Rating Rationale
July 05, 2023 | Mumbai
Seshasayee Paper and Boards Limited
'CRISIL AA-/Stable/CRISIL A1+' assigned to Bank Debt
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.117 Crore
Long Term RatingCRISIL AA-/Stable (Assigned)
Short Term RatingCRISIL A1+ (Assigned)
Note: None of the Directors on CRISIL Ratings Limited’s Board are members of rating committee and thus do not participate in discussion or assignment of any ratings. The Board of Directors also does not discuss any ratings at its meetings.
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to Annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities

Detailed Rationale

CRISIL Ratings has assigned its CRISIL AA-/Stable/CRISIL A1+ ratings to the bank facilities of Seshasayee Paper and Boards Limited (SPBL).

 

The ratings reflect the established position of SBPL in the writing and printing paper (WPP) segment, supported by extensive experience of its promoters, and the integrated operations and healthy operating efficiency. The ratings also factor in the robust financial risk profile of the company. These strengths are partially offset by susceptibility to volatility in raw material prices.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description

Strengths: 

  • Established position in the WPP segment, supported by extensive experience of promoters: SPBL is an established player in the domestic WPP and paper board segments, especially in south India. The company has an installed capacity of 255,000 tonne per annum. Longstanding presence in the pulp and paper segment, a wide product portfolio comprising WPP, packing and wrapping grade papers, specialty grade papers, and well-known brands such as Sprint, Sprint Plus, Swift, and Success, have helped the company cater to a diversified clientele, and set up a vast distribution network.

 

  • Benefits from integrated operations and healthy operating efficiency: SPBL also manufactures  pulp, used for producing paper products, at its Erode unit, and thus, enjoys cost benefits. The Erode unit is fully self-sufficient on pulp and excess pulp is transferred to the Tirunelveli unit, which further reduces cost and offers synergies. On a combined basis, 85% of the overall pulp requirement for both the units is met via in-house wood/bagasse pulp. Integrated operations, consistent investment in backward integration and high captive power consumption (with about 70% of energy requirement in the Erode unit met via green sources) have resulted in healthy net margin and return on capital employed (RoCE) of more than 14% and 25%, respectively, over the five fiscals through March 2023 (except during the Covid period).

 

The company meets 78-80% of its power requirement in-house through its coal-based captive power plant (21 MW) and chemical recovery based captive power plant (16 MW) in Erode and another coal based captive power plant (6MW) in Tirunelveli.

 

Further, to enhance pulp production capacities in Erode, the management has announced project MDP-IV. The first phase, which would entail cost of Rs 700 crore, is likely to be funded entirely via internal accrual. SPBL had recently acquired assets of M/s Servalakshmi Paper Ltd, on a going concern basis. This acquisition should add another 75,000 tonnes per annum of paper manufacturing capacity under SPBL. It has already been funded via internal accrual.

 

  • Robust financial risk profile:  Despite consistent capital expenditure (capex), the capital structure has remained healthy aided by steady accretion to reserves and low reliance on external debt. Total outside liabilities to adjusted networth ratio was low at 0.4 time as on March 31, 2023, owing to nil debt. The financial risk profile should remain comfortable over the medium term, driven by steady accrual and adequate networth.

 

Weakness:

  • Susceptibility to volatility in raw material prices: Long gestation period for capacity addition and lead time in raw material generation, among other factors, make the paper industry inherently cyclical. Prices of wood pulp have been volatile in the past. Any steep rise in raw material prices, which cannot be fully passed on to customers, will affect profitability. During fiscals 2021 and 2022,  the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent disruptions it caused to the Paper market (with schools, colleges & offices remaining closed and markets remaining shut) hadconstrained profitability of SBPL. SPBL’s, Strong operational capability , healthy diversification and the company’s continued investment in strategic initiatives like Tree Farming, Contract Farming, augmenting Green Energy sources, etc  partially mitigate  above risks.

Liquidity: Strong

Liquidity is marked by sufficient cash accrual, nil bank limit utilisation and prudent working capital management. Cash accrual of over Rs 327 crore is expected against nil debt in fiscal 2024. Current ratio was healthy at 3.02 times as on March 31s, 2023. Cash and bank balance stood at Rs 559 crore as on the March 31st ,2023.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL Ratings believes SPBL will continue to benefit from the extensive experience of its promoters in the  domestic WPP segment and their established relationships with clients.

