Rating Rationale
June 01, 2020 | Mumbai
 
St. Marys Educational Institutions Hyderabad Private Limited
'CRISIL A/Stable' assigned to Bank Debt
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.43 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL A/Stable (Assigned)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to Annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities

 

Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has assigned its 'CRISIL A/Stable' rating to the long-term bank facilities of St. Marys Educational Institutions Hyderabad Private Limited (SMEIPL).
 
The rating reflects SMEIPL's long-term lease agreement and steady cash flow in the form of lease rentals from St. Mary's Educational Society (SMES), secured payment structure with a robust escrow mechanism, and a comfortable debt service coverage ratio (DSCR). Liquidity is further supported by the surplus cash balance in the escrow account and a debt service reserve account (DSRA). These strengths are partially offset by high dependence on a single counterparty and susceptibility to interest rate risk.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths:
* Long-term lease agreement and steady cash flow
SMEIPL leased assets (land and buildings) to SMES wherein the society runs its Sancta Maria International School. The company receives steady cash flow in the form of monthly rentals. The lease is for a period of 19 years and 11 months, with a lock-in period of 10 years and notice period of 2 years, which mitigates the risk of premature termination by the lessee. Moreover, the lessee, SMES, is an established player in the education segment which is relatively less vulnerable to economic cycles. Also the cash flows are not likely to be impacted because of COVID-19. SMES is a leading operator of educational institutions in Hyderabad. SMES was established and had commenced operations of its first college 'St. Mary's Junior College' in 1982. It had then ventured in K12 education in 2011 with 'Sancta Maria International School. In the last few years, Sancta Maria has established its name among top schools in Hyderabad.

* Secured payment structure
Payments have been secured by a robust escrow structure. Fees received from the students are deposited in the fee collection account, from which a portion of the fees is then transferred to the rent escrow account as per the defined distribution schedule. The surplus cash available in the rent escrow account is then transferred to the current account of the special purpose vehicle (SPV) after debt servicing. The secured escrow mechanism ensures timely servicing of debt and maintenance of adequate liquidity at all points of time. Furthermore, a DSRA equivalent to almost 8 months' interest and principal supports liquidity.
 
Weaknesses:
* High dependence on a single counterparty
As the entire rent is derived from a single tenant, the company is susceptible to risks related to timely payment by the counterparty. Any significant delay in receipt of rent or termination of contract by the tenant may drastically impact the business. However long-term agreement with lock-in period of 10 years and notice period of 2 years partly mitigates the risk of termination of lease by the lessee.
 
* Susceptibility to interest rate risk
Any sharp change in interest rate of loan can significantly impact the DSCR and the cash surplus. Hence, any sharp change in the interest rate will be a key monitorable.
Liquidity Adequate

Cash flow is likely to be adequate to meet the debt obligation. Average DSCR is estimated at 1.6 times for the entire tenure of the loan (excluding the last year). Additionally, liquidity buffer in the form of DSRA, equivalent to 8 months' interest obligation and principal, provides additional support to liquidity.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes SMEIPL will continue to benefit from its stable cash flow and secured payment mechanism.

Rating Sensitivity factors
Upward factors
* Significant improvement in average DSCR to more than 1.75 times, resulting in sizeable surplus
* Refinancing of debt with longer tenure and lower rate of interest
 
Downward factors
* Decline in average DSCR below 1.45 times
* Significant delays in payment of rent by the counterparty
About the Company

SMEIPL is a SPV floated by CIT to acquire the assets (land and buildings) of Sancta Maria International School. The school is a part of SMES and is operated by it. The assets acquired by SMEIPL were leased back to SMES. SMEIPL availed a lease rental discounting loan from Aditya Birla Finance Ltd against future rent receivables from SMES.

Key Financial Indicators
Particulars Unit 2019 2018
Revenue Rs crore 13.31 6.96
Profit after tax (PAT) Rs crore 1.69 (0.9)
PAT margin % 12.7 (12.9)
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 8.29 11.33
Interest coverage Times 1.25 0.85

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. The CRISIL Ratings' complexity levels are available on www.crisil.com/complexity-levels. Users are advised to refer to the CRISIL Ratings' 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 crore)
Rating assigned
with outlook
NA Term Loan NA NA Jun-27 40.0 CRISIL A/Stable
NA Line of Credit NA NA NA 3.0 CRISIL A/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  43.00  CRISIL A/Stable    --    --    --    --  -- 
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
 
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Name of Lender Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating
Line of Credit Aditya Birla Finance Limited 3 CRISIL A/Stable
Term Loan Aditya Birla Finance Limited 40 CRISIL A/Stable

This Annexure has been updated on 25-Sep-2021 in line with the lender-wise facility details as on 04-Aug-2021 received from the rated entity.

Criteria Details
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition
CRISILs criteria for rating debt backed by lease rentals of commercial real estate properties

Media Relations
Analytical Contacts
Customer Service Helpdesk
Saman Khan
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
D: +91 22 3342 3895
B: +91 22 3342 3000
saman.khan@crisil.com

Naireen Ahmed
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
D: +91 22 3342 1818
B: +91 22 3342 3000
 naireen.ahmed@crisil.com

Mohit Makhija
Director
CRISIL Ratings Limited
B:+91 124 672 2000
mohit.makhija@crisil.com


Nagarjun Alaparthi
Manager
CRISIL Ratings Limited
D:+91 40 4032 8210
Nagarjun.Alaparthi@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, portals etc.


About CRISIL Ratings Limited (A subsidiary of CRISIL Limited)

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 rating 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 global analytical company providing ratings, research, and risk and policy advisory services. We are India's leading ratings agency. We are also the foremost provider of high-end research to the world's largest banks and leading corporations.

CRISIL 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 forms part of and applies to each credit rating report and/or credit rating rationale (each a "Report") that is provided by CRISIL Ratings Limited  (hereinafter referred to as "CRISIL Ratings") . For the avoidance of 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 or otherwise 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. Rating by CRISIL Ratings 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 company/entity.

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. CRISIL Rating's public ratings and analysis 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 web sites, www.crisil.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 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 analytical firewalls and for managing conflict of interest. For details please refer to: http://www.crisil.com/ratings/highlightedpolicy.html

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

All rights reserved @ CRISIL Ratings Limited. CRISIL Ratings Limited 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 Ratiings' use of 'PP-MLD' please refer to the notes to Rating scale for Debt Instruments and Structured Finance Instruments at the following link: www.crisil.com/ratings/credit-rating-scale.html