Rating Rationale
January 22, 2020 | Mumbai
Paras Defence and Space Technologies Limited
Ratings Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.103 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL BBB+/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A2 (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its 'CRISIL BBB+/Stable/CRISIL A2' ratings on the bank facilities of Paras Defence and Space Technologies Limited (Paras).

The ratings reflects extensive experience of Paras' promoters and their technical expertise, its diversified product portfolio and healthy customer profile and its above-average financial risk profile. These strengths are partially mitigated by high working capital requirements and susceptibility of revenue and operating profitability to tender based business.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths: 
* Extensive experience of promoters and technical expertise:
Benefits from the promoters' experience of more than 3 decades and their strong understanding of market dynamics, should continue to support business risk profile. Over the decades, Paras has developed strong engineering and design capabilities which has helped it in meeting the changing demands from its customers. Paras has a healthy order book at hand of Rs 166 crore spanning across its business verticals, aided by its established track record of timely and satisfactory completion of tenders.
 
* Diversified product portfolio and healthy customer profile:
Paras has a wide range of products which find application in diverse sectors like heavy engineering (40% of revenues), defense & space optics (30% of revenues) and defense electronics (30% of revenues). Its key domestic customers include Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) while internationally it exports majorly to companies based in Israel, Singapore and USA.

* Above-average financial risk profile:
The networth was strong at Rs 108.2 crore, and gearing and total outside liabilities to adjusted networth (TOLANW) were moderate at 0.78 time and 1.64 times, respectively, as on March 31, 2019. The debt protection metrics were adequate, with interest coverage ratio of 4.72 times and net cash accrual to adjusted debt ratio of 34% in fiscal 2019. Financial risk profile is expected to remain at similar levels over the medium term given healthy accretion to reserves and controlled reliance on external debt.
 
Weaknesses:
* High working capital requirement:
Working capital requirements are high as reflected by gross current assets of 365 days as on March 31, 2019 which is majorly driven by debtors of 197 days and inventory of more than 200 days. The working capital cycle is high partly due to year-end phenomenon as more than 50% of sales were recorded in Q4 of fiscal 2019. Since, Paras manufactures various kind of products, it has to maintain high inventory. With increasing revenues, the incremental working capital requirements will remain high and management of the same will be key rating sensitivity factor.

* Susceptibility of scale of operations and operating profitability to tender based business:
Despite Paras having well-diversified product profile with different products providing different profitability, its business performance is entirely dependent on the nature of tender received from its customers, owing which both scale and profitability are expected to remain volatile. Further, with ISRO accounting for more than 60% of its order book of Rs 166 crore, it will continue to remain exposed to concentration risks.
Liquidity Adequate

Liquidity is adequate, marked by expected cash accrual of over Rs 27-32 crore annually in fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2021, against repayment obligations of Rs. 8.6 crore and Rs 8.0 crore, respectively. It has cash and cash equivalents of Rs 2.2 crores as on March 31, 2019. Utilisation of fund-based limit of Rs 51 crore averaged 81% over the 12 months through August 2019. CRISIL expects internal accruals, cash & cash equivalents and unutilized bank lines to be sufficient to meet its incremental working capital requirements.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes that Paras will continue to benefit from extensive experience and technical expertise of its promoters and its healthy financial risk profile.
 
Rating Sensitivity Factors:
Upward factors
* Sustained improvement in scale of operation and sustenance of operating margin, leading to cash accruals of more than Rs 35 crore
* Improvement in working capital cycle, strengthening its financial risk profile
 
Downward factors
* Stretch in working capital cycle impacting liquidity with bank limit utilization above 90%
* Decline in operating profitability or scale of operations leading to lower cash accruals
* Higher than expected debt-funded capex impacting financial risk profile.

About the Company

Paras, setup in 1977 by Mr. Sharad Shah, is a supplier of tier-2 products to the defense and space sector, in the domain of optics, heavy engineering and electronics. The day-to-day operations are currently managed by Mr. Munjal Shah (son of Mr. Sharad Shah) and it has 3 manufacturing facilities located in Thane, Navi Mumbai and Hyderabad.

Key Financial Indicators
As on / for the period ended March 31 Units 2019 2018
Operating income Rs crore 155.78 145.31
Reported profit after tax Rs crore 19.04 25.08
PAT margins % 12.22 17.26
Adjusted Debt/Adjusted Net worth Times 0.78 0.83
Interest coverage Times 4.72 6.04

Status of non cooperation with previous CRA
Paras has not cooperated with CARE Ratings, which has published its ratings as an issuer not cooperating vide a release dated May 6, 2019. The reason provided by CARE was non-furnishing of information by Paras for monitoring the ratings.

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 Bank Guarantee NA NA NA 23 CRISIL A2
NA Cash Credit NA NA NA 32 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Letter of Credit NA NA NA 5 CRISIL A2
NA Loan Against Property NA NA NA 1.71 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Loan Equivalent Risk Limits NA NA NA 3.35 CRISIL A2
NA Pre Shipment Credit NA NA NA 7 CRISIL A2
NA Proposed Term Loan NA NA NA 2 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Term Loan NA NA Mar-2025 10 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Term Loan NA NA Mar-2023 18.94 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
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  75.00  CRISIL BBB+/Stable/ CRISIL A2          19-11-18  CRISIL BBB+/Stable/ CRISIL A2    --  -- 
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  28.00  CRISIL A2          19-11-18  CRISIL A2    --  -- 
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
Bank Guarantee 23 CRISIL A2 Bank Guarantee 28 CRISIL A2
Cash Credit 32 CRISIL BBB+/Stable Cash Credit 31 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
Letter of Credit 5 CRISIL A2 Loan Equivalent Risk Limits 3.35 CRISIL A2
Loan Against Property 1.71 CRISIL BBB+/Stable Post Shipment Credit 7 CRISIL A2
Loan Equivalent Risk Limits 3.35 CRISIL A2 Proposed Cash Credit Limit .14 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
Pre Shipment Credit 7 CRISIL A2 Term Loan 33.51 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
Term Loan 28.94 CRISIL BBB+/Stable -- 0 --
Proposed Term Loan 2 CRISIL BBB+/Stable -- 0 --
Total 103 -- Total 103 --
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
CRISILs Approach to Recognising Default
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings
The Rating Process
Understanding CRISILs Ratings and Rating Scales

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