Detailed Rationale CRISIL Ratings has assigned its ‘CRISIL AAA/Stable’ rating to the Rs 3,000 crore of bonds of National Housing Bank (NHB) and reaffirmed its ratings on the existing debt instruments and bank facilities at 'CRISIL AAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+'.
CRISIL Ratings has withdrawn its rating of NCDs aggregating Rs.2000 crore and bonds of Rs.640.13 crore on the company's request as the outstanding against the same is nil and on receipt of confirmation from debenture trustee (See Annexure 'Details of Rating Withdrawn' for details). The withdrawal is in line with CRISIL Ratings withdrawal policy.
The ratings continue to reflect the support receives from the Government of India (GoI) on account of the institution’s key policy role in India’s housing finance sector. The ratings also factor in robust asset quality and healthy capitalisation. These strengths are partially offset by an average earnings profile, given the institution’s developmental role in the housing finance sector. |
Analytical Approach For arriving at the ratings, CRISIL Ratings has considered the standalone business and financial risk profiles of NHB, and has factored in support from GoI. This is given the 100% shareholding of by the Government of India, and the key policy and supervisory role it plays in the Indian Housing Finance Sector. |
Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description Strengths:
NHB, a financial institution and 100% owned by government of India, carries out supervisory, refinancing, developmental role, and also play a key policy role in implementing government policy, for the housing industry. It provides long-term credit to licensed HFCs, scheduled banks, and other primary lending institutions. It is also one of the nodal agencies for the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS), under the GoI’s flagship programme for housing, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
NHB reported gross non-performing assets (GNPAs) of 1.15% and nil net NPAs as on December 31, 2022, against 2.07% and nil respectively, as on June 30, 2022. The NPAs increased in FY20 primarily due to slippages in two accounts in the refinance portfolio. NHB has fully provided against these. It has obtained mandates from scheduled banks, regional rural banks, and urban cooperative banks for direct debit to their current accounts with the RBI if there is a delay or default in payment of refinance instalments. Additionally, it obtains a negative lien on their assets. Moreover, funds are primarily extended to HFCs with strong credit worthiness.
The capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR) was 15.84% as on December 31, 2022, against 16.02% as on June 30, 2022 (12.14% as on June 30, 2021). The improvement in CRAR in fiscal 2022 was on account of improvement in profitability and reduction in risk weighted assets (RWA). Profitability was improved on account of write-backs and reduction in the RWA was on account of de-growth in the loan book in fiscal 2022. Further, the networth is healthy and net NPAs are nil, leading to high coverage for asset-side risks. Capitalisation is also supported by steady accrual, which is entirely retained in the absence of any dividend payout.
Weakness
The interest margin is low as lending has been at competitive rates, while borrowing has been increasingly at market rates. The net interest margin (NIM) was 1.9% for the six-month period ended December 31,2022 compared with 1.4% for the corresponding period of previous fiscal. Profitability, as measured by return on assets* (RoA; yearly average), was muted for last couple of fiscals as NHB reported return of assets of 0.7% for fiscal 2021 and 0.2% for fiscal 2020. The profitability was impacted on account of higher provisions related to couple of large accounts sipping into NPA. However, NHB received recovery of Rs 968 crore in one of accounts resulting in write back of provisions. Resultantly, its RoA improved to 2.3% and reported a PAT of Rs 1920 crore for fiscal 2022. The RoA and reported PAT for the six months period ended December 31, 2022 is 1.4% and 539 crore respectively. |
Liquidity: Superior The ALM profile showed cumulative positive mismatches in all buckets of up to one year, as on April 30, 2023. Liquidity is sufficient with Rs 4,350 crore cash and liquid investments (in the form of government securities and bank deposits), and unutilised bank lines of Rs 6,400 crore as on April 30, 2023, against debt obligation of Rs 8,392 crore till September 2023. |
Outlook: Stable CRISIL Ratings believes NHB will continue to receive strong funding and operational support from GoI because of its public policy and supervisory role in India's housing sector. The asset protection mechanism available to NHB should continue, and the institution will likely maintain comfortable capitalisation over the medium term. |
Rating Sensitivity Factors Downward factors
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About the Bank NHB, the apex institution in the housing finance sector, extends refinance support to HFCs, scheduled banks, regional rural banks, small finance banks, state apex cooperative housing finance societies, and state cooperative agriculture and rural development banks. Additionally, it manages the Rural Housing Fund; commercial banks deposit the shortfall in their priority sector advances to the fund. NHB also manages the Urban Housing Fund (as per Union Budget for fiscal 2014) and Affordable Housing Fund. Moreover, it is supervisor to the HFC sector and plays a key policy role in supporting GoI’s flagship programme for the development of the housing sector. NHB also advises state governments in formulating state housing policies.
Established in 1988 under the National Housing Bank Act, 1987, NHB began operations with an initial capital of Rs 100 crore. The RBI has divested its entire stake in NHB to the government for Rs 1,450 crore. With this divestment, the government now holds 100% stake with effect from March 2019. In July 2019, the government has transferred the functions of NHB for regulating HFCs to the RBI. NHB, a financial institution, will continue to carry out supervisory and refinancing and will also play a key policy role in the housing industry. Outstanding loans under refinance support were Rs 74,700 crore as on December 31, 2022.
Profit after tax (PAT) was Rs 539 crore on total income (net of interest expense) of Rs 804 crore for the six-month period ended December 2022, as against a PAT of Rs 1,453 crore on total income (net of interest expense) of Rs 1,035 crore, in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal. |
Key Financial Indicators
*As per CRISIL Calculations |
Any other information: Not applicable |
Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument: |
Annexure - Details of Instrument(s)
*Rs 6,000 crore under RHF and Rs 3,000 crore under UHF @Yet to be issued
Annexure: Details of Rating Withdrawn
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| Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| All amounts are in Rs.Cr. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This Annexure has been updated on 11-May-2023 in line with the lender-wise facility details as on 21-Mar-2023 received from the rated entity.
Criteria Details
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