Rating Rationale
September 30, 2020 | Mumbai
Simbhaoli Sugars Limited
Ratings Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.793.62 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL D (Reaffirmed)
Short Term Rating CRISIL D (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its 'CRISIL D/CRISIL D' ratings on the bank facilities of Simbhaoli Sugars Limited (SSL).
 
The ratings continue to reflect instances of delay by the company in meeting its debt obligations. SSL's financial risk profile is weak because of a highly leveraged capital structure and weak debt protection metrics. Also, the company is exposed to regulatory risks and cyclicality in the sugar industry. However, it has an established market position in the sugar industry and is expected to benefit from the high sugar prices prevailing currently due to favourable supply demand dynamics in the industry.
 
While the Government of India along with various state governments has taken measures towards containment of COVID-19 which includes temporary closure of non-critical establishments, the operations of the company have continued as all the three businesses - Sugar, Distillery as well as Co-generation are covered under essential items. This is evident from a 38% yoy increase in revenue and increase in operating margins by 130 bps in the first quarter of fiscal 20201, Although in fiscal 2021, the industrial demand for sugar will be impacted due to COVID - 19, the presence of Minimum Support Price (MSP) at Rs 31 per Kg with proposed hike at Rs 33 per kg will limit the downside in the sugar prices. The prices will also be supported due to lower sugar production by ~20% in Sugar Season 2019-20 (October 1, 2019 - September 30, 2020) as compared to Sugar Season 2018-19 due to floods and lower cane availability in Maharashtra and Karnataka in fiscal 2020.
 
Profitability of distillery segment is expected to continue to remain healthy due to a marginal increase in ethanol prices announced by Government of India in September 2019 for Sugar Season 2019-20. Operating margins for distillery segment improved from 4% in fiscal 2020 to 10% in the first quarter of fiscal 2021. Further, the recent addition of effluent discharge technology in the company's distillery plant at Chilwaria is expected to increase efficiencies resulting in higher distillery margins going forward.
 
Any change in regulatory stance and continuation of government support to sugar sector (including distilleries) will remain key monitorable.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Weaknesses:
* Weak Financial risk profile
Sharp decline in sugar prices and high interest costs have led to substantial deterioration in financial risk profile in the past few years resulting in cash losses leading to a negative net worth as on March 31, 2020. Debt protection metrics remains weak with interest coverage ratio (including non-provisioned interest) at 0.12 times (1.56 times excluding non-provisioned interest) in fiscal 2020 against 0.04 times (4.86 times excluding non-provisioned interest) in fiscal 2019.
 
* Exposure to regulatory risk and cyclical demand in sugar industry
The sugar industry is susceptible to movements in sugar prices which results in volatile profitability. Regulatory mechanisms and dependence on monsoons have also rendered the sugar industry cyclical. The government regulates the domestic demand-supply through restrictions on imports and exports. While the input prices are driven by the government, sugar prices are volatile and based on open market prices which are dependent on the production levels. High regulatory risks and cyclical demand in the sugar industry will continue to constrain SSL's business risk profile.
 
Strengths:
* Established market position
SSL's plants are integrated sugar complexes comprising cogeneration and distillery along with sugar mills to ensure value addition through by products. SSL has a crushing capacity of 19500 tonnes along with a cogeneration capacity of 108 MW (in a 51:40 Joint Venture with Sindicatum Captive Energy Singapore) and distillery capacity of 180 Kilo Litres Per Day (KLPD). SSL has three sugar plants, one each in Simbhaoli and Brijnathpur in western Uttar Pradesh, and in Chilwaria in eastern Uttar Pradesh In fiscal 2020, the company had revenue of Rs.1009 crores.
Liquidity Poor

Liquidity is weak marked by delays in servicing of term loan debt obligations. Stretched liquidity profile due to insufficient accruals against Repayment obligations.

Rating Sensitivity Factors
Upward Factors
* Timely servicing of debt
* Improvement in turnover by more than 30 percent.

 

About the Company

SSL (formerly, The Simbhaoli Sugar Mills Ltd) was originally established as a partnership firm in 1933 in Simbhaoli, Uttar Pradesh; the firm was reconstituted as a private limited company in 1936 and then as a public limited company with the current name in 1989.In 1992, SSL acquired a distillery and transformed its Simbhaoli sugar plant into a sugar complex. The company now has an integrated sugar unit and operates under the sugar-alcohol-power business model. It is among the top 10 integrated sugar companies in India.
 
SSL has three sugar plants, one each in Simbhaoli and Brijnathpur in western Uttar Pradesh, and in Chilwaria in eastern Uttar Pradesh; the company has a combined crushing capacity of 19500 tonnes of sugarcane per day. It produces a range of sugar products, such as white crystal refined sugar, pharmaceutical-grade sugar, superfine sugar, sugar cubes, icing sugar, table sugar, candy sugar, and sugar sachets. SSL hived off its power and alcohol division into two wholly owned subsidiaries, Simbhaoli Power Ltd and Simbhaoli Spirits Ltd, in 2012. In November 2015, SSL was merged into Simbhaoli Spirits Ltd. (w.e.f. April 01, 2015) and the newly formed entity was named SSL.
 
SSL had a net loss of Rs. 5 crores on net sales of Rs.346 crores for Q1FY21, as against a net loss of Rs.10 crores on net sales of Rs. 251 crores for Q1FY20.

Key Financial Indicators
Particulars Unit 2020* 2019*
Revenue Rs crore 1009 952
Profit After Tax (PAT)  Rs crore -22 (49.1)
PAT Margins % (2.1) (5.2)
Adjusted debt/adjusted net worth Times -0.29 0.56
Adj. Interest coverage Times 0.12 0.04
*Provisional

Any other information: Not applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL 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. For more details on the CRISIL complexity levels, please visit www.crisil.com/complexity-levels.
Annexure - Details of Instrument(s)
ISIN Name of Instrument Date of Allotment Coupon Rate Maturity Date Issue Size (Rs. Cr) Complexity Level Rating Assigned with Outlook
NA Cash Credit NA NA NA 308.75 NA CRISIL D
NA Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee NA NA NA 83.50 NA CRISIL D
NA Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility NA NA NA 129.32 NA CRISIL D
NA Term Loan NA NA Mar-16 104.84 NA CRISIL D
NA Term Loan NA NA Sep-24 117.22 NA CRISIL D
NA Working Capital Term Loan* NA NA NA 49.99 NA CRISIL D
* Working capital term loan was sanctioned as a part of corporate debt restructuring
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  710.12  CRISIL D      28-06-19  CRISIL D  08-03-18  CRISIL D  31-05-17  CRISIL D  CRISIL D 
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  83.50  CRISIL D      28-06-19  CRISIL D  08-03-18  CRISIL D  31-05-17  CRISIL D  CRISIL D 
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
Cash Credit 308.75 CRISIL D Cash Credit 308.75 CRISIL D
Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee 83.5 CRISIL D Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee 83.5 CRISIL D
Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 129.32 CRISIL D Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 129.32 CRISIL D
Term Loan 222.06 CRISIL D Term Loan 222.06 CRISIL D
Working Capital Term Loan* 49.99 CRISIL D Working Capital Term Loan* 49.99 CRISIL D
Total 793.62 -- Total 793.62 --
* Working capital term loan was sanctioned as a part of corporate debt restructuring
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
Rating Criteria for Sugar Industry
CRISILs Approach to Recognising Default

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