Rating Rationale
September 28, 2018 | Mumbai
Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited
Ratings Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.1500 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL AA/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
 
Rs.400 Crore Commercial Paper Programme 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+'.
 
The ratings continue to reflect a strong market position in the chemicals, wind turbine manufacturing, and cinema exhibition businesses, healthy operating efficiencies of the chemicals and cinema exhibition businesses, 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 chemicals 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 AA-/Stable/CRISIL A1+'); Inox Wind Ltd (IWL; 'CRISIL A-/Positive/CRISIL A2+') and its subsidiaries; Inox Renewables Ltd (IRL) and its subsidiaries; Inox Infrastructure Ltd (wholly owned); and other critical joint ventures and subsidiaries. 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 a leading manufacturer of hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), which is used in refrigeration and air conditioning, among other industries. It is the second-largest player in the film exhibition business in India and among the leading wind turbine manufacturers in India. The strong market position along with diversified revenue streams should continue to support the business risk profile.
 
* Healthy operating efficiency: The operating margin for the chemicals business improved to 31% in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 from 21% in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal. The business is forward-integrated into manufacturing PTFE and backward-integrated into manufacturing HCFCs, anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, chloroform, and chlorine. This reduces dependence on external sources for raw material, and helps improve the operating margin and capacity utilisation. The margin in the chemicals business is further supported by increased contribution from value-added products and speciality fluoro-polymers.
 
 
In the cinema exhibition business, revenue contribution from advertisements increased to 10% in fiscal 2018 from 8% in fiscal 2017. Advertisement revenue continued to grow at 21% year-on-year to Rs 40 crore for the quarter ended June 2018. Food and beverage (F&B) revenue grew 8% to Rs 306 crore during fiscal 2018 and by a healthy 26% in the quarter ended June 2018 over the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal. Healthy operating efficiency is likely to be sustained driven by significant contribution from non-box-office revenue.
 
* Strong financial risk profile: The gearing was 0.34 time and cash and cash equivalents Rs 686 crore, as on March 31, 2018. Driven by substantial cash accrual due to an established market position and high operating efficiency, debt protection metrics are expected to remain strong with interest coverage and net cash accrual to total debt ratios at above 6 time and 0.4 time, respectively, over medium term. The film exhibition business should generate sufficient cash flow to fund organic expansion plans, while improved cash accrual in the chemicals business would support the overall credit risk profile. The financial risk profile is likely to be sustained over the medium term.
 
Weakness
* Working capital-intensive operations in IWL: IWL's operations had been working capital intensive under the feed-in-tariff regime. There was significant receivables build-up due to delays in commissioning or signing of power purchase agreements (PPAs). The situation was compounded by an abrupt halt on signing PPAs by distribution companies after the advent of wind auctions in February 2017. There has been significant improvement in debtors over the 15 months through June 2018 as the company has realised a large part of its receivables and also reallocated turbines against some of the debtors to projects wherein PPAs were already in place. However, sizeable receivables remain pending for more than 180 days as on June 30, 2018. IWL's ability to realise these receivables and rationalise working capital under the auctions regime, as the PPAs are being signed upfront, will remain a key monitorable.
 
* Inherent volatility in the cinema exhibition business: Volatility in profitability inherent in the film exhibition business will continue to affect operations, though the impact will be cushioned marginally by the large scale and increasing contribution from the non-ticketing business. Given high fixed costs, multiplex players will remain dependent on occupancy, which is driven by success of films; occupancy was 29% in the three months ended June 30, 2018, against 31% for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, for ILL. Availability of other forms of entertainment and new properties expose ILL to challenges of sustaining profitability and growth.
Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes the business risk profile will continue to benefit from robust performance in the chemicals and cinema exhibition businesses. The strong financial risk profile is likely to be sustained, supported by significant cash accrual and healthy debt protection metrics.
 
Upside scenario
* Significant improvement in operating performance for the wind turbine business coupled with reduced working capital intensity
* Continued improvement in the performance of the chemicals and cinema exhibition businesses
* Considerable decline in debt, leading to sustained improvement in the financial risk profile
 
Downside scenario
* Moderation in the performance of the chemicals and cinema exhibition businesses
* Continued working capital intensity or considerable decline in the market position in the wind turbine business
* Significant capital expenditure or acquisition leading to weakening of the financial risk profile

About the Group

GFL is the flagship company of the GFL 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 65 cities and has 523 screens across 129 multiplexes. IWL has installed capacity to manufacture wind turbines equivalent to 1,600 megawatt per annum.

