Rating Rationale
August 23, 2019 | Mumbai
Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited
'CRISIL AA/Stable/CRISIL A1+' assigned to bank debt and CP
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.1500 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL AA/Stable (Assigned)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A1+ (Assigned)
 
Rs.400 Crore Commercial Paper CRISIL A1+ (Assigned)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has assigned its 'CRISIL AA/Stable/CRISIL A1+' ratings to the bank facilities and commercial paper of Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited (GFL2).

GFL Ltd (GFL1) has demerged its chemicals business into GFL2 through a scheme of arrangement that was approved by the National Company Law Tribunal on July 4, 2019, and is effective from April 1, 2019. As per the scheme, all the assets and liabilities of the chemicals business, including the rated bank facilities of Rs 1500 crore and commercial paper of Rs 400 crore have been transferred to GFL2, while the equity stake with book value of Rs 454 crore in group companies like Inox Leisure Ltd (ILL; rated 'CRISIL AA-/Stable/CRISIL A1+') and Inox Wind Ltd (IWL; rated 'CRISIL A-/Stable/CRISIL A2+'), etc. along with capital advances and inter-corporate deposits (ICDs) of Rs 270 crore and Rs 468 crore, respectively, will continue in GFL1. As part of the de-merger scheme, the shareholders of GFL1 as on the record date of August 7, 2019, will be issued one fully paid-up equity share of Re 1 of GFL2 in addition to their existing shareholding of fully paid-up equity share of Re 1 in GFL1.

The ratings reflect a strong market position in the chemicals business, healthy operating efficiency, and a strong financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by need for financial support to group companies and inherent volatility in the chemicals business.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at the ratings, CRISIL has combined the business and financial risk profiles of GFL2 and its 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:
* Strong market position: The Company is the largest polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) manufacturer in India, and among the top four globally. It is also a leading manufacturer of hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), which is used in refrigeration and air conditioning, among other industries. Further, the business has a diversified product portfolio comprising caustic soda (15.3% share during the first quarter of fiscal 2020), chloromethanes (11.1%) and value-added products (16.3%). A robust market position along with a diversified product portfolio should continue to support the business risk profile.
 
* Healthy operating efficiency: The operating margin improved to 31.2% in fiscal 2019 from 29% in the previous fiscal. The chemicals business is forward-integrated into manufacturing PTFE and backward-integrated into manufacturing HCFC, anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, chloroform, and chlorine. This reduces dependence on external sources for raw material, and helps improve the operating margin and capacity utilisation. Profitability in the chemicals business is further supported by increased contribution from value-added products and specialty fluoropolymers.
 
* Strong financial risk profile: GFL2 has a healthy financial risk profile with gearing of 0.26 time as on March 31, 2019. The interest coverage ratio was robust at 17.13 times and the net cash accrual to total debt ratio moderate at 0.62 time, in fiscal 2019. Strong cash accrual is likely to continue to support debt protection metrics, with interest coverage and net cash accrual to total debt ratios expected at above 16 times and 0.6 time, respectively, over the medium term.
 
Weaknesses
* Support to group companies: Before the demerger of the chemicals business, GFL1 had provided support to group companies either in the form of ICDs or capital advances. GFL1 had also provided corporate guarantees towards their various bank facilities and debentures, which will be jointly guaranteed by GFL1 and GFL2 after the de-merger of the chemicals business. Moreover, as this business has high cash accrual, GF2 may be required to provide financial support to other group entities. The quantum of such support will remain a key monitorable.
 
* Inherent volatility in the chemicals business: The chemicals business is largely export-driven and therefore remains vulnerable to volatility in international markets. Any large capacities being added or adverse currency fluctuations could also impact performance. While the integrated large scale of operations drives operating efficiency, the business will remain exposed to currency fluctuation and supply volatility in international markets. However, the company has a prudent foreign exchange management policy which mitigates the risk of losses from the currency exchange fluctuations.
Liquidity

Liquidity is strong, driven by expected cash accrual of around Rs 500 crore per fiscal in fiscals 2020 and 2021 and cash and cash equivalents of Rs 265 crore as on March 31, 2019. The company has long-term repayment obligation of around Rs 64 crore each in fiscals 2020 and 2021, and estimated capex of around Rs 400 crore per fiscal. Cash accrual and cash and cash equivalents should be sufficient to meet repayment obligation and capex requirement. With a gearing of 0.26 time as on March 31, 2019, there is sufficient headroom to raise additional debt for capex, if required. 

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes the business risk profile will continue to be supported by a strong market position and healthy operating efficiency. The strong financial risk profile is likely to be sustained, driven by substantial cash accrual and healthy debt protection metrics.

Upside scenario
* Significant revenue growth and increase in product diversification
* Sustained improvement in operating profitability

Downside scenario
* Moderation in operating profitability
* Significant debt funded capital expenditure (capex) or acquisitions, weakening the financial risk profile.

About the Company

GFL2, earlier known as Inox Fluorochemicals Ltd. houses the chemicals business of the Inox group that has been demerged from GFL1 into a separate legal entity with effect from April 1, 2019. It has a diverse product portfolio including caustic soda, chloromethanes, PTFE, HCFC, and value-added products. The company is one of the largest chemicals 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.

Key Financial Indicators - GFL2
As on/for the period ended March 31  Unit 2019 2018
Revenue Rs crore 2,728 2,055
Profit After Tax (PAT) Rs crore 1,277* 487
PAT Margin % 46.8 23.7
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 0.26 0.22
Interest coverage Times 17.13 14.60
*Includes impact of Income tax credit from earlier year

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 20-Mar-23 40.66 CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Foreign Currency Term Loan NA NA 15-Mar-21 40.66 CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Foreign Currency Term Loan NA NA 15-Mar-21 45.64 CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Cash Credit~~~ NA NA NA 100.00 CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility NA NA NA 93.04 CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Working Capital Facility NA NA NA 1085.00 CRISIL A1+
NA Rupee Term Loan NA NA 19-Mar-27 95.00 CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Commercial Paper NA NA 7-365 days 400.00 CRISIL A1+
~~~Interchangeable with Overdraft and other working capital facility
 
Annexure - List of Entities Consolidated
Gujarat Fluorochemicals Americas LLC, U.S.A.
Gujarat Fluorochemicals GmbH, Germany
Gujarat Fluorochemicals Singapore Pte. Limited
GFL GM Fluorspar SA
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
Commercial Paper  ST  400.00  CRISIL A1+    --    --    --    --  -- 
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  1500.00  CRISIL AA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+    --    --    --    --  -- 
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
Working Capital Facility 1085 CRISIL A1+ -- 0 --
Rupee Term Loan 95 CRISIL AA/Stable -- 0 --
Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 93.04 CRISIL AA/Stable -- 0 --
Cash Credit~~~ 100 CRISIL AA/Stable -- 0 --
Foreign Currency Term Loan 40.66 CRISIL AA/Stable -- 0 --
Foreign Currency Term Loan 40.66 CRISIL AA/Stable      
Foreign Currency Term Loan 45.64 CRISIL AA/Stable      
Total 1500 -- Total 0 --
~~~Interchangeable with Overdraft and other working capital facility
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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