Rating Rationale
August 28, 2018 | Mumbai
India Grid Trust
'CRISIL AAA/Stable' assigned to NCD
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.1000 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL AAA/Stable (Reaffirmed)
 
Rs.250 Crore Non Convertible Debentures CRISIL AAA/Stable (Assigned)
Corporate Credit Rating CCR AAA/Stable (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has assigned its 'CRISIL AAA/Stable' rating to the non-convertible debenture (NCD) of India Grid Trust (IndiGrid; an infrastructure investment trust [InvIT]), while reaffirming the rating on the bank facility at 'CRISIL AAA/Stable'. CRISIL has also reaffirmed its 'CCR AAA/Stable' rating. The NCD will be used to finance the ongoing acquisitions as well as for general corporate purposes.
 
The rating reflects sustenance of strong financial risk profile post acquisition of three transmission assets (special-purpose vehicles [SPVs]) from its sponsor, Sterlite Power Grid Ventures Ltd (SPGVL) as well as a third-party asset, Patran Transmission Co Ltd (PTCL). The three sponsor assets acquired include a) Purulia & Kharagpur Transmission Co Ltd (PKTCL), b) RAPP Transmission Co Ltd (RAPP), and c) Maheshwaram Transmission Ltd (MTL). All the assets fall under the point of connection (PoC) mechanism. This, coupled with their established track record1 of line availability higher than normative levels and 35-year long transmission service agreements (TSAs), will ensure steady cash flow for the trust. IndiGrid's net debt-to-value ratio with these acquisitions has come close to, but remains lower than the regulatory cap of 49%, thus ensuring strong debt service coverage ratio. Going forward, IndiGrid, through a prudent mix of debt and equity, will ensure that the net debt-to-value ratio remains within the 49% regulatory limit. The ratings further draw comfort from the expectation that IndiGrid will maintain a debt--service reserve account2 equivalent to 3 months of ensuing principal and interest payments for the debt raised at IndiGrid and its SPVs.
 
These strengths are partially offset by moderate operations and maintenance (O&M) risks that the underlying transmission assets are exposed to.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at its rating, CRISIL has combined the business and financial risk profiles of IndiGrid with its existing SPVs: Bhopal Dhule Transmission Company Ltd (BDTCL), Jabalpur Transmission Company Ltd (JTCL), PKTCL, RAPP, and MTL. This is because IndiGrid has direct control over these SPVs and will support them in case of any exigency. Furthermore, SPVs under the InvIT have to mandatorily distribute 90% of their net distributable cash (post servicing of their debt) to the InvIT, leading to highly fungible cash flow. Also, as per extant regulations, the cap on borrowing of the InvIT has been defined at a consolidated level (equivalent to 49% of the value of the InvIT assets).

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths
* Stable revenue profile of operational transmission SPVs proposed to be part of IndiGrid
All SPVs under IndiGrid are interstate transmission system (ISTS) licensees and have stabilised operations with healthy track record of transmission line availability, except MTL (which has a track record of 8 months having been commissioned in December 2017). Revenue stability of these SPVs is driven by their respective TSAs, which ensures payment of stipulated tariff subject to achievement of the normative line availability of 98% annually.
 
Revenue of the SPVs is completely delinked from power demand-supply situation and volatility in the price of electricity. Moreover, factors affecting line availability, such as unchecked growth of vegetation, lightening, or fog/high ambient temperature causing wear and tear of insulators leading to flashovers are routine in nature, do not involve significant costs, and are easily rectifiable, thereby minimising outage time. Furthermore, any outage due to extreme weather conditions, cyclones, or excessive lightening are usually classified as attributable to the Act of God and does not impact line availability of SPVs as it is covered under the Force Majeure clause of the TSA.
 
* Cash flow stability under the PoC pool mechanism
Under the PoC mechanism, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL, rated 'CRISIL AAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+), as the central transmission utility, collects monthly transmission charges on behalf of all ISTS licensees, from all the designated ISTS customers. All ISTS licensees are then paid their share of transmission charges from the centrally collected pool. This method diversifies counterparty risks, as the risk of default or delay by a particular customer is distributed among all ISTS licensees, in proportion to their share in the centrally collected pool. Despite weak counterparties, PGCIL has demonstrated strong collection efficiency over the last four years, signifying its high bargaining power. All of IndiGrid's SPVs will continue to benefit from strong collection efficiency of PGCIL and diversification of counterparty risk profile under the PoC pool mechanism.
 
* Strong financial risk profile
IndiGrid, together with JTCL has raised a debt of Rs 1425 crore for the acquisition of the 3 sponsor SPVs. Of this, the Rs 1000 crore debt at IndiGrid is a 10-year tenure loan, with a 100% bullet repayment in fiscal 2028. This should get refinanced considering the long tenure of the TSA of the underlying SPVs. The remaining Rs 425 crore debt was raised at JTCL and has ballooning repayments commencing from fiscal 2020. IndiGrid had a consolidated debt of around Rs 2400 crore as on March 31, 2018. Nonetheless, healthy cash accruals of the underlying SPVs ensure strong debt service coverage ratios for IndiGrid. Further, existing 3 month DSRA for debt at BDTCL and JTCL as well as upfront creation of 3 month ISRA for debt at IndiGrid lend adequate support for the rating category. Financial risk profile is also supported by the expectation that distribution of cash flows from IndiGrid to its unit-holders will take place only after servicing of external debt.
 
