Rating Rationale
August 05, 2022 | Mumbai
Lokmanya Hospitals Private Limited
Ratings downgraded to 'CRISIL BB+/Negative/CRISIL A4+'
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.107 Crore
Long Term RatingCRISIL BB+/Negative (Downgraded from 'CRISIL BBB-/Stable')
Short Term RatingCRISIL A4+ (Downgraded from 'CRISIL A3')
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to Annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities

Detailed Rationale

CRISIL Ratings has downgraded its ratings  on the bank facilities of Lokmanya Hospitals Private Limited (LHPL) to CRISIL BB+/Negative/CRISIL A4+ from ‘CRISIL BBB-/Stable/CRISIL A3’.

 

The downgrade reflects deterioration in LHPL’s overall credit profile with decline in operating margin from 14% historically to around 11%, which impacted cash accruals due to high debt level. LHPL acquired the 104-bed Tulip Hospitals in fiscal 2020 for Rs. 90 crores, funded through debt. The acquisition failed to generate additional cash flows impacting liquidity. Going forward, accruals are expected to remain insufficient to meet term debt obligations and promoters are expected to infuse unsecured loans or equity to meet the shortfall.  

 

The ratings reflect the extensive experience of the promoters in the healthcare industry and LHPL's established regional market position. These strengths are partially offset by the company’s moderate financial risk profile, elongated working capital cycle and exposure to intense competition and regulatory risk.

Analytical Approach

CRISIL Ratings has treated the Compulsory Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS) of Rs. 24.63 crore subscribed by TATA Health Care Fund – I and Beta TC Holdings Pte Ltd amounting to Rs 5.36 crore as 100% equity. This is because the maturity of these CCPS are long term in nature and carrying low coupon rate (@0.5%). Further, CRISIL Rating understands that company will not take any additional external debt if the investors were to redeem the CCPS before maturity.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description

Strengths:

  • Extensive industry experience of the promoters: The hospitals are managed by Dr Narendra Vaidya whose specialisation is in orthopedics. LHPL was started by Dr V G Vaidya –father of Dr Narendra Vaidya in 1979 and has been operational since then. Hence, it benefits from the promoters' experience of over four decades and their diverse specialties, their strong understanding of market dynamics and the company’s healthy position in the region, which will continue to support the business.

 

  • Established regional market position: LHPL specializes in the orthopedic treatments, while offering a wide range of medical facilities under the 'Lokmanya Hospitals' brand through its four hospitals in Pune and Kolhapur. LHPL has strong presence in Pune and the surrounding region, on account of robust infrastructure facilities and affordable pricing. LHPL is known for its robotic-assisted partial knee replacement surgeries like knee, shoulder, hip replacement surgeries and other related treatments. It has doctors and paramedic staff having experience in trauma, spine and other orthopedic surgeries. 

 

Weaknesses:

  • Moderate financial profile: LHPL’s net worth deteriorated over past two fiscals to Rs. 25 crores as on March 31, 2022, due to losses. Hence, with high debt level capital structure deteriorated with total outside liabilities to adjusted net worth of more than 6 times as on March 31, 2022, compared to 2.99 times as on March 31, 2020. Debt protection metrics are weak with interest coverage of 1.02 times and nominal cash accruals in fiscal 2022. CRISIL Ratings believes that going forward, increase in scale of operations and profitability and improvement in financial risk profile will remain a key monitorable

 

  • Elongated working capital cycle: The company takes a long time to collect payments from patients treated under various government schemes such as Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) and Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS). Receivables of more than six months remained high at Rs 20-30 crore in the three fiscals through 2022. However, CRISIL Ratings understands that these are fully recoverable over the course of the year as is evident from relatively low bad debt write-offs in the past. The debtor days have improved to 146 days as on March 31, 2022(187 days as on March 31, 2021) due to timely realization of bills. Going forward, working capital cycle is expected to remain in similar range over the medium term. 

