Rating Rationale
November 11, 2020 | Mumbai
Lumax Gill-Austem Auto Technologies Private Limited
Rating Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.13 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL BBB/Negative (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its rating on the bank facilities of Lumax Gill-Austem Auto Technologies Private Limited (LGAT), part of the Lumax group, at 'CRISIL BBB/Negative'.

LGAT's performance was impacted in fiscal 2020 on account of muted demand for its seat structure business due to the slowdown in the automobile sector, especially the CV segment. Reduced scale and increase in raw material prices negatively impacted profitability. The discontinuation of company's seating mechanism business has further weakened business risk profile of the company.
 
The negative trend has continued in fiscal 2021 as well on account of the impact of covid 19 and muted demand from OEMs. CRISIL expects revenue in fiscal 2021 to remain at ~Rs. 10 crore. While company is expected to report EBITDA losses in fiscal 2021 as well, the quantum of loss is expected to be lower than that in fiscal 2020 given various cost cutting initiatives undertaken by the company.
 
Revenue growth should gradually pick-up from fiscal 2022 onwards with improvement in demand scenario. Additionally, company has secured 2 new orders from Mahindra & Mahindra with a revenue potential of Rs. 25-30 crore. The same is expected to commence from beginning of fiscal 2022 and should help in turning around performance of the company.
 
The rating also considers acquisition of JV partner's stake in LGAT by Lumax Auto Technologies Ltd (LATL; rated 'CRISIL A+/Stable/CRISIL A1+'). Following erstwhile JV partner, Gill-Austem filing for bankruptcy, LATL acquired the stake held by Gill-Austem in October 2020 for a total consideration of Rs. 73.3 lakhs, demonstrating its commitment towards the company.
 
Financial risk profile of LGAT remain weak on account losses since fiscal 2018, and losses are expected to continue in fiscal 2021 and 2022. LGAT however remains critical to LATL and hence ongoing and need based support will be forthcoming in case of exigencies.
 
The rating continues to reflect expectation of strong operational, financial, and management support from the parent, LATL. This is partially offset by company's limited track record, customer concentration risks, modest financial risk profile and cyclicality in the automotive components industry.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at the rating, CRISIL has considered the standalone business and financial risk profiles of LGAT and factored in support expected from its parent, LATL. CRISIL believes that LGAT will, in case of exigencies, receive distress support from LATL for timely repayment of debt obligations, considering that it is a wholly owned subsidiary of LATL.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths: 
* Strong managerial, operational, and financial support from parent: LGAT's business profile is marked by the strength of its parent. The company derives technological and operational support from LATL in terms of line development, production and stabilisation. Company also benefits from managerial and marketing support of LATL through its longstanding relationships with OEMs. The company mainly supplies to Lear Corp for models of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (Jeep Renegade) and General Motors (Beat). Apart from this, seating structures are supplied to Tata Motors (Hexa) and Mahindra and Mahindra (XUV 500). LGAT also remains critical to LATL and hence ongoing and need based financial support will be forthcoming in case of exigencies.
 
Weaknesses:
* Limited track record and customer concentration in revenue: Commercial operations commenced about five years ago in October 2015. Though the company has intrinsic support from its parent, it is yet to achieve optimal scale of operations with its current capacities. Furthermore, the company is dependent on a single customer, Lear Corp, for its entire revenue, thus exposing it to customer concentration risks until customer diversification is achieved.
 
* Modest financial profile and liquidity: Despite debt free capital structure, financial risk profile has weakened on account losses since fiscal 2018. Over the medium term, company has no major capex plans and hence is expected to remain LT debt free. However with expected losses in fiscal 2021 and 2022, financial risk profile will remain modest over the medium term.
Liquidity is supported by unutilised bank lines. Additionally, given that LGAT is a wholly owned subsidiary of LATL, ongoing and need based support will be forthcoming in case of exigencies

* Cyclicality in the automotive components industry: Revenue is largely dependent on demand from passenger vehicle (PV) industry, which in turn depends on a number of factors, such as disposable income levels, consumer preferences, credit availability and fuel prices. Dependence on the PV segment for the bulk of its business poses a risk to revenue and profitability, in case this segment witnesses any significant slowdown as seen in fiscal 2020.
Liquidity Adequate

LGAT has adequate liquidity available to it, driven by expectation of support from LATL to provide ongoing and need based support, in case of exigencies. On a standalone basis, LGAT has stretched liquidity marked by negative cash accruals and cash and cash equivalents around Rs. 2 lacs as on March 31, 2020. LGAT has access to fund based limits of Rs 9 crore, utilized intermittently over the 12 months ended October 2020. The company is long term debt free and has no capex plans.

