Rating Rationale
April 05, 2018 | Mumbai
Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited
Rated amount enhanced
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.1500 Crore (Reduced from Rs.2000 Crore)
Long Term Rating CRISIL AA/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
 
Rs.400 Crore Commercial Paper Programme (Enhanced from Rs.300 Crore) CRISIL A1+ (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 and commercial paper of Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited (GFL; part of the GFL group) at 'CRISIL AA/Stable/CRISIL A1+'. CRISIL has also withdrawn its rating on the Rs 500-crore proposed long-term bank loan facility. The withdrawal is in line with CRISIL's withdrawal policy.

The ratings continue to reflect a strong market position in the chemicals, wind turbine manufacturing, and cinema exhibition businesses, fully integrated chemicals business, and a strong financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by exposure to regulatory changes, large working capital requirement in the wind turbine business, and inherent volatility in the chemical and cinema exhibition businesses.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at the ratings, CRISIL has combined the business and financial risk profiles of GFL and its subsidiaries; Inox Leisure Ltd (ILL; 'CRISIL A+/Positive/CRISIL A1+'); Inox Wind Ltd (IWL; 'CRISIL A-/Stable/CRISIL A2+') and its subsidiaries; Inox Renewables Ltd (IRL) and its subsidiaries, Inox Infrastructure Pvt Ltd (wholly owned); and other critical joint ventures and subsidiaries of GFL. The companies are collectively referred to as the GFL group. In addition to common promoters and shareholding structures, the companies are strategically important to GFL. Moreover, GFL has articulated continued support to these companies.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths
* Strong market position: The GFL group is the largest polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) manufacturer in India, and among the top four globally. It is also the largest manufacturer of hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), which is used in refrigeration and air conditioning, among other industries. The chemicals business is forward-integrated into manufacturing PTFE and backward-integrated into manufacturing HCFC-22, anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, chloroform, and chlorine. This reduces dependence on external sources for raw material, and helps improve margins and capacity utilisation. The group has increased focus on high-margin speciality fluoro-polymers to drive profitability. It is the second-largest player in the film exhibition business and among the top three wind turbine manufacturers in India. Diversity in revenue will continue to support the business risk profile.

* Comfortable financial risk profile: The gearing is estimated at below 0.4 time and cash and cash equivalent at above Rs 600 crore, as on March 31, 2018. Debt protection metrics are also healthy, with interest coverage and net cash accrual to total debt ratios of 2.9 times and 0.27 time, respectively, for fiscal 2018. The film exhibition business is expected to generate sufficient cash flow to service any related debt, while improved cash accrual in the chemicals business should support the overall credit risk profile. The financial risk profile is likely to be sustained over the medium term.

Weaknesses
* Exposure to regulatory changes, and large working capital requirement in the wind turbine business: IWL's operations have been working capital intensive because of substantial receivables, driven by the large proportion of turnkey projects in orders executed till March 31, 2017. Delays in commissioning or signing of power purchase agreements (PPAs) had stretched the collection cycle. The situation was compounded by regulatory transition from a feed-in-tariff regime to competitive bidding, which has enhanced uncertainty around signing of PPAs for projects under execution. IWL has, however, reallocated turbines against some of its debtors to projects wherein PPAs were already in place. It has been able to gradually reduce debtors to Rs 1,360 crore as on December 31, 2017, from Rs 2,488 crore as on March 31, 2017. Also, under competitive bidding, market participants may witness margin pressure, which could affect operating efficiency. However, with transition to an auctions regime and upfront signing of PPAs, working capital requirement is expected to decrease for turbine manufacturers. CRISIL will continue to closely monitor the pace of collection of receivables and corresponding reduction in outstanding debt.

* Inherent volatility in the cinema exhibition business: Volatility in profitability inherent in the cinema exhibition business will continue to affect the business risk profile, though the impact will be cushioned marginally by large scale of operations and increasing contribution from non-ticketing business. Multiplex players, given their high fixed costs, will remain dependent on occupancy, which is driven by the success of films.
Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes operating performance will remain stable over the medium term, driven by improvement in the chemicals and cinema exhibition businesses. The financial risk profile should remain comfortable, supported by healthy debt protection metrics and deleveraging due to asset sale in IRL.

