Rating Rationale
December 28, 2017 | Mumbai
PTC India Limited
Rating Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.2850 Crore
Short Term Rating CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
 
Rs.100 Crore Commercial Paper CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its 'CRISIL A1+' rating on the short-term bank facilities and commercial paper programme of PTC India Limited (PTC).

The rating continues to reflect PTC's leadership position in the power-trading market in India, strong relationships with customers and market linkages because of track record, and robust financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by exposure to counterparty risks and open positions, threat of disintermediation and exposure of risks inherent in the wind energy industry.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at its rating, CRISIL has combined the business and financial risk profiles of PTC and its wholly owned subsidiary, PTC Energy Ltd (PEL; 'CRISIL A/Stable/CRISIL A1'). Both the entities have strong operational, financial, and management linkages. CRISIL has also made adjustments for the assets and liabilities as per CRISIL's capital allocation approach for the financing business undertaken by PTC India Financial Services Ltd (PFS, 'CRISIL A+/Stable/CRISIL A1+').

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths
* Leadership position in the power-trading market in India: PTC is the largest player in the Indian power trading market. As on March 31, 2017, there were 33 trading licensees and PTC had a market share of 32% of short-term (bilateral transactions and through power exchange) volume traded in fiscal 2017. PTC is likely to maintain its dominant market position over the medium term despite intensifying competition.

* Long track record of operations, resulting in strong customer relationships and market linkages: PTC was the first company to start power trading in India and has, over the years, established strong relationships with various players in the energy trading market. The company has maintained healthy relation with state power utilities (SPUs). It is efficient in client servicing and client management, and should continue to leverage its customer relationships and market reputation and maintain its market leadership position.

* Robust financial risk profile: Financial risk profile is underscored by comfortable capital structure, adequate cash accrual, and ample liquidity. The company had nil borrowing, and had cash and cash equivalent of around Rs 600 crore along with unutilised bank lines of Rs 1,400 crore as on September 30, 2017 on a standalone basis. The financial risk profile is further supported by nil bank borrowing. Given that the company does not intend to invest further in its subsidiaries, PEL and PFS, the financial risk profile is expected to remain robust over the medium term. Any further investment in these or other companies, which adversely impacts the financial risk profile will remain a key rating sensitivity factor.

Weaknesses
* Exposure to counterparty risks and open positions:
PTC is susceptible to the credit risk profiles of customers, mainly SPUs, most of which have weak to average credit risk profiles. The company tries to mitigate counterparty risk by distributing sales across multiple buyers and through payment security mechanisms. Seasonal reversal of buy-and-sell positions of SPUs also acts as a natural hedge. The risk of default is reduced by PTC's large scale of operations, which helps negotiate better terms with clients. This is evident from low receivables of around 80 days on an average over the five fiscals through 2017. However, the risk of prolonged delays or default in payments by customers, which is a sectorial problem, remains a key rating sensitivity factor.

* Threat of disintermediation: There are two power exchanges in India, Indian Energy Exchange and Power Exchange of India. While the exchange and over-the-counter markets co-exist in the electricity industry globally, power exchanges evolved recently in India. Transactions through power exchanges are primarily in the spot and day-ahead markets and accounted for 33% of short-term power traded in fiscal 2017. The steady rise in share of exchanges may pose a threat to PTC and other bilateral traders in the long term.

* Exposure to risks inherent in the wind energy industry: The business risk profile of the wind energy business under PEL, is weaker compared to the more established trading business. The wind business faces inherent risks such as wind speed variability, long-term wind patterns, and technology risks. While the entire capacity of 288 megawatt has been commissioned as on March 31, 2017, the portfolio remains exposed to stabilisation risk with limited track record of operations and payment receipt from the discoms.
About the Company

PTC was incorporated in 1999 to support implementation of the Government of India's Mega Power Policy. The promoters are NHPC Ltd (rated 'CRISIL AAA/Stable'), NTPC Ltd ('CRISIL AAA/FAAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+'), Power Finance Corporation Ltd ('CRISIL AAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+'), and Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd ('CRISIL AAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+'). PTC has a category I license, which permits unlimited trading in power, issued by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission under the Electricity Act 2003. It is the largest player in the power trading market, with a share of 40% of the total volume traded in fiscal 2017. It traded 48,320 million units in fiscal 2017, compared with 42,370 million units in fiscal 2016.

For the six months ended September 30, 2017, PTC, on a standalone basis, had net profit of Rs 196 crore on sales of Rs 9,691 crore, against Rs 170 crore and Rs 7,694 crore, respectively, for the corresponding period of the previous year.

