Rating Rationale
February 17, 2020 | Mumbai
Jayant Agro-Organics Limited
Ratings downgraded to 'CRISIL BBB+/Negative/CRISIL A2'
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.350 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL BBB+/Negative (Downgraded from 'CRISIL A-/Stable')
Short Term Rating CRISIL A2 (Downgraded from 'CRISIL A2+')
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has downgraded its ratings on the bank facilities of Jayant Agro-Organics Limited (JAOL, part of Jayant group) to 'CRISIL BBB+/Negative/CRISIL A2' from 'CRISIL A-/Stable/CRISIL A2+'.
 
The ratings downgrade reflects deterioration in the group's financial risk profile on account of significant, unanticipated losses in the present financial year. Sharp decline in prices of castor, and some counter parties failing to honor committed contracts at higher prices, has seen the group's EBIDTA turning negative for the year till date. It has recorded a consolidated EBIDTA loss of Rs.24 crore for the 9 months period ending December 2019. This is against steady state full year EBIDTA expectations of over Rs.150 crore.  CRISIL takes into account that with prices now stabilizing and with the group now entering fresh contracts at prevailing prices, the declining operating profits should get arrested, and thus remains a monitorable. However the current downgrade does also take into account the revised assessment of the group's business risk profile in light of its risk management policies especially on the inventory holding side and limited ability to pass through price fluctuations to its customers.
 
The ratings continue to reflect Jayant group's leadership in the castor oil and castor oil-based derivatives business, and extensive industry experience of the promoters. The ratings also factor in healthy net worth & comfortable capital structure. These rating strengths are partially offset by exposure to risks related to competition from substitute products and susceptibility to fluctuations in prices of castor.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at the ratings, CRISIL has combined the business and financial risk profiles of JAOL, its subsidiaries, Ihsedu Agrochem Private Limited (IAPL) and Ihsedu Coreagri Services Pvt Ltd (ICSPL); joint venture (JV) Ihsedu Itoh Green Chemicals Marketing Pvt Ltd (IIGCMPL); and JAOL's share in Vithal Castor Polyols Pvt Ltd (VCPPL). That's because, all these entities, collectively referred to as the Jayant group, have significant operational and financial linkages with each other. Moreover, JAOL has provided corporate guarantees for the bank facilities of IAPL.

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: 
* Extensive experience of the promoters and leadership position in the castor oil and castor oil-based derivative product: With more than 50 years of experience in castor industry, promoters have established healthy relation over the years with the customers and suppliers which is expected to benefit the business risk profile over the medium term. Further the company is the leading player in India for the castor oil and castor-oil based derivative products.
 
* Healthy net worth & comfortable capital structure: Jayant group's net worth is healthy at around Rs 344 crore and capital structure is comfortable marked by moderate total outside liabilities to adjusted net worth of around 1.79 times expected as on March 31, 2020.
  
Weaknesses:
* Exposure to risks related to competition from substitute products: Some of the castor oil-based derivative products manufactured by the group faces competition from crude based derivative products, which exposes its business profile to any changes in the prices of crude.
 
* Susceptibility to fluctuation in prices of castor: Acute fluctuations in the prices may impact the profitability of the group as seen in 9MFY20. Group has reported operating profitability in range of 5.42-7.65% for four years ended fiscal 2019; however it reported operating losses of 1.2% for 9MFY20. Recoverability of operating margin to historical levels would be monitorable.
Liquidity Adequate

Group has access to fund based limits of Rs 654 crore utilized at an average of 69% for last 12 months ended December 2019 indicating adequate liquidity. Further borrowing has come down as on 31st December 2019 to Rs 265 crore from Rs 468 crore as on 30th September 2019. While net cash accruals (NCA) is expected to remain negative in FY20; repayment for FY20 is expected to be met from cushion in bank lines. From next year NCA is expected to be around Rs 42-45 crore. Group has moderate cash and cash equivalents of Rs 5.8 crore as on March 31, 2019. Group had adequate current ratio of 1.35 times as on March 31, 2019. CRISIL believes the company has sufficient accruals and cash and cash equivalents to part finance its capex requirements and incremental working capital needs over medium term.

Outlook: Negative

CRISIL believes that Jayant group's business risk profile will continue to remain under pressure in case prices do not stabilize leading to subdued profitability thereby further weakening of debt protection metric.
 
