Rating Rationale
January 29, 2018 | Mumbai
Linde India Limited
Ratings Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.316.18 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL AA/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
 
Rs.25 Crore Commercial Paper 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 programme of Linde India Limited (Linde India) at 'CRISIL AA/Stable/CRISIL A1+'.

The ratings continue to reflect its established market position and strong financial and operational support it receives from ultimate parent, Linde AG, Germany (rated 'A+/Stable/A-1' by S&P Global Ratings). These strengths are partially offset by Linde India's exposure to risks inherent in the highly competitive, capital-intensive, and cyclical industrial gases industry, and end-user industry (primarily steel and other metallurgical industries) concentration in revenue profile.

Analytical Approach

CRISIL has combined the business and financial risk profile of Linde India and its only joint venture, Bellary Oxygen Company Pvt. Ltd due to its operational and financial linkages. The entities are collectively referred to as Linde India. The ratings have been notched up for support received from Linde AG.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths
* Established market position in the industrial gas segment: Linde India is one of the largest players in the domestic industrial gas industry, with experience of more than 75 years, diverse product portfolio, and presence in industrial, medical, compressed, and special gases. These are backed by brand equity and ability to provide end-to-end solutions to customers in the tonnage segment.

* Strong financial, operational, and management support from parent: Linde India's standalone financial profile remains moderate due to high debt contracted for capital expenditure (capex) in the past coupled with inadequate returns against those capex. However, CRISIL takes comfort from the support Linde India receives from parent, Linde AG. Of the total outstanding debt as on December 31, 2017, about 81% is from Linde AG and Linde Engineering India Private Limited ('CRISIL AA/Stable/CRISIL A1+'). Linde AG actively participates in Linde India's management.

CRISIL believes that support from Linde AG will continue, in view of Linde India's strategic importance to Linde AG, and Linde AG's business expansion plans in Asia and other emerging markets.

* Healthy business risk profile: A significant proportion of revenue in the gas segment comes from installation/tonnage, where the company enters into long-term (15-20 years) take or pay contracts with customers, which provide stable cash flow and profitability and prevent significant decline in revenues during downturn.

Weakness
* Exposure to the competitive, capital-intensive, and cyclical industrial gas industry: The domestic industrial gas industry is intensely competitive because of commoditised nature of products. The company has to compete with both organised (other international players present in the Indian market) and unorganised players. Furthermore, the onsite sales business is capital-intensive involving large capex, long gestation, and lengthy payback. If implementation of onsite projects were to coincide with downturn in the industry, Linde India would be adversely affected.

* Segment concentration in revenue: Steel and other metallurgical industries account for around two-third of total revenue from the gases segment, which exposes the company to inherent cyclicality and sluggish growth during economic downturns.
Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes Linde India will continue to benefit from its association with Linde AG. The business risk profile is expected to benefit over the medium term on the back of steady demand prospects from the steel and metallurgical industries.
 
Upside Scenario
* Diversification in the end user segments resulting in lower segment concentration in revenue.
* Significant improvement in the operating profitability and consequently cash accruals, liquidity and networth.
* Significant improvement in capital structure and debt protection metrics.
 
Downside Scenario
* Decline in operating profitability resulting in lower than expected cash accruals
* Large debt-funded capex or acquisitions leading to weakening of financial risk profile.

About the Company

Linde India is a 75% subsidiary of The BOC Group Ltd, UK (wholly owned subsidiary of Linde AG and part of the Linde group), and is one of the largest players in the domestic gases business.

The Linde group is the world's leading supplier of industrial, process, and specialty gases, with operations across 100 countries.
 
For 2016, the group reported a net profit of EUR 121 Crore on revenue of EUR 1695 Crore, against a net profit of EUR 115 Crore on revenue of EUR 1794 Crore for the previous year.

For nine months ended September 30, 2017, Linde India reported a PAT of Rs.9.4 Crore on net sales of Rs.1514.9 Crore, against a PAT of Rs.2.4 Crore on net sales of Rs.1309.4 Crore for the corresponding period of the previous year.

Linde AG is in the process of merger with Praxair Inc. (rated A/Watch Pos/A-1 by S & P Global Ratings). Linde AG and Praxiar Inc. have entered into a definitive agreement to come together under a new holding company, Linde PLC in an all-stock merger-of-equals transactions. The merger is expected to be closed in the second half of 2018, is subject to regulatory approvals, and has received consent from both companies' shareholders.

Key Financial Indicators
As on / for the period ended December 31 2016 2015
Revenue Rs crore 1,826 1,561
Profit after tax Rs crore 9 19
PAT margins % 0.5 1.2
Adjusted Debt/Adjusted Net worth Times 1.04 1.01
Interest coverage Times 2.65 3.05

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 Letter of Credit & Bank Guarantee NA NA NA 78.10 CRISIL A1+
NA Overdraft* NA NA NA 38.08 CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Term Loan NA NA 11-July-19 150.00 CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Term Loan NA NA 28-May-18 50.00 CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Commercial Paper NA NA 7-365 days 25.00 CRISIL A1+
* Interchangeable with fund-based and non-fund-based bank facilities.
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2018 (History) 2017  2016  2015  Start of 2015
Instrument Type Quantum Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Commercial Paper  ST  25  CRISIL A1+    No Rating Change    No Rating Change    No Rating Change    No Rating Change  CRISIL A1+ 
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  238.08  CRISIL AA/Stable    No Rating Change    No Rating Change    No Rating Change    No Rating Change  CRISIL AA/Stable 
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  78.1  CRISIL A1+    No Rating Change    No Rating Change    No Rating Change    No Rating Change  CRISIL A1+ 
Table reflects instances where rating is changed or freshly assigned. 'No Rating Change' implies that there was no rating change under the release.
Annexure - Details of various bank facilities
Current facilities Previous facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating
Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee 78.1 CRISIL A1+ Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee 78.1 CRISIL A1+
Overdraft* 38.08 CRISIL AA/Stable Overdraft* 38.08 CRISIL AA/Stable
Term Loan 200 CRISIL AA/Stable Term Loan 200 CRISIL AA/Stable
Total 316.18 -- Total 316.18 --
* Interchangeable with fund-based and non-fund-based bank facilities.
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 rating short term debt
Criteria for Notching up Stand Alone Ratings of Companies based on Parent Support
Mapping global scale ratings onto CRISIL scale

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