Rating Sensitivity factors

Upward factors:

  • Significant improvement in revenues, while maintaining operating margins above 20-22 %
  • Implementation of expansion project without material time and cost overruns

 

Downward factors:

  • Significant decline in revenue and operating margin of less than 18%, leading to lower cash accrual
  • Project cost over-run or any large debt-funded capex, weakening the capital structure

About the Company

SPBL was incorporated in 1960. The company manufactures pulp and WPP and grade papers, packing and wrapping grade papers, specialty grade papers, etc. Products are sold under brands such as Sprint, Sprint Plus, Swift, and Success. The company has an integrated pulp, paper and paper board mill at Pallipayam (Erode, Tamil Nadu) and a paper manufacturing mill at Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) with an aggregate capacity of production of 255,000 tonnes of paper, per annum.

 

It is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange. Daily operations are managed by Mr N Gopalaratnam (Chairman and whole-time director), Mr Kasiviswanathan Subramanian Kallidaikurichi (Chief Executive Officer And Managing Director). Mr Ganesh Balakrishna Bhadti (whole-time director) and Mr S Srinivas (CFO), along with others

Key Financial Indicators

As on / for the period ended March 31

 

2023

2022

Operating income

Rs crore

2085

1356

Reported profit after tax

Rs crore

386.20

103.99

PAT margins

%

18.50

7.70

Adjusted Debt/Adjusted Net worth

Times

0.00

0.00

Interest coverage

Times

215.63

57.99

Any other information: Not applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL Ratings` complexity levels are assigned to various types of financial instruments and are included (where applicable) in the 'Annexure - Details of Instrument' in this Rating Rationale.

CRISIL Ratings will disclose complexity level for all securities - including those that are yet to be placed - based on available information. The complexity level for instruments may be updated, where required, in the rating rationale published subsequent to the issuance of the instrument when details on such features are available.

For more details on the CRISIL Ratings` complexity levels please visit www.crisilratings.com. Users may also call the Customer Service Helpdesk with queries on specific instruments.

 Annexure - Details of Instrument(s)

ISIN Name of the instrument Date of
Allotment
Coupon
Rate (%)
Maturity
Date
Issue size
(Rs. Crore)
Complexity
Level
Rating assigned
with outlook
NA Cash Credit  NA NA NA 61 NA CRISIL AA-/Stable
NA Letter of Credit NA NA NA 56 NA CRISIL A1+
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2023 (History) 2022  2021  2020  Start of 2020
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund Based Facilities LT 61.0 CRISIL AA-/Stable   --   --   --   -- --
Non-Fund Based Facilities ST 56.0 CRISIL A1+   --   --   --   -- --
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Cash Credit 36 State Bank of India CRISIL AA-/Stable
Cash Credit 25 HDFC Bank Limited CRISIL AA-/Stable
Letter of Credit 25 HDFC Bank Limited CRISIL A1+
Letter of Credit 31 State Bank of India CRISIL A1+
Criteria Details
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings
The Rating Process
Assessing Information Adequacy Risk
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
Rating criteria on Financial risk framework for manufacturing and services sector companies
Rating Criteria for Paper Industry
Understanding CRISILs Ratings and Rating Scales
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt
CRISILs Approach to Recognising Default

Media Relations
Analytical Contacts
Customer Service Helpdesk

Aveek Datta
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
M: +91 99204 93912
B: +91 22 3342 3000
AVEEK.DATTA@crisil.com

Prakruti Jani
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
M: +91 98678 68976
B: +91 22 3342 3000
PRAKRUTI.JANI@crisil.com

Rutuja Gaikwad 
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
B: +91 22 3342 3000
Rutuja.Gaikwad@ext-crisil.com


Jayashree Nandakumar
Director
CRISIL Ratings Limited
D:+91 40 4032 8218
jayashree.nandakumar@crisil.com


Sajesh Kv
Team Lead
CRISIL Ratings Limited
B:+91 44 6656 3100
sajesh.kv@crisil.com


Bharathi Alla
Senior Rating Analyst
CRISIL Ratings Limited
B:+91 44 6656 3100
Bharathi.Alla@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 Ratings. However, CRISIL Ratings alone has the sole right of distribution (whether directly or indirectly) of its rationales for consideration or otherwise through any media including websites and portals.