Rating sensitivity factors:
Upward factors
* Sustainable improvement in operating margin to over 5% in Q4FY20
* Improvement in Total outside liabilities to tangible net worth ratio to below 1 times on sustained basis
 
Downward factors
* Decline in operating margin to below 3% in Q4FY20
* Increase in working capital requirement, larger-than-expected, debt-funded capex or acquisition, or more-than-expected dividend pay-out, weakening the financial risk profile, particularly liquidity

About the Group

JAOL, set up in 1992, manufactures castor oil and castor-oil-based derivative products. Its promoters have been in the castor oil business since 1952, when they set up Jayant Oil Mills. Following the separation of the Kapadia and Udeshi promoter families in 2002, JAOL was separated from the Jayant Oil Mills group (which became a part of the Kapadia group). Since March 2002, the Udeshi family has taken exclusive control of JAOL. IAPL was set up as a backward integration initiative into seed crushing in fiscal 2002. In October 2013, Arkema acquired 24.9% stake in IAPL for about Rs 30 crore. Ihsedu Speciality Chemicals Pvt Ltd (ISCPL) was set up in 2006 as a JV of JAOL and Mitsui & Co Ltd, Japan. ISCPL manufactures sebacic acid, a castor oil-based derivative; it commenced regular commercial production in December 2011. In August 2011, JAOL bought all the shares of ISCPL, making the latter a wholly owned subsidiary. Subsequently, in October 2011, ISCPL was merged with JAOL.
 
ICSPL was set up to manufacture hybrid seeds. IIGCMPL was incorporated in fiscal 2011, with JAOL holding 90% equity stake, which got reduced to 60% in September 2011 post purchase by Itoh Oil Chemicals Co Ltd (IOCCL), Japan. IIGCMPL started commercial activity from April 2012. In fiscal 2014, JAOL entered into a 50:40:10 JV agreement with Mitsui Chemicals, Japan and IOCCL, Japan to invest in the equity shares of VCCPL. The group has recently commenced trial operations at its plant at Jhagadia, Gujarat, for manufacturing bio-polyols used in making polyurethane for application in furniture, automobiles, and other products.

Key Financial Indicators (consolidated number)
As on / for the period ended March 31  Units 2019 2018
Revenue Rs crore 2450.7 2513.02
Profit after tax (PAT) Rs crore 58.4 57.08
PAT margins % 2.4 2.3
Adjusted debt/Adjusted networth Times 1.18 1.66
Interest coverage Times 3.3 2.8
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 Bank Guarantee NA NA NA 7.5 CRISIL A2
NA Export Packing Credit NA NA NA 58 CRISIL BBB+/Negative
NA Inland/Import Letter of Credit NA NA NA 5.5 CRISIL A2
NA Letter of Credit NA NA NA 0.5 CRISIL A2
NA Pledge Loan NA NA Mar-2021 35 CRISIL BBB+/Negative
NA Pre Shipment Credit NA NA NA 208.9 CRISIL A2
NA Standby Export Packing Credit NA NA NA 34.6 CRISIL A2
 
Annexure - List of entities consolidated
Names of Entities Consolidated Extent of Consolidation Rationale for Consolidation
Ihsedu Itoh Green Chemicals Marketing Pvt Ltd Full significant operational and financial linkages
Ihsedu Coreagri Services Pvt Ltd Full significant operational and financial linkages
Ihsedu Agrochem Private Limited Full significant operational and financial linkages
Vithal Castor Polyols Pvt Ltd To extent of share significant operational linkages
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2020 (History) 2019  2018  2017  Start of 2017
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  336.50  CRISIL BBB+/Negative/ CRISIL A2      05-02-19  CRISIL A-/Stable/ CRISIL A2+  29-06-18  CRISIL A-/Stable/ CRISIL A2+  06-12-17  CRISIL A-/Stable/ CRISIL A2+  CRISIL BBB+/Positive/ CRISIL A2 
                    09-03-17  CRISIL A-/Stable/ CRISIL A2+   
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  13.50  CRISIL A2      05-02-19  CRISIL A2+  29-06-18  CRISIL A2+  06-12-17  CRISIL A2+  CRISIL A2 
                    09-03-17  CRISIL A2+   
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
Bank Guarantee 7.5 CRISIL A2 Bank Guarantee 7.5 CRISIL A2+
Export Packing Credit 58 CRISIL BBB+/Negative Export Packing Credit 62.5 CRISIL A-/Stable
Inland/Import Letter of Credit 5.5 CRISIL A2 Inland/Import Letter of Credit 5.5 CRISIL A2+
Letter of Credit .5 CRISIL A2 Letter of Credit 20.5 CRISIL A2+
Pledge Loan 35 CRISIL BBB+/Negative Long Term Loan 18 CRISIL A-/Stable
Pre Shipment Credit 208.9 CRISIL A2 Pre Shipment Credit 187.5 CRISIL A2+
Standby Export Packing Credit 34.6 CRISIL A2 Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 13.9 CRISIL A-/Stable
-- 0 -- Standby Export Packing Credit 34.6 CRISIL A2+
Total 350 -- Total 350 --
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
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation

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