Rating Rationale
November 30, 2017 | Mumbai
Maithan Alloys Limited
'CRISIL AA-/Stable/CRISIL A1+' assigned to bank debt
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.600 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL AA-/Stable (Assigned)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A1+ (Assigned)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has assigned its 'CRISIL AA-/Stable/CRISIL A1+' ratings on the bank facilities of Maithan Alloys Limited (MAL; part of the Maithan group).

The ratings reflect the company's strong business risk profile driven by its established position in the manganese alloy industry and robust operating efficiencies. The ratings also factor its healthy financial risk profile because of robust capital structure and strong liquidity, along with sound financial flexibility, supported by adequate cash accrual and positive cash flows from operations. These rating strengths are partially offset by, susceptibility to performance of end-user industry and vulnerability to volatility in raw material and finished good prices.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at its ratings, CRISIL has combined the business and financial risk profiles of MAL and its subsidiaries, AXL Exploration Pvt Ltd (AXL) and Anjaney Minerals Ltd (AML). All the companies are collectively referred to as the Maithan group.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths
* Established market position in the manganese alloy industry: The Maithan group's strong market position is supported by its broad product portfolio, large manufacturing capacity and promoters, extensive industry experience. The group is one of the largest domestic producers of manganese-based ferroalloys, with an installed capacity of 235,600 tonne per annum (tpa); and holds around 7% of the installed capacity of the manganese-based ferroalloy capacity in India. The promoters have experience of over 2 decades, and have developed strong insight into the industry. The group has been supplying ferroalloys to India's prominent steel producers, such as Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) since more than a decade. Over the years the group has also increased its foothold in the export markets.

* Robust operating efficiencies: Operating efficiencies are robust supported by prudent alteration in product mix, efficient power consumption and raw material consumption intended to reduce per tonne cost, multi-location presence of manufacturing units for enhanced product-wise efficiencies and lean working capital management. The group has sound risk management policies with base level of inventory being maintained and subsequent procurement largely being targeted to be order backed. Further realisations are also largely secured with letter of credit backed sales to new customers or entities with weaker credit profile and open credit being permitted to strong entities such as SAIL or to entities who have had a long term satisfactory association with group.

* Healthy financial risk profile: Networth was strong at Rs 584.97 crore, backed by steady accretion to reserves, and gearing was low at 0.13 time as on March 31, 2017, enhancing financial flexibility, especially to cope with sudden changes in business conditions. The gearing is likely to remain low over the medium term despite expected capital expenditure (capex) for organic or inorganic capacity expansion. Debt protection metrics remained strong, with interest coverage at 23.88 times and net cash accrual to total debt ratio at 2.68 time for fiscal 2017.

* Strong Liquidity: The Maithan group has strong liquidity, marked by healthy cash accruals, positive cash flow from operations, and low bank limit utilisation. Accruals improved to Rs 210.65 crores for fiscal 2017 from Rs 95.42 crores in fiscal 2016 which comfortably covers the negligible maturing debt obligations. Driven by prudent working capital management, cash-flow from operations too have been positive for the past 3 years through fiscal 2017. Low utilisation of fund-based working capital bank lines (less than 5% over the past 12 months) along with maintenance of significant unencumbered cash & cash equivalents (around Rs 190 crores as on September 30, 2017) enhance financial flexibility.

Weaknesses
* Vulnerability to volatility in prices of raw material and finished goods: The operating margin for the group is vulnerable to fluctuations in input prices (such as manganese ore, power and coke) as well as realisations of finished goods. The prices and supply of the main raw material, manganese ore, directly impacts the realisations of manganese-based ferroalloys and any sharp delta in input prices with absence of almost similar delta in realisations can dent profitability significantly. Driven by such volatility margins had dipped sharply to around 5.6% in fiscal 2014 and 3.9% in fiscal 2009. Further the group's bargaining power is also restricted vis-a-vis that of suppliers and customers, which are relatively larger players. CRISIL believes that the operating margin of the group shall remain vulnerable to volatile input and finished good prices.

* Susceptible to performance of end-user industry and cyclical demand in ferroalloy industry: Ferroalloys are intermediates for the steel industry. Hence, the prospects for the ferroalloy industry are linked to the overall fortunes of the steel industry, which is inherently cyclical, as indicated by a downswing during fiscals 2009 and 2016, resulting in a sharp fall in the demand and prices of ferroalloys. Subsequently also the realisation for ferro alloys has been driven by the performance of steel sector. CRISIL believes that Maithan group's performance shall continue to remain susceptible to the performance of the steel industry.
Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes that the Maithan group will maintain a stable business risk profile over the medium term backed by established market position, prudent product mix allocation and geographically diversified customer base.

Upside scenario
* Substantial and sustained improvement in its scale of operations and accruals, along with sustained working capital management and capital structure leading to a better business and financial risk profile.

Downside scenario
* Larger than expected debt-funded capex leading to deterioration in financial profile and liquidity
* Elongation of working capital cycle

About the Group

MAL, established in the year 1985, is engaged in manufacturing of ferro-alloys such as ferro manganese, ferro silicon and silico manganese with varying proportions of other chemical composition. It is a part of the Kolkata based BMA group and currently has an installed ferro alloy capacity of 235,600 tpa. The company also has 3 wind mills with aggregate capacity of 3.5 megawatt, power produced from which is sold to state electricity boards.

The company is also listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, National Stock Exchange and Calcutta Stock Exchange.

AXL and AML own manganese ore mines in Odisha and other states. Both the companies are awaiting mining licences and are currently non-operational.

Key Financial Indicators
Particulars Unit 2017 2016
Revenue Rs crore 1332.58 1150.39
Profit After Tax (PAT) Rs crore 191.38 79.14
PAT Margins % 14.4 6.9
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 0.13 0.37
Interest coverage Times 23.88 8.20

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 Cash credit NA NA NA 90.0 CRISIL AA-/Stable
NA Cash credit and Working Capital Demand Loan NA NA NA 32.0 CRISIL AA-/Stable
NA Letter of credit NA NA NA 404.0 CRISIL A1+
NA Bank guarantee NA NA NA 35.0 CRISIL A1+
NA Term loan NA NA Oct-2020 39.0 CRISIL AA-/Stable
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2017 (History) 2016  2015  2014  Start of 2014
Instrument Type Quantum Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  161  CRISIL AA-/Stable    --    --    --    --  -- 
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  439  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
Term Loan 39 CRISIL AA-/Stable -- 0 --
Letter of Credit 404 CRISIL A1+ -- 0 --
Cash Credit & Working Capital demand loan 32 CRISIL AA-/Stable -- 0 --
Bank Guarantee 35 CRISIL A1+ -- 0 --
Cash Credit 90 CRISIL AA-/Stable -- 0 --
Total 600 -- Total 0 --
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
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt

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