Outlook: Negative

CRISIL believes LGAT's business and financial risk profile will remain constrained over the medium term due to its limited revenue and customer diversification and muted demand outlook for the auto component sector. The company will however continue to benefit from the strong operational and financial support of LATL The ratings would also be sensitive to changes in the credit risk profile of the LATL.

Rating Sensitivity factors
Upward factors
* Sustained revenue growth of 15-20% while improving operating margin of ~9-10%, supported largely by diversification of customer base.
* Significant improvement in financial risk profile
 
Downward factors
* Sharp decline in revenue by over 60% and deterioration of operating margin leading to higher than expected losses ' EBITDA loss of more than Rs 4 crore
* Weakening in financial risk profile, particularly liquidity, on account of higher than expected capex or stretch in WC requirements.

About LGAT
Lumax Gill-Austem Auto Technologies Private Ltd (LGAT) manufactures, assembles and sell various types of seating mechanisms, seating frame structure and seat assemblies to automobile manufacturers.

LGAT was formed as a 50:50 JV between Lumax Auto Technologies Ltd (LATL) and Gill-Austem group in 2013. Gill-Austem group was also an equal JV between Gill Industries Inc. (USA) and Austem Co. Ltd (Korea) that is engaged in the manufacture and sale of components such as seating mechanisms, seating assemblies and head restraints for the automotive industry.

The JV Agreement was terminated in October 2020 post Gill Austem LLC filing for bankruptcy. LATL has acquired its shares in the JV. Consequent upon the acquisition, the LGAT has become wholly owned subsidiary of LATL
 
About LATL
LATL was incorporated in 1981 as Lumax Auto Electricals Pvt Ltd, and renamed Dhanesh Auto Electricals Pvt Ltd in 1988 and Dhanesh Auto Electricals Ltd in 1998. The company got its current name in 2006. LATL has two main divisions: lighting systems and sheet metal components, gear shifters, and moulded parts. Lighting products (head lamps, tail lamps, and blinkers) are manufactured in Pune, sheet metal components (mainly chassis for BAL's two-wheelers) in Aurangabad, and moulded parts (for HMSI) in Bengaluru. The company's aftermarket division (domestic and export) trades in auto components such as lightings, accessories, and audio and navigation systems.
Key Financial Indicators*
As on / for the period ended March 31   2019 2018
Revenue Rs crore 36.5 60.2
Profit after tax Rs crore -0.12 -0.86
PAT margins % -0.33 -1.43
Adjusted Debt/Adjusted Net worth Times 0.07 0.00
Interest coverage Times 3.94 15.48
*CRISIL adjusted numbers

Any other information: Not applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL complexity levels are assigned to various types of financial instruments and are included (where applicable) in the Annexure -- Details of Instrument in this Rating Rationale. For more details on the CRISIL complexity levels, please visit www.crisil.com/complexity-levels.
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 9.0 NA CRISIL BBB/Negative
NA Proposed long term bank loan facility NA NA NA 4.0 NA CRISIL BBB/Negative
**Interchangeable with working capital demand loan, Sales bill discounting of Rs 5 crore, Bank guarantee of Rs 2 crore
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  13.00  CRISIL BBB/Negative      24-12-19  CRISIL BBB/Negative  19-11-18  CRISIL BBB/Stable  11-10-17  CRISIL BBB/Stable/ CRISIL A3+  -- 
                04-10-18  CRISIL BBB/Stable/ CRISIL A3+  28-09-17  CRISIL BBB/Stable/ CRISIL A3+   
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
Cash Credit** 9 CRISIL BBB/Negative Cash Credit** 9 CRISIL BBB/Negative
Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 4 CRISIL BBB/Negative Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 4 CRISIL BBB/Negative
Total 13 -- Total 13 --
**Interchangeable with working capital demand loan, Sales bill discounting of Rs 5 crore, Bank guarantee of Rs 2 crore
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
Rating Criteria for Auto Component Suppliers
Criteria for Notching up Stand Alone Ratings of Companies based on Parent Support
Understanding CRISILs Ratings and Rating Scales

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