December 30, 2015
Mumbai
Hitachi Home and Life Solutions India Limited
 
Ratings continues on 'Watch Developing'   
 
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.2500 Million
Long Term Rating CRISIL AA- (Remains on 'Rating Watch with Developing Implications') 
Short Term Rating CRISIL A1+ (Remains on 'Rating Watch with Developing Implications') 
(Refer to Annexure 1 for Facility-wise details)
 
Rs.600 Million Short Term Debt (Including Commercial Paper) CRISIL A1+ (Remains on 'Rating Watch with Developing Implications') 

CRISIL's ratings on the bank facilities and short-term debt of Hitachi Home and Life Solutions India Ltd (HHLI) remain on 'Rating Watch with Developing Implications'.
 
CRISIL had placed the ratings on watch on February 6, 2015, following the announcement by Hitachi Ltd (Hitachi; rated 'A-/Stable/A-2' by Standard & Poor's [S&P]) to divest its global air conditioning business (under Hitachi Appliances Inc) into a joint venture (JV) with Johnson Controls Inc (JCI; rated 'BBB+/Watch Developing/A-2' by S&P). HHLI will be part of this divestment and CRISIL's ratings on HHLI factor in support from Hitachi.
 
HHLI's ownership has passed from Hitachi Appliances Inc to the JV, Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning (JCH), which currently has 74.25 per cent stake in HHLI and has further made an open offer for an additional 25.75 per cent stake. JCI is the majority owner in JCH, with 60 per cent stake, while Hitachi has the remaining 40 per cent.  
 
CRISIL is in discussion with HHLI's management to assess the implications of this development and the impact it could have on HHLI's business and financial risk profiles. CRISIL will remove the ratings from watch and take a final rating action once it has more clarity on the availability and extent of support from the JV partners to the company.
 
The ratings continue to reflect HHLI's established market position in the premium segment of room air conditioners (ACs) in India, and its healthy financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by the company's exposure to volatility in raw material prices, foreign exchange rates, and intense competition.

About the Company

HHLI was originally incorporated in 1984 as Acquest Air-conditioning Systems Pvt Ltd, promoted by the Lalbhai group of India. It became a JV of the Lalbhai group and Hitachi in 1999. Hitachi purchased the entire shareholding of the Lalbhai group in 2003. HHLI manufactures and trades in the Hitachi brand of home appliances in India. It manufactures a range of ACs for residential and commercial spaces, which include room ACs such as window and split ACs; and packaged ACs such as concealed splits, ductables, ceilings, and cassettes. The company also sells specific cooling solutions for the telecommunications sector, variable refrigerant volume systems, and large AC applications. In addition, it trades in refrigerators, AC spares and stabilisers, washing machines and chillers.
 
Hitachi is Japan's largest integrated electronics company and second-largest manufacturing company, after Toyota Motor Corp, in terms of sales, with a diverse industrial portfolio.
 
JCI is a global diversified technology and industrial leader serving customers in more than 150 countries with 170,000 employees. It is among the world's largest providers of services and solutions to optimise energy and operational efficiencies of buildings; lead-acid automotive batteries and advanced batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles; and of interior systems for automobiles.
 
For 2014-15 (refers to financial year, April 1 to March 31), HHLI reported a net profit after tax (PAT) of Rs.777.6 million (Rs.80.5 million for the previous year), on net sales of Rs.15.7 billion (Rs.11.0 billion). For the six months ended September 30, 2015, the company reported a PAT of Rs. 357.9 million (Rs. 521.1 million for the corresponding period of the previous year) on net sales of Rs. 9.6 billion (Rs. 8.5 billion for the corresponding period of the previous year).

Annexure 1 - Details of various bank facilities
Current facilities Previous facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Million) Rating Facility Amount (Rs.Million) Rating
Cash Credit 1000 CRISIL AA-/Watch Developing Cash Credit 1000 CRISIL AA-/Watch Developing
Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee* 1500 CRISIL A1+/Watch Developing Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee* 1500 CRISIL A1+/Watch Developing
Total 2500 -- Total 2500 --
* Bank guarantee is fully interchangeable with letter of credit
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December 30, 2015

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