Weakness
* Moderate O&M risks for SPVs
Maintenance of high line availability is critical to ensure stability in revenue in the power transmission sector. Although the O&M expense forms a small portion of the revenue, improper line maintenance may lead to revenue losses and weaken debt repayment capabilities of the SPVs. However, these risks are mitigated by the low technical complexity and the routine nature of the O&M activity, coupled with appointment of an O&M contractor by the SPVs.
Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes IndiGrid will generate stable cash flow backed by its transmission assets' ability to maintain stipulated line availability, and implementation of the PoC pool mechanism for billing and collection.
 
Downside Scenario
* Issues in maintaining stipulated line availability adversely affecting cash flow
* Delays in collection under the PoC mechanism

About the Trust

IndiGrid was set up on October 21, 2016, as an irrevocable trust pursuant to the trust deed under the provisions of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882 and registered with Securities and Exchange Board of India's as an InvIT on November 28, 2016, under Regulation 3(1) of the InvIT Regulations. IndiGrid's initial portfolio assets comprised of BDTCL and JTCL. It has now acquired three additional assets- PKTCL, RTCL and MTL and is in the process of acquiring PTCL.
 
IndiGrid is sponsored by Sterlite Power Transmission Ltd, which has an experience of constructing and maintaining 12 transmission projects across India across 8,000 ckms and 15,000 MVA of transformation capacity. It currently has an AUM of INR 5,200 crores across existing 5 assets.
 
BDTCL's transmission project involves the establishment of 765-kilovolt (kV) single-circuit lines in the Vadodara-Dhule-Aurangabad, Gujarat-Maharashtra, belt and the Indore-Bhopal-Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, belt. The project involves a total line length of about 944 circuit kilometre (ckm) and construction of two sub-stations at Bhopal and Dhule. Out of the eight elements of the project, six were commissioned by December 2014, ensuring 62% revenue generation. The remaining two were commissioned in June 2015.
 
JTCL's transmission project involves the establishment of a 765-kV 757-ckm line from Dharamjaygarh (Chhattisgarh) to Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh) and a 765-kV single circuit 235-ckm line from Jabalpur to Bina (Madhya Pradesh). The Dharamjaygarh to Jabalpur line was commissioned in September 14, 2015, and the Jabalpur to Bina line in July 1, 2015.
 
PKTCL's transmission project involves the establishment of two 400-kilovolt double-circuit lines, with a total line length of 273 km from Purulia (West Bengal) to Ranchi (Jharkhand) and Khargpur (West Bengal) to Chaibasa (Jharkhand). While one of the two transmission lines has already commissioned in June 2016, the second line was commissioned in January 2017.
 
RAPP's transmission project involves the establishment of one 400-kilovolt double-circuit line, with a total length of 200 km, from Rajasthan to Shujalapur (Madhya Pradesh). It was commissioned in March, 2016.
 
MTL's transmission project involves the establishment of two construct 400 kV D/C lines, with a total line length of 237 km from Maheshwaram (Telangana) to Mehboobnagar (Telangana) and Nizamabad (Telangana) to Yeddumailaram (Telangana). It was commissioned in December, 2017.
 
PTCL's transmission project involves the establishment of two 500 MVA substations at Patran (Punjab) with six 400 KV bays and eight 220 KV bays. The project was commissioned in June, 2016.

1Of the six assets (two existing and four recently acquired), five already have a track record of over a year of operating higher than normative levels. The sixth asset, MTL was commissioned in December, 2017.
2Interest service reserve account (ISRA) for Rs 1250 cr of debt as the same has a 100% bullet repayment post 10 years.

Key Financial Indicators
Particulars Unit 2018 2017
Revenue Rs. Crore 448 NA
Profit after tax Rs. Crore 210 NA
PAT margins % 46.8 NA
Adjusted debt/Adjusted networth Times 0.82 NA
Interest coverage Times 4.2 NA

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 Crore)
Rating assigned
with outlook
NA Long Term Loan NA NA 31-Mar-28 1000.0 CRISIL AAA/Stable
NA Non-Convertible Debenture* NA NA NA 250.0 CRISIL AAA/Stable
*Yet to be issued
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
CCR  0.00  CCR AAA/Stable  08-03-18  CCR AAA/Stable  17-10-17  CCR AAA/Stable  02-12-16  CCR AAA    --  -- 
        28-02-18  CCR AAA/Stable  17-04-17  CCR AAA/Stable           
Non Convertible Debentures  LT  0.00
28-08-18 
CRISIL AAA/Stable    --    --    --    --  -- 
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  1000.00  CRISIL AAA/Stable  08-03-18  CRISIL AAA/Stable    --    --    --  -- 
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
Long Term Loan 1000 CRISIL AAA/Stable Long Term Loan 1000 CRISIL AAA/Stable
Total 1000 -- Total 1000 --
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
CRISILs rating criteria for REITs and InVITs
Criteria for Rating power transmission projects
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation

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