Key Financial Indicators
Particulars Unit 2017 2016
Revenue Rs crore 14,117 12,476
Profit After Tax (PAT) Rs crore 257 231
PAT Margins % 1.8 1.8
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 1.04 0.41
Interest coverage Times 13.7 90.7

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 Letter of Credit NA NA NA 100 CRISIL A1+
NA Letter of Credit  & Bank Guarantee* NA NA NA 2039 CRISIL A1+
NA Proposed Non Fund based limits NA NA NA 561 CRISIL A1+
NA Short Term Bank Facility NA NA NA 150 CRISIL A1+
NA Commercial Paper NA NA 7-365 days 100 CRISIL A1+
*Interchangeable with short-term bank facility to the extent of Rs 400 crore
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
Commercial Paper  ST  100  CRISIL A1+    No Rating Change    No Rating Change    No Rating Change  22-08-14  CRISIL A1+  -- 
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  150  CRISIL A1+    No Rating Change    No Rating Change    No Rating Change    No Rating Change  CRISIL A1+ 
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  2700  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
Letter of Credit 100 CRISIL A1+ Letter of Credit 100 CRISIL A1+
Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee* 2039 CRISIL A1+ Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee* 2039 CRISIL A1+
Proposed Non Fund based limits 561 CRISIL A1+ Proposed Non Fund based limits 561 CRISIL A1+
Short Term Bank Facility 150 CRISIL A1+ Short Term Bank Facility 150 CRISIL A1+
Total 2850 -- Total 2850 --
*Interchangeable with short-term bank facility to the extent of Rs 400 crore
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

For further information contact:
Media Relations
Analytical Contacts
Customer Service Helpdesk
Saman Khan
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
D: +91 22 3342 3895
B: +91 22 3342 3000
saman.khan@crisil.com

Naireen Ahmed
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
D: +91 22 3342 1818
B: +91 22 3342 3000
naireen.ahmed@crisil.com

Jyoti Parmar
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
D: +91 22 3342 1835
B: +91 22 3342 3000
 jyoti.parmar@crisil.com

Sachin Gupta
Senior Director - CRISIL Ratings
CRISIL Limited
D:+91 22 3342 3023
Sachin.Gupta@crisil.com


Nitesh Jain
Director - CRISIL Ratings
CRISIL Limited
D:+91 22 3342 3329
nitesh.jain@crisil.com


Akanksha Aggarwal
Rating Analyst - CRISIL Ratings
CRISIL Limited
D:+91 124 672 2174
Akanksha.Aggarwal@crisil.com
Timings: 10.00 am to 7.00 pm
Toll free Number:1800 267 1301

For a copy of Rationales / Rating Reports:
CRISILratingdesk@crisil.com
 
For Analytical queries:
ratingsinvestordesk@crisil.com


 

Note for Media:
This rating rationale is transmitted to you for the sole purpose of dissemination through your newspaper / magazine / agency. The rating rationale may be used by you in full or in part without changing the meaning or context thereof but with due credit to CRISIL. However, CRISIL alone has the sole right of distribution (whether directly or indirectly) of its rationales for consideration or otherwise through any media including websites, portals etc.


About CRISIL Limited

CRISIL is an agile and innovative, global analytics company driven by its mission of making markets function better. We are India’s foremost provider of ratings, data, research, analytics and solutions. A strong track record of growth, culture of innovation and global footprint sets us apart. We have delivered independent opinions, actionable insights, and efficient solutions to over 100,000 customers.

We are majority owned by S&P Global Inc., a leading provider of transparent and independent ratings, benchmarks, analytics and data to the capital and commodity markets worldwide.

For more information, visit www.crisil.com 


Connect with us: TWITTER | LINKEDIN | YOUTUBE | FACEBOOK


About CRISIL Ratings
CRISIL Ratings is part of CRISIL Limited (“CRISIL”). We pioneered the concept of credit rating in India in 1987. CRISIL is registered in India as a credit rating agency with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (“SEBI”). With a tradition of independence, analytical rigour and innovation, CRISIL sets the standards in the credit rating business. We rate the entire range of debt instruments, such as, bank loans, certificates of deposit, commercial paper, non-convertible / convertible / partially convertible bonds and debentures, perpetual bonds, bank hybrid capital instruments, asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities, partial guarantees and other structured debt instruments. We have rated over 24,500 large and mid-scale corporates and financial institutions. CRISIL has also instituted several innovations in India in the rating business, including rating municipal bonds, partially guaranteed instruments and microfinance institutions. We also pioneered a globally unique rating service for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and significantly extended the accessibility to rating services to a wider market. Over 1,10,000 MSMEs have been rated by us.


