Rating Rationale
December 22, 2017 | Mumbai
NIIT Technologies Limited
Ratings Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.300 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL AA/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A1+ (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 NIIT Technologies Ltd (NTL) at 'CRISIL AA/Stable/CRISIL A1+'.
 
The ratings continue to reflect a healthy business risk profile with diversified revenue mix across geographies and verticals. The ratings also factor in a robust financial risk profile backed by a strong capital structure and healthy debt protection metrics. These strengths are partially offset by its average scale of operations and exposure to intense competition in the information technology (IT) industry.
 
Revenue grew 6% in the first half of fiscal 2018, led by healthy growth in the Banking and Financial Services (BFS) and the manufacturing segments. New client additions as well as growth in some of the top accounts in these segments were the key drivers for the growth. As on September 30, 2017, NTL had an order book of around USD 320 million to be executed over the next 12 months. Over the next 3 fiscals, revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7-8% led by addition of new logos and account mining of top clients. Operating profitability will remain healthy at around 16-17% backed by reduced focus on low-margin government contracts, and by improved productivity. Financial risk profile too, will remain robust backed by healthy accruals, absence of large debt-funded capital expenditure or acquisitions and ample liquidity. Sustenance of strong liquidity will be a key rating sensitivity factor.

Analytical Approach

* For arriving at the ratings, CRISIL has combined the financial risk profiles of NTL and all its subsidiaries, wherein NTL holds a direct or indirect majority stake. This is because NTL and its subsidiaries have a common management team and strong business and financial linkages.
 
* CRISIL has amortised goodwill on acquisition over a period of 10 years.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths
* Diversified revenue mix across geographies and industry verticals: NTL has a geographically diverse revenue profile with focus on application development and maintenance (ADM) services in the Banking and Financial Services Industry (BFSI), manufacturing and distribution, travel and transportation, and government verticals. The company also offers IT-enabled services (ITeS) and geographic information system (GIS) solutions through its subsidiaries, NIIT Smart Serve Ltd and NIIT GIS Ltd, respectively. Acquisitions have helped strengthen position in existing verticals or supported foray into new ones, apart from expanding the client base and reducing client concentration. Furthermore, NTL has a geographically diverse revenue profile which insulates it from downturns in any single geography. For fiscal 2017, NTL derived only 45% of its revenue from the US, as against an industry average of over 60%, 34% revenue was contributed by Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and the remaining from other geographies.
 
* Robust financial risk profile: Financial risk profile is strong. The company's gearing was negligible as on March 31, 2017, while its debt protection metrics remained strong in fiscal 2017, given its steady net cash accruals. The debt protection metrics are expected to remain robust over the medium term, backed by healthy cash accruals. In addition, the company has strong liquidity, marked by cash and cash equivalents of Rs.646 crore as on September 30, 2017. CRISIL believes that NTL will maintain its strong financial risk profile over the medium term, as its cash accruals will remain adequate to fund its capex plans.
 
Weakness
* Average scale of operations in comparison to the big domestic IT players: NTL is a medium-scale Tier-II player in the Indian software industry with operating income of Rs 2809 crore during fiscal 2017. The company has a scale disadvantage vis-a-vis that of larger players in the industry (scale of operations largely determines a player's ability to bid for large orders successfully). Furthermore, a large scale of operations ensures that the company is not impacted by shocks to particular clients, verticals or geographies resulting in slower revenue growth or a decline in profitability; large IT players are relatively better placed to offset such risks vis-Ã''' -vis mid-tier IT players.
 
* Exposure to intense competition in IT industry: The business environment remains challenging. Indian IT players will need to scale up their operations, primarily due to intense competition among themselves and from multinational corporations that are expanding their offshore operations in India. Other key success factors include acquiring and retaining new customers, maintaining an efficient cost structure, and ensuring effective labour retention and utilisation. Protectionist measures adopted by the US remain yet another business challenge for Indian IT companies. However, players are likely to effectively counter challenges backed by the Indian IT industry's inherent strengths.
Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes NTL will maintain its business risk profile over the medium term, supported by its established market position and diversified revenue mix. The company will also maintain its conservative financial policy, and hence its capital structure over this period.
 
Upside scenario
* Significant and sustained growth in revenue, resulting in a larger scale of operation
* Sustained improvement in profitability
 
Downside scenario
* Lower-than-expected revenue growth and profitability
* Deterioration in financial risk profile and weakening of healthy liquidity, most likely due to large debt-funded capex or acquisitions

About the Company

NTL was set up in April 2003, when NIIT Ltd (NIIT) spun off its software solutions business (excluding knowledge solutions) into a separate legal entity. NIIT holds 25% stake in NTL through a wholly owned subsidiary, Scantech Evaluation Services Ltd.
 
NTL is an established software engineering solution capability maturity model (SEI-CMMi) level 5 player in the software services industry. It features among the top-20 Indian software exporters. NTL's prominent global customers include British Airways, ING group, SEI Investments, Sabre, and SITA. Over the years, NTL has set up subsidiaries in the US, Singapore, Japan, the UK, and the Netherlands, mainly to market and mobilise projects for the software division. The company has business partnerships with large IT companies across the world.
 
For the first half of fiscal 2018, profit after tax was Rs 129 crore on revenue of Rs 1464 crore vis-a -vis Rs 97 crore and Rs 1376 crore, respectively in the corresponding period in the previous fiscal.

Key Financial Indicators
Particulars Unit 2017 2016
Revenue Rs crore 2,809 2,689
Profit after tax (PAT) # Rs crore 272 275
PAT margin % 9.7 10.2
Adjusted debt/Adjusted networth Times 0.01 0.01
Interest coverage Times 70.63 85.97
# Adjusted

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 Cash credit NA NA NA 90 CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Letter of credit NA NA NA 210 CRISIL A1+
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  90  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  210  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
Cash Credit 90 CRISIL AA/Stable Cash Credit 90 CRISIL AA/Stable
Letter of Credit 210 CRISIL A1+ Letter of Credit* 210 CRISIL A1+
Total 300 -- Total 300 --
* Interchangeable with bank guarantee
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 Software Industry
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation

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