Rating Rationale
May 05, 2020 | Mumbai
Polisetty Somasundaram
Ratings removed from 'Watch Developing'; Ratings Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.502 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL BBB/Stable (Removed from 'Rating Watch with Developing Implications'; Rating Reaffirmed)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A3+ (Removed from 'Rating Watch with Developing Implications'; Rating Reaffirmed) 
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has removed its ratings on the bank facilities of Polisetty Somasundaram (PSS) from 'Rating Watch with Developing Implications' and reaffirmed the ratings at 'CRISIL BBB/CRISIL A3+', while assigning a 'Stable' outlook to the long-term rating.
 
CRISIL had placed the ratings on watch on February 07, 2020, following the search conducted by the Income Tax authorities on PSS and its partners. The IT department had raised a demand for payment of additional income tax of Rs 28 crore pertaining to earlier years and the same was paid in March, 2020. Also based on current understanding from the management, CRISIL believes that the raid had not impacted and is unlikely to impact the entity's credit risk profile. Moreover the firm and its partners have sufficient means to honour any further untoward tax liability arising due to tax raid.  CRISIL also takes comfort from the firm's stable operating performance, backed by an established market position in the tobacco industry as reflected in its moderate scale of operations and steady operating margin.
 
The ratings continue to reflect PSS's long track record and established market position in the tobacco industry and a healthy financial risk profile because of large net worth comfortable gearing and strong debt protection metrics. These strengths are partially offset by susceptibility to intense competition and to changes in government regulations regarding the tobacco industry, customer concentration in revenue, and susceptibility of profitability to volatility in raw tobacco prices and foreign exchange (forex) rates.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths:
* Long track record and established market position:
The firm has a track record of around 70 years in the tobacco industry, leading to a strong market position. This has also helped the promoters to scale up operations. The firm has been the largest Indian exporter of un-manufactured tobacco for the past 13 years (ITC Ltd being a manufacturer).
 
* Healthy financial risk profile:
Networth was estimated to be large at Rs 330 crore and gearing comfortable at 0.61 time, as on March 31, 2020. Debt protection metrics were strong, with interest coverage and net cash accrual to adjusted debt ratios of 5.5 times and 0.17 time, respectively, in fiscal 2020.
 
Weaknesses:
* Susceptibility to intense competition and to changes in government regulations regarding the tobacco industry:
The tobacco segment is highly fragmented due to many organised and unorganised players. Furthermore, over the past few years, government and non-government organisations have undertaken initiatives to create awareness about the adverse effects of tobacco. These factors have constrained the firm's business risk profile.
 
* Customer concentration in revenue:
Around 75% of the turnover is derived from just one customer, which exposes revenue and profitability to this client's growth plans. However, the firm is the preferred supplier for its key customers due to timely delivery and high-quality products matching customer specifications.
 
* Susceptibility of profitability to volatility in raw tobacco prices and forex rates:
Cost of main raw material, raw tobacco leaf, constitutes around 70% of the total cost of production. Tobacco is an agricultural product, prices of which are fixed by farmers depending on the demand-supply situation. Prices vary frequently based on the acreage under cultivation and the yield during the season.
Liquidity Adequate

Net cash accrual is expected at Rs 56-58 crore per annum against nil debt obligation, over the medium term. Bank limit was moderately utilised at an average of around 75% during the 12 months through October 2019. Cash and cash equivalents of Rs 90 crore provide cushion to liquidity. Current ratio was estimated to be around 1.25 times as on March 31, 2020.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes PSS will continue to benefit from the extensive experience of its partners and healthy financial risk profile.

Rating Sensitivity factors
Upward factors
* Sustained improvement in revenue by 20% per fiscal and stable operating margin, leading to higher cash accrual
* Better working capital cycle
 
Downward factors
* Decline in profitability or stretch in working capital cycle
* Large, debt-funded capital expenditure affecting capital structure, with gearing weakening to above 1.5 times
* Significant fund diversion to various associate and subsidiary companies.
About the Firm

Set up in 1943 as a Partnership firm by Mr Polisetty Somasundaram in Guntur, PSS is a two-star export house recognised by the Government of India, and has been the largest Indian exporter of un-manufactured tobacco. It purchases, processes, threshes, re-dries, and exports tobacco leaves.

Key Financial Indicators
As on/for the period ended March 31 Unit 2019 2018
Operating income Rs crore 543.66 615.52
Reported profit after tax (PAT) Rs crore 51.84 57.15
PAT margin % 9.5 9.3
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 0.85 0.36
Interest coverage Times 6.82 9.76
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 2 CRISIL BBB/Stable
NA Packing Credit NA NA NA 300 CRISIL A3+
NA Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility NA NA NA 200 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  502.00  CRISIL BBB/Stable/ CRISIL A3+  07-02-20  CRISIL BBB/Watch Developing/ CRISIL A3+/Watch Developing  14-01-19  CRISIL BBB/Stable/ CRISIL A3+  23-10-18  CRISIL BB+/Stable/ CRISIL A4+ (Issuer Not Cooperating)*  30-06-17  CRISIL BBB/Stable/ CRISIL A3+  CRISIL BBB/Negative/ CRISIL A3+ 
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
*Issuer did not cooperate; based on best-available information
Annexure - Details of various bank facilities
Current facilities Previous facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating
Cash Credit 2 CRISIL BBB/Stable Cash Credit 2 CRISIL BBB/Watch Developing
Packing Credit 300 CRISIL A3+ Packing Credit 400 CRISIL A3+/Watch Developing
Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 200 CRISIL BBB/Stable Proposed Short Term Bank Loan Facility 100 CRISIL A3+/Watch Developing
Total 502 -- Total 502 --
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 rating short term debt

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