Rating Rationale
May 19, 2020 | Mumbai
Transrail Lighting Limited
Ratings placed on 'Watch Negative'
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.3920 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL A- (Placed on 'Rating Watch with Negative Implications') 
Short Term Rating CRISIL A2+ (Placed on 'Rating Watch with Negative Implications') 
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has placed its ratings on the bank facilities of Transrail Lighting Limited (Transrail) on 'Rating Watch with Negative Implications'.
 
The rating action reflects tightening of liquidity position of Transrail due to lower invoicing and collections owing to nationwide lockdown declared by Government of India. Liquidity position remains stretched to meet the LC payments and other fixed costs as reflected in high bank limit utilization and certain instances of irregularities in the working capital limits,
 
Transrail has been taking proactive steps to conserve cash for meeting the essential payments while reducing its cost and making collections from its customers to augment liquidity. It has also availed moratorium from lenders for long term debt repayments as a part of Covid-19 Regulatory Package provided by RBI and also requested banks to provide support in form of sanction of 10% covid lines, additional bank lines, and moratorium on LC payments. Unencumbered cash and cash equivalents (including unutilized fund based limits) stood at ~ Rs. 80 crores as of April 2020.
 
CRISIL will continue to engage closely with Transrail to monitor the liquidity position and will remove the ratings from watch and take a final rating action after having clarity on liquidity. Collections from the customers and support from lenders remains key rating sensitive factors.
 
Operating income is estimated to be lower year-on-year in fiscal 2020 impacted by delay in awarding of key projects and partially due to national lockdown, while the margin is estimated to be healthy. With lifting of lockdown in a phased manner, the operations are expected to gradually pick up, however, the overall operating performance is still expected to remain muted in fiscal 2021. Capital structure has improved with pre-payment of debt during fiscal 2020. Total outside liabilities to tangible networth ratio is estimated to be below 4 times as on March 31, 2020 as compared to 4.2 times last year. It is expected to be below 3 times by March 2021.
 
Orders worth Rs 4,206 crore as on Feb 2020 (Rs 3,819 crores during Feb 2019) offer revenue visibility for the next 2 years. This is driven by Transrail's strong technological capabilities, established customer base, increased market presence and favorable industry scenario, with higher investments envisaged in the power transmission and distribution (T&D) segment. The company is also strengthening its technological capabilities in existing segments and related businesses, to provide end-to-end solutions.
 
The ratings continues to reflect Transrail's established position in the EPC business, catering to the power sector. These strengths are offset by exposure to intense competition and working capital-intensive operations.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths
* Established position in the EPC business: Benefits from the three decade-long experience of the management, the company's integrated services, and established relationships with customers should continue. These factors ensure repeat orders from customers such as Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (rated 'CRISIL AAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+') and Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation Ltd. Substation business and high-end transmission line projects, further enhances the range of offerings, and enables the company to bid for turnkey projects in the transmission and distribution segment. Diversification into related businesses and the favorable industry scenario also support the business.
 
* Improving financial risk profile: Networth, which was negligible when operations commenced on January 1, 2016, has since turned around, and was around Rs 400 crore as on December 31, 2019. TOL/TNW ratio continued to be high estimated over 3 times as on March 31, 2020, though it is likely to improve to below 3 times by March 2021, aided by increasing networth and repayment of debt. Debt protection metrics although expected to be impacted in fiscal 2021, should be adequate with interest cover and net cash accrual to total debt ratios, expected to be over 2 times and 0.3 time, respectively.
 
Weaknesses
* Exposure to intense competition: Exposure to intense competition, that too in a challenging macroeconomic environment, with fewer orders from the industrial segment, led to a drop in operating margin of the industry during fiscals 2013 and 2014. Notwithstanding large business opportunities in the long term, low entry barriers have resulted in several players abounding the segment. However this competition has now reduced with the exit of Jyothi Structures Ltd, EMC Ltd, EMCO, Aster and ECOMM. This is also partially mitigated by Transrail's strong capabilities related to the power T&D EPC segment, and manufacturing of towers and conductors.
 
