Rating Rationale
November 29, 2019 | Mumbai
Sonata Software Limited
Rating outlook revised to 'Positive', rating reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.50 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL A+/Positive (Outlook revised from 'Stable' and rating reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has revised its outlook on the long-term bank facility of Sonata Software Limited (SSL) to 'Positive' from 'Stable', while reaffirming the 'CRISIL A+' rating.
 
The outlook revision reflects the expected improvement in the company's business risk profile driven by healthy growth in revenue over the medium term supported by growing international demand for digitisation of businesses, increasing contributions from SSL's earlier acquisitions, and expansion of its domestic software distribution business. Operating margin will remain strong over the medium term, supported by increasing share of Intellectual Property (IP)-led high-margin business and improving employee utilisation.
 
SSL's revenue increased 21% in fiscal 2019 over fiscal 2018 due to large deals in the domestic products and services business and addition of new clients in the international information technology (IT) services business. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) margin increased to 11.4% in fiscal 2019 from 10.7% in the previous fiscal. This was a result of SSL's digital transformation strategy called Platformation. Over the medium term, CRISIL expects SSL's revenue growth above 15% and EBITDA margin to improve steadily.
 
The rating continues to reflect the company's comfortable business risk profile because of its established position in the IT services sector and software distribution business, and its improving revenue diversity. The rating also factors in its strong financial risk profile backed by healthy capital structure and liquidity. These strengths are partially offset by geographical and customer concentration in revenue; susceptibility to changes in regulations such as restrictions on H1B visas; and intense competition, especially in the software distribution business.

Analytical Approach

* For arriving at the rating, CRISIL has combined the business and financial risk profiles of SSL, its domestic subsidiary Sonata Information Technology Ltd (SITL; 'CRISIL A+/Positive'), and its overseas subsidiaries. This is because all the entities operate under a common management and have significant business and financial linkages.
* Goodwill arising from consolidation of SSL's subsidiary (Rs 61 crore in fiscal 2019 and Rs 90 Crs in fiscal 2016) has been amortised over five years.

Please refer Annexure - Details of Consolidation, which captures the list of entities considered and their analytical treatment of consolidation,

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths
* Comfortable business risk profile driven by established market position: SSL has an established position in the IT services sector and is among the leading players catering to the travel, tourism, and logistics vertical. It also services the manufacturing, retail, and consumer packaged goods verticals. In addition, the company provides outsourced research and development services to independent software vendors. SSL is also building capability to cater to the fast-growing social, mobility, analytics, and cloud solutions space. The company operates a software distribution business for companies such as Microsoft, Oracle, and IBM. It has longstanding relationships with customers and has been actively adding clients. CRISIL believes SSL will continue to benefit from its established market position in the international IT services business as well as domestic software distribution business, driven by its strong set of service offerings, alliances with leading software vendors, and longstanding customer relationships.
 
* Strong financial risk profile: SSL has a healthy capital structure and debt protection metrics. Gearing was low at 0.02 time as on March 31, 2019 (0.06 time as on March 31, 2018), supported by healthy networth of Rs 649 crore. Furthermore, debt protection metrics were comfortable, indicated by net cash accrual to total debt ratio of 7.4 times in fiscal 2019. The financial risk profile is also supported by comfortable liquidity of Rs 343 crore as on March 31, 2019. Besides organic growth, SSL intends to expand through acquisitions in complementary service lines. CRISIL believes the acquisitions will be funded largely through internal accrual, thereby keeping the financial risk profile strong.
 
Weaknesses
* Geographical and customer concentration in revenue: The business risk profile is constrained by geographical concentration. In line with the rest of the Indian IT services industry, SSL registered most of its revenue from the US (57%) and Europe (31%) in fiscal 2019. This exposes the company to the risk of economic slowdown in these regions, as well as regulatory changes such as restriction on H1B visas. Furthermore, SSL faces client concentration risk. For fiscal 2019, the top 10 customers accounted for 69% of its revenue (70% in fiscal 2018). Given its modest scale of operations (compared to larger peers), the business risk profile will remain vulnerable to client concentration risk.
 
* Exposure to intense competition, especially in the software distribution business: With rapid evolution of the Indian IT-enabled services sector, competition is intensifying as companies compete for a share of the outsourcing pie. SSL has to compete with multiple players in most of the verticals within the IT services business. Additionally, a large portion of its revenue comes from the software distribution business where price competition is high. CRISIL believes SSL's profitability will remain constrained over the medium term as competition limits increases in realisation. Also, availability of low-cost skilled talent remains a concern.
Liquidity Strong

SSL had a liquid surplus of Rs 343 crore as on March 31, 2019, against negligible debt. The company also has access to fund-based limit of about Rs 50 crore which was mostly unutilised in the 12 months through September 2019. Expected annual cash accrual of more than Rs 135 crore over the medium term will support annual capital expenditure of around Rs 45 crore.

Outlook: Positive

CRISIL believes SSL's credit risk profile will continue to benefit from its comfortable business risk profile, supported by healthy client addition and strong financial risk profile. 
 
Ratings sensitivity factors
Upward factors:
* Substantial and sustained growth in revenue (more than 15% compound annual growth rate over the medium term) and EBITDA margin of over 14%
* Steady improvement in the business risk profile with material increase in revenue share of the high-margin IT services business
 
Downward factors:
* Slowdown in key markets or impact of proposed reduction in H1B visas leading to significant pressure on revenue and decline in EBITDA margin below 10%
* Large, debt-funded acquisition impacting the financial risk profile, and cash and cash balance falling below Rs 250 crore
* Negative outcome regarding large contingent liabilities

About the Company

SSL, incorporated in 1986, provides IT consulting, product engineering services, application development, application management, managed testing, business intelligence, infrastructure management, packaged applications, and travel solutions. The company derives most of its revenue from overseas, with the US and Europe accounting for over 88%. SITL primarily distributes software products and is focused on the Indian market.

Key Financial Indicators
As on / for the period ended March 31   2019 2018
Operating income Rs crore 2,961 2,455
Profit after tax (PAT) Rs crore 219 174
PAT margin % 7.4 7.1
Adjusted debt / adjusted networth Times 0.02 0.06
Interest coverage Times 105.93 57.58

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 Working Capital Facility* NA NA NA 50.00 CRISIL A+/Positive
*Fully interchangeable between fund- and non-fund-based limits
 
 
Annexure - List of entities consolidated
SR. No. Name of Entity
1 Sonata Information Technology Limited
2 Sonata Software North America Inc.
3 Sonata Europe Limited
4 Sonata Software GmbH
5 Sonata Software FZ LLC
6 Sonata Software (Qatar) LLC
7 Rezopia Inc.
8 Halosys Technologies Inc.
9 Interactive Business Information Systems Inc.
10 Scalable Data Systems Pty Ltd
11 Sopris Systems LLC
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2019 (History) 2018  2017  2016  Start of 2016
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  50.00  CRISIL A+/Positive      20-08-18  CRISIL A+/Stable  13-07-17  CRISIL A/Positive  08-07-16  CRISIL A/Positive  CRISIL A/Positive 
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
Working Capital Facility* 50 CRISIL A+/Positive Working Capital Facility* 50 CRISIL A+/Stable
Total 50 -- Total 50 --
*Fully interchangeable between fund- and non-fund-based limits
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition
Rating Criteria for Software Industry
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation

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