with gears and pinions, and caters to metro, oil and gas, wind energy and earth-moving equipment sectors. The company has also succeeded in diversification of revenue from the railway gears segment, which will account for less than 70% revenue in fiscal 2025 as against 90% in fiscal 2020.

 

The company is being managed by experienced directors and promoters. Collectively, they have rich experience in the industry. Mr Kennedy Gajra, Chairman and MD, has more than 30 years of experience in the gear industry. Mr Anmol Gajra has more than five years of experience. The company has a team of capable professionals with over two decades of experience to look after overall management. Daily operations are looked after by the senior management.

 

  • Improving business performance: The business performance has been improving, with revenue expected around Rs 115 crore in fiscal 2025. The company achieved operating income of Rs 80.57 crore in the nine months of fiscal 2025, as against Rs 65.91 crore in the corresponding period of fiscal 2024, registering growth of 22%. Operating margin has been on an upward trend as well owing to stable raw material prices, higher jobwork income and cost efficiency measures implemented by the management. With the capital expenditure (capex) being undertaken in fiscal 2025 towards increasing the capacities and operating efficiency, business performance will likely remain healthy over the medium term. The company has an order book of Rs 105 crore, which provides medium-term revenue visibility.

 

  • Healthy financial risk profile: Networth was Rs 40 crore as on September 30, 2024. Despite the company undertaking debt of Rs 16.5 crore for the capex, capital structure will continue to be comfortable with gearing less than unity. The promoters have supported the company in the past via infusion of equity and unsecured loans. No additional debt-funded capex is planned in the medium term, and hence, the financial risk profile will remain healthy over the medium term.

 

Weaknesses:

  • Susceptibility to volatility in commodity prices: Operating margin is exposed to volatility in prices of raw materials, such as carbon steel and non-ferrous and ferrous alloys, as raw material cost accounts for 50-60% of the operating revenue/manufacturing cost.

 

  • Vulnerability to risks inherent in tender-based business: GGAGL caters mainly to the Indian Railways. Thus, the company operates in a tender-based industry, which has predefined criteria with respect to track record and physical infrastructure. Business depends on timely order execution, which in turn depends on various external factors such as customer clearances.

 

  • Large working capital requirement: Operations remain working capital-intensive owing to large receivables from government entities. Receivables stood at 77 days as on March 31, 2024, slightly higher than fiscal 2023. Given the nature of operations, gross current assets are expected to remain sizeable at 140-150 days over the medium term.

Liquidity: Adequate

Expected cash accrual above Rs 11 crore per annum will sufficiently cover yearly debt obligation of Rs 3-4 crore over the medium term. Bank limit was utilised 79% on average in the 12 months through November 2024. Cash balance was Rs 4.25 crore as on December 31, 2024. The promoters will continue to extend unsecured loans and equity.

Outlook: Stable

Crisil Ratings believes GGAGL will continue to benefit from the extensive experience of the management and its established relationships with clients.

Rating sensitivity factors

Upward factors: 

  • Increase in revenue to around Rs 150 crore and healthy operating margin leading to higher cash accrual
  • Sustenance of healthy financial risk profile

 

Downward factors:

  • Decline in revenue or operating margin resulting in cash accrual less than Rs 6 crore
  • Large, debt-funded capex or stretched working capital cycle weakening the financial risk profile or liquidity

About the company

Incorporated in February 1974, GGAGL manufactures locomotive traction gears and pinions. Its manufacturing facility is in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. Daily operations are headed by Mr Kennedy Ram Gajra (Chairman and Managing Director) and other directors.
 

As on December 31, 2024, the company had total income and profit after tax of Rs 81.15 crore and Rs 5.59 crore, respectively, as against Rs 66.18 crore and Rs 3.19 crore, respectively, a year earlier.

Key financial indicators

As on / for the period ended March 31

Unit

2024

2023

Operating income

Rs crore

95.44

77.43

Reported profit after tax (PAT)

Rs crore

4.43

1.94

PAT margin

%

4.64

2.51

Adjusted debt / adjusted networth

Times

0.83

1.46

Interest coverage

Times

5.49

2.97

Status of non-cooperation with previous CRA:

GGAGL has not cooperated with Brickwork Ratings India Pvt Ltd, which has classified the company as non-cooperative vide release dated Nov 05, 2020. The reason provided by Brickwork Ratings India Pvt Ltd is non-furnishing of information for monitoring the ratings.

Any other information: Not Applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
Crisil Ratings` 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.

Crisil Ratings will disclose complexity level for all securities - including those that are yet to be placed - based on available information. The complexity level for instruments may be updated, where required, in the rating rationale published subsequent to the issuance of the instrument when details on such features are available.

For more details on the Crisil Ratings` complexity levels please visit www.crisilratings.com. 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) Complexity Levels Rating Outstanding with Outlook
NA Bank Guarantee NA NA NA 3.50 NA Crisil A3
NA Cash Credit NA NA NA 18.00 NA Crisil BBB-/Stable
NA Long Term Loan NA NA 31-Dec-33 0.08 NA Crisil BBB-/Stable
NA Term Loan NA NA 31-Dec-27 2.03 NA Crisil BBB-/Stable
NA Term Loan NA NA 30-Jun-26 1.39 NA Crisil BBB-/Stable
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2025 (History) 2024  2023  2022  Start of 2022
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund Based Facilities LT 21.5 Crisil BBB-/Stable   --   -- 30-11-23 Crisil BBB-/Stable   -- --
Non-Fund Based Facilities ST 3.5 Crisil A3   --   -- 30-11-23 Crisil A3   -- --
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Bank Guarantee 3.5 Union Bank of India Crisil A3
Cash Credit 13 HDFC Bank Limited Crisil BBB-/Stable
Cash Credit 5 Union Bank of India Crisil BBB-/Stable
Long Term Loan 0.08 Union Bank of India Crisil BBB-/Stable
Term Loan 1.39 Union Bank of India Crisil BBB-/Stable
Term Loan 2.03 Union Bank of India Crisil BBB-/Stable
Criteria Details
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 short term debt

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