Upside scenario
* Substantial improvement in business performance, backed by strong growth in key segments
* Significant and sustained increase in the operating margin, resulting in higher cash flow from operations
* Considerable decline in debt, leading to improved interest coverage and debt to earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation ratios

Downside scenario
* Moderation in the business risk profile due to slower-than-expected sales ramp up or significant decline in profitability
* Substantially weak credit metrics on account of higher debt resulting from slower-than-anticipated correction in the working capital cycle
* Significant weakening of liquidity.

About the Group

GFL is the flagship company of the Inox group, which has diverse business interests including chemicals, wind turbine manufacturing, cinema exhibition, and wind power generation.

GFL is one of the largest chemical players in India with a combined installed capacity of 65,000 tonne per annum (tpa) of HCFC, 16,200 tpa of PTFE, 134,750 tpa of caustic soda, and 108,500 tpa of chloromethane. ILL operates in 60 cities and has 488 screens in 122 locations. IWL has installed capacity to manufacture wind turbines equivalent to 1600 megawatt (MW) per annum. IRL has entered into a sale transaction for 236 MW of the total installed capacity of 259.1 MW wind power generation.

For the nine months ended December 31, 2017, on a consolidated basis, net profit was Rs 178 crore and operating revenue was Rs 2,930 crore, against net profit of Rs 290 crore and operating revenue of Rs 4,503 crore over the same period last year.

Key Financial Indicators
As on / for the period ended March 31 Unit 2017 2016
Revenue Rs crore 6,233 6,993
Profit after tax Rs crore 215 599
PAT margins % 3.4 8.6
Adjusted Debt/Adjusted Net worth Times 0.60 0.57
Interest coverage Times 4.51 6.17

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 Foreign Currency Term Loan NA NA 15-Mar-2021 57.49^ CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Foreign Currency Term Loan NA NA 20-Mar-2023 53.77$ CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Foreign Currency Term Loan NA NA 15-Mar-2021 57.49^ CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee* NA NA NA 345.00 CRISIL A1+
NA Short Term Loan@# NA NA NA 790.00 CRISIL A1+
NA Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility NA NA NA 196.25 CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Commercial Paper NA NA 7-365 days 400.00 CRISIL A1+
^USD 8.82 mn converted at 65.1775 INR/USD
$USD 8.25 mn converted at 65.1775 INR/USD
#Interchangeable with letter of credit & bank guarantee to the extent of Rs 700 crore
@Interchangeable with overdraft facility to the extent of Rs 340 crore
*Interchangeable with short-term debt to the extent of Rs 250 crore.
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2018 (History) 2017  2016  2015  Start of 2015
Instrument Type Quantum Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Commercial Paper  ST  400  CRISIL A1+    No Rating Change    No Rating Change    No Rating Change    No Rating Change  CRISIL A1+ 
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  1155  CRISIL AA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+    No Rating Change    No Rating Change    No Rating Change  07-05-15  CRISIL AA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  CRISIL AA-/Stable/ CRISIL A1+ 
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  345  CRISIL A1+    No Rating Change    No Rating Change    No Rating Change    No Rating Change  CRISIL A1+ 
Table reflects instances where rating is changed or freshly assigned. 'No Rating Change' implies that there was no rating change under the release.
Annexure - Details of various bank facilities
Current facilities Previous facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating
Foreign Currency Term Loan 168.75 CRISIL AA/Stable Foreign Currency Term Loan 216.72 CRISIL AA/Stable
Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee* 345 CRISIL A1+ Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee* 345 CRISIL A1+
Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 196.25 CRISIL AA/Stable Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 688.28 CRISIL AA/Stable
Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 500 Withdrawal Short Term Loan @% 750 CRISIL A1+
Short Term Loan@# 790 CRISIL A1+ -- 0 --
Total 2000 -- Total 2000 --
#Interchangeable with letter of credit & bank guarantee to the extent of Rs 700 crore
@Interchangeable with overdraft facility to the extent of Rs 340 crore
*Interchangeable with short-term debt to the extent of Rs 250 crore.
%Interchangeable with letter of credit & bank guarantee to the extent of Rs 560 crore
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 Chemical Industry
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt

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