* Working capital-intensive operations: Operations are working capital intensive, owing to the inherent nature of the EPC business and the long project execution cycle of around two years. Gross current assets exceeded 300 days during the nine months ending December 31, 2019 and is estimated to remain at similar levels by end of fiscal 2020 impacted by lower collection during Mar'20. Though incremental expenses may have to be covered via short-term debt, gradual easing of lockdown followed by advances from customers and credit offered by suppliers will mitigate pressure on working capital management.
Liquidity Stretched

Liquidity is stretched, with unencumbered cash & cash equivalents of ~Rs 55 crore, and unutilized fund based bank lines of ~Rs. 25 crore as of April 2020 as compared to the maturing LCs and fixed cost requirements. Average Bank limit utilization was 94% for the period of 12 months ending March 2020. Sanction of additional bank lines and collections / advances from the customers will remain key monitorables.

Rating Sensitivity Factors
Upward Factors
* Improvement in the liquidity position
* Substantial correction in capital structure leading to TOL/TNW going below 2 times
* Sustained improvement in operating performance, driven by higher-than-expected execution of orders

Downward Factor
* Weaker operational performance impacting debt protection metrics
* Continued stretch in the liquidity position
* Increase in working capital intensity constraining the capital structure leading to TOL/TNW more than 4 times.

About the Company

Transrail is a leading EPC company, with over three decades of experience in providing comprehensive solutions on a turnkey basis globally. It its present across power T&D, lighting infrastructure, substations and railways. The company has in-house manufacturing facilities for towers, conductors and poles.
 
Transrail's solutions range from design, testing to fabrication, supply of materials, erection, stringing and commissioning. Its lighting infrastructure solutions business designs and installs engineered polygonal galvanised poles for power T&D, high mast, street lights and stadium mast, among others. The company caters to customers across India, Africa, Americas and Asia.
 
In 2016, the T&D business division of Gammon India was transferred to Transrail, through a business transfer agreement and a scheme of arrangement approved, by the National Company Law Tribunal.
 
For the period of nine months ended December 31, 2019, Transrail, has reported PAT of Rs 69 crore on total income of Rs 1,205 crore vs PAT of Rs 69 crore on total income of Rs 1,282 crore during same period of previous fiscal.

Key Financial Indicators
As on/for the period ended March 31 Unit 2019 2018
Operating Income Rs.Crore 1,936 1,851
Profit After Tax (PAT) Rs.Crore 91 76
PAT Margin % 4.7 4.1
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 1.27 1.71
Interest coverage Times 2.34 2.55

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.Crore) Rating Assigned with Outlook
NA Cash Credit NA NA NA 226.74 CRISIL A-/Watch Negative
NA Term Loan NA NA Oct-2022 254.74 CRISIL A-/Watch Negative
NA Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility NA NA NA 38.57 CRISIL A-/Watch Negative
NA Non-Fund Based Limit NA NA NA 3,399.95 CRISIL A2+/Watch Negative
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  520.05  CRISIL A-/(Watch) Negative      22-04-19  CRISIL A-/Stable  20-03-18  CRISIL BBB+/Stable    --  -- 
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  3399.95  CRISIL A2+/(Watch) Negative      22-04-19  CRISIL A2+  20-03-18  CRISIL A2    --  -- 
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 226.74 CRISIL A-/Watch Negative Cash Credit 226.74 CRISIL A-/Stable
Non-Fund Based Limit 3399.95 CRISIL A2+/Watch Negative Non-Fund Based Limit 3399.95 CRISIL A2+
Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 38.57 CRISIL A-/Watch Negative Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 38.57 CRISIL A-/Stable
Term Loan 254.74 CRISIL A-/Watch Negative Term Loan 254.74 CRISIL A-/Stable
Total 3920 -- Total 3920 --
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 Engineering Sector
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings
Understanding CRISILs Ratings and Rating Scales

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