For the quarter ended June 30, 2018, on a consolidated basis, net profit was Rs 147 crore and operating revenue Rs 1,360 crore, against net profit of Rs 59 crore and operating revenue of Rs 1,085 crore for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

Key Financial Indicators
As on / for the period ended March 31   2018 2017
Revenue Rs crore 3,611 6,233
Profit after tax (PAT) Rs crore 240 215
PAT margin % 6.6 3.4
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 0.34 0.60
Interest coverage Times 3.40 4.51

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 56.58 CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Foreign Currency Term Loan^ NA NA 15-Mar-21 55.46 CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Foreign Currency Term Loan^ NA NA 15-Mar-21 55.46 CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee NA NA NA 195.00 CRISIL A1+
NA Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee@@$&** NA NA NA 250.00 CRISIL A1+
NA Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee@@& NA NA NA 50.00 CRISIL A1+
NA Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility NA NA NA 62.50 CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Short Term Loan&@@** NA NA NA 150.00 CRISIL A1+
NA Short Term Loan$&@@** NA NA NA 150.00 CRISIL A1+
NA Short Term Loan$& NA NA NA 240.00 CRISIL A1+
NA Packing Credit in Foreign Currency$ NA NA NA 85.00 CRISIL A1+
NA Packing Credit in Foreign Currency$&@@** NA NA NA 150.00 CRISIL A1+
NA Commercial Paper NA NA 7-365 days 400.00 CRISIL A1+
^^USD 8.25 million converted at 68.59 INR/USD
^USD 8.09 million converted at 68.59 INR/USD
@ @Interchangeable with short term debt to the extent of Rs 595 crore
$ Interchangeable with letter of credit and bank guarantee to the extent of Rs 1000 crore
& Interchangeable with overdraft facility to the extent of Rs 435 crore
** Interchangeable with PCFC facility to the extent of Rs.595 crore
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2018 (History) 2017  2016  2015  Start of 2015
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Commercial Paper  ST  400.00  CRISIL A1+  05-04-18  CRISIL A1+  22-08-17  CRISIL A1+  22-08-16  CRISIL A1+  07-05-15  CRISIL A1+  CRISIL A1+ 
                13-07-16  CRISIL A1+       
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  1005.00  CRISIL AA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  05-04-18  CRISIL AA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  22-08-17  CRISIL AA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  22-08-16  CRISIL AA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  07-05-15  CRISIL AA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  CRISIL AA-/Stable/ CRISIL A1+ 
                13-07-16  CRISIL AA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+       
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  495.00  CRISIL A1+  05-04-18  CRISIL A1+  22-08-17  CRISIL A1+  22-08-16  CRISIL A1+  07-05-15  CRISIL A1+  CRISIL A1+ 
                13-07-16  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
Foreign Currency Term Loan^^ 56.58 CRISIL AA/Stable Foreign Currency Term Loan 168.75 CRISIL AA/Stable
Foreign Currency Term Loan^ 110.92 CRISIL AA/Stable Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee* 345 CRISIL A1+
Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee 195 CRISIL A1+ Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 196.25 CRISIL AA/Stable
Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee@@$&** 250 CRISIL A1+ Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 500 Withdrawn
Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee@@& 50 CRISIL A1+ Short Term Loan@# 790 CRISIL A1+
Packing Credit in Foreign Currency$ 85 CRISIL A1+ -- 0 --
Packing Credit in Foreign Currency$&@@** 150 CRISIL A1+ -- 0 --
Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 62.5 CRISIL AA/Stable -- 0 --
Short Term Loan&@@** 150 CRISIL A1+ -- 0 --
Short Term Loan$&@@** 150 CRISIL A1+ -- 0 --
Short Term Loan$& 240 CRISIL A1+ -- 0 --
Total 1500 -- 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.
^^ USD 8.25 million converted at 68.59 INR/USD
^ USD 8.09 million converted at 68.59 INR/USD
@ @Interchangeable with short term debt to the extent of Rs 595 crore
$ Interchangeable with letter of credit and bank guarantee to the extent of Rs 1000 crore
& Interchangeable with overdraft facility to the extent of Rs 435 crore
** Interchangeable with PCFC facility to the extent of Rs.595 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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