CRISIL PRIVACY NOTICE

CRISIL respects your privacy. We use your contact information, such as your name, address, and email id, to fulfil your request and service your account and to provide you with additional information from CRISIL and other parts of S&P Global Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company) you may find of interest.

For further information, or to let us know your preferences with respect to receiving marketing materials, please visit www.crisil.com/privacy. You can view the Company’s Customer Privacy at https://www.spglobal.com/privacy

Last updated: April 2016


DISCLAIMER

This disclaimer forms part of and applies to each credit rating report and/or credit rating rationale that we provide (each a “Report”). For the avoidance of doubt, the term “Report” includes the information, ratings and other content forming part of the Report. The Report is intended for the jurisdiction of India only. This Report does not constitute an offer of services. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, nothing in the Report is to be construed as CRISIL providing or intending to provide any services in jurisdictions where CRISIL does not have the necessary licenses and/or registration to carry out its business activities referred to above. Access or use of this Report does not create a client relationship between CRISIL and the user.

We are not aware that any user intends to rely on the Report or of the manner in which a user intends to use the Report. In preparing our Report we have not taken into consideration the objectives or particular needs of any particular user. It is made abundantly clear that the Report is not intended to and does not constitute an investment advice. The Report is not an offer to sell or an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment in any securities, instruments, facilities or solicitation of any kind or otherwise enter into any deal or transaction with the entity to which the Report pertains. The Report should not be the sole or primary basis for any investment decision within the meaning of any law or regulation (including the laws and regulations applicable in the US).

Ratings from CRISIL Rating are statements of opinion as of the date they are expressed and not statements of fact or recommendations to purchase, hold, or sell any securities / instruments or to make any investment decisions. Any opinions expressed here are in good faith, are subject to change without notice, and are only current as of the stated date of their issue. CRISIL assumes no obligation to update its opinions following publication in any form or format although CRISIL may disseminate its opinions and analysis. CRISIL rating contained in the Report is not a substitute for the skill, judgment and experience of the user, its management, employees, advisors and/or clients when making investment or other business decisions. The recipients of the Report should rely on their own judgment and take their own professional advice before acting on the Report in any way.

Neither CRISIL nor its affiliates, third party providers, as well as their directors, officers, shareholders, employees or agents (collectively, “CRISIL Parties”) guarantee the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the Report, and no CRISIL Party shall have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions therein, regardless of the cause, or for the results obtained from the use of any part of the Report. EACH CRISIL PARTY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, SUITABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE. In no event shall any CRISIL Party be liable to any party for any direct, indirect, incidental, exemplary, compensatory, punitive, special or consequential damages, costs, expenses, legal fees, or losses (including, without limitation, lost income or lost profits and opportunity costs) in connection with any use of any part of the Report even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

CRISIL Ratings may receive compensation for its ratings and certain credit-related analyses, normally from issuers or underwriters of the instruments, facilities, securities or from obligors. CRISIL’s public ratings and analysis as are required to be disclosed under the regulations of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (and other applicable regulations, if any) are made available on its web sites, www.crisil.com (free of charge). Reports with more detail and additional information may be available for subscription at a fee – more details about CRISIL ratings are available here: www.crisilratings.com.

CRISIL and its affiliates do not act as a fiduciary. While CRISIL has obtained information from sources it believes to be reliable, CRISIL does not perform an audit and undertakes no duty of due diligence or independent verification of any information it receives and / or relies in its Reports. CRISIL keeps certain activities of its business units separate from each other in order to preserve the independence and objectivity of the respective activity. As a result, certain business units of CRISIL may have information that is not available to other CRISIL business units. CRISIL has established policies and procedures to maintain the confidentiality of certain non-public information received in connection with each analytical process. CRISIL has in place a ratings code of conduct and policies for analytical firewalls and for managing conflict of interest. For details please refer to: http://www.crisil.com/ratings/highlightedpolicy.html

CRISIL’s rating criteria are generally available without charge to the public on the CRISIL public web site, www.crisil.com. For latest rating information on any instrument of any company rated by CRISIL you may contact CRISIL RATING DESK at CRISILratingdesk@crisil.com, or at (0091) 1800 267 1301.

This Report should not be reproduced or redistributed to any other person or in any form without a prior written consent of CRISIL.

All rights reserved @ CRISIL