 

  • Exposure to intense competition and regulatory risk: LHPL remains exposed to regulatory risk faced by the healthcare industry. The government policy on capping of prices for medical procedures and devices, such as cardiac stents and knee implants, impacted the revenue and profitability of players. Hence, the industry remains susceptible to government policies. Operations of LHPL are localised, compared with other corporate hospitals, although it does have satellite centres across Maharashtra. This renders LHPL susceptible to dynamics of a single market. The company is also vulnerable to competition from the entry of other big players in its region, especially in orthopedic surgeries.

Liquidity: Stretched

Cash accruals are expected to remain tightly matched against repayment obligations of Rs 5 crores in Fiscal 2023 and 2024. Promoters are expected to infuse unsecured loans or equity to meet repayment obligations. Bank limit utilisation is high at around 90% for the past twelve months ended June 2022. LHPL have invested Rs.24.23 crore in its group companies as on March 31,  2022.  CRISIL Ratings believes that any further exposure in the group companies will remain a key sensitive factor.

Outlook: Negative

CRISIL Ratings believes LHPL’s liquidity is expected to remain stretched over the medium term due to high debt and low cash flows.

Rating Sensitivity factors

Upward factors

  • Improvement in revenue and operating margin, leading to cash accrual above Rs. 6 crore
  • Improvement in financial risk profile with interest coverage above 1.5 times and TOLANW below 4 times

 

Downward factors

  • Decline in revenue or profitability, resulting in cash accrual below Rs 5 crore
  • Any large, debt-funded capital expenditure, or further stretch in working capital impacting liquidity

About the Company

Incorporated in 2009, LHPL provides healthcare services through its hospitals in Maharashtra. It currently operates five tertiary, multi-specialty hospitals across the Pune and Kolhapur. LHPL is promoted by Dr V G Vaidya, Dr Narendra Vaidya and Dr Meetali Vaidya.

Key Financial Indicators

As on / for the period ended March 31

 

2022*

2021

2020

Operating income

Rs crore

105.07

77.50

100.10

Reported profit after tax (PAT)

Rs crore

-5.26

-18.76

1.88

PAT margin

%

-5.01

-17.19

2.55

Adjusted debt/adjusted networth

Times

4.64

3.60

2.10

Interest coverage

Times

1.02

0.04

2.39

*Provisional

Any other information: Not applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL Ratings' complexity levels are assigned to various types of financial instruments. The CRISIL Ratings' complexity levels are available on www.crisil.com/complexity-levels. Users are advised to refer to the CRISIL Ratings' 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)

Complexity Level

Rating assigned

with outlook

NA

Cash Credit

NA

NA

NA

10

NA

CRISIL BB+/Negative

NA

Overdraft Facility

NA

NA

NA

5

NA

CRISIL A4+

NA

Proposed Fund-Based Bank Limits

NA

NA

NA

8

NA

CRISIL BB+/Negative

NA

Term Loan

NA

NA

Oct-30

84

NA

CRISIL BB+/Negative

Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2022 (History) 2021  2020  2019  Start of 2019
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund Based Facilities LT/ST 107.0 CRISIL A4+ / CRISIL BB+/Negative   -- 13-05-21 CRISIL BBB-/Stable / CRISIL A3   --   -- --
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Cash Credit 10 IndusInd Bank Limited CRISIL BB+/Negative
Overdraft Facility 5 IndusInd Bank Limited CRISIL A4+
Proposed Fund-Based Bank Limits 8 IndusInd Bank Limited CRISIL BB+/Negative
Term Loan 84 IndusInd Bank Limited CRISIL BB+/Negative

This Annexure has been updated on 05-Aug-2022 in line with the lender-wise facility details as on 05-Jul-2022 received from the rated entity.

Criteria Details
Links to related criteria
The Infrastructure Sector Its Unique Rating Drivers
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition
The Rating Process
Understanding CRISILs Ratings and Rating Scales
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings
CRISILs Approach to Recognising Default

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