About CRISIL Ratings Limited (A subsidiary of CRISIL Limited, an S&P Global Company)

CRISIL Ratings pioneered the concept of credit rating in India in 1987. With a tradition of independence, analytical rigour and innovation, we set 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 33,000 large and mid-scale corporates and financial institutions. We have also instituted several innovations in India in the rating business, including ratings for municipal bonds, partially guaranteed instruments and infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs).
 
CRISIL Ratings Limited ('CRISIL Ratings') is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CRISIL Limited ('CRISIL'). CRISIL Ratings Limited is registered in India as a credit rating agency with the Securities and Exchange Board of India ("SEBI").
 
For more information, visit www.crisilratings.com 

 



About CRISIL Limited

CRISIL is a leading, agile and innovative global analytics company driven by its mission of making markets function better. 

It is India’s foremost provider of ratings, data, research, analytics and solutions with a strong track record of growth, culture of innovation, and global footprint.

It has delivered independent opinions, actionable insights, and efficient solutions to over 100,000 customers through businesses that operate from India, the US, the UK, Argentina, Poland, China, Hong Kong and Singapore.

It is 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


CRISIL PRIVACY NOTICE
 
CRISIL respects your privacy. We may 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. For further information on CRISIL's privacy policy please visit www.crisil.com.



DISCLAIMER

This disclaimer is part of and applies to each credit rating report and/or credit rating rationale ('report') that is provided by CRISIL Ratings Limited ('CRISIL Ratings'). To avoid 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 Ratings providing or intending to provide any services in jurisdictions where CRISIL Ratings 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 Ratings 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 to 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 Ratings 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 Ratings assumes no obligation to update its opinions following publication in any form or format although CRISIL Ratings may disseminate its opinions and analysis. The 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. CRISIL Ratings or its associates may have other commercial transactions with the entity to which the report pertains.

Neither CRISIL Ratings nor its affiliates, third-party providers, as well as their directors, officers, shareholders, employees or agents (collectively, 'CRISIL Ratings Parties') guarantee the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the report, and no CRISIL Ratings 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 RATINGS 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 Ratings 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. Public ratings and analysis by CRISIL Ratings, 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 website, www.crisilratings.com (free of charge). Reports with more detail and additional information may be available for subscription at a fee - more details about ratings by CRISIL Ratings are available here: www.crisilratings.com.

CRISIL Ratings and its affiliates do not act as a fiduciary. While CRISIL Ratings has obtained information from sources it believes to be reliable, CRISIL Ratings does not perform an audit and undertakes no duty of due diligence or independent verification of any information it receives and/or relies on in its reports. CRISIL Ratings has established policies and procedures to maintain the confidentiality of certain non-public information received in connection with each analytical process. CRISIL Ratings has in place a ratings code of conduct and policies for managing conflict of interest. For details please refer to:
https://www.crisil.com/en/home/our-businesses/ratings/regulatory-disclosures/highlighted-policies.html.

Rating criteria by CRISIL Ratings are generally available without charge to the public on the CRISIL Ratings public website, www.crisilratings.com. For latest rating information on any instrument of any company rated by CRISIL Ratings, you may contact the CRISIL Ratings 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 prior written consent from CRISIL Ratings.

All rights reserved @ CRISIL Ratings Limited. CRISIL Ratings is a wholly owned subsidiary of CRISIL Limited.

 

 

CRISIL Ratings uses the prefix 'PP-MLD' for the ratings of principal-protected market-linked debentures (PPMLD) with effect from November 1, 2011, to comply with the SEBI circular, "Guidelines for Issue and Listing of Structured Products/Market Linked Debentures". The revision in rating symbols for PPMLDs should not be construed as a change in the rating of the subject instrument. For details on CRISIL Ratings' use of 'PP-MLD' please refer to the notes to Rating scale for Debt Instruments and Structured Finance Instruments at the following link: https://www.crisil.com/en/home/our-businesses/ratings/credit-ratings-scale.html