Rating Rationale
November 25, 2019 | Mumbai
Vidhi Specialty Food Ingredients Limited
Ratings upgraded to 'CRISIL BBB+/Stable/CRISIL A2'
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.81.72 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL BBB+/Stable (Upgraded from 'CRISIL BBB/Positive')
Short Term Rating CRISIL A2 (Upgraded from 'CRISIL A3+')
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has upgraded its ratings on the bank facilities of Vidhi Specialty Food Ingredients Limited (VSFIL) to 'CRISIL BBB+/Stable/CRISIL A2' from 'CRISIL BBB/Positive/CRISIL A3+'.
 
The upgrade reflects improvement in business risk profile which is expected to sustain over the medium term. Operating income and profit increased to Rs 226 crore and Rs 46.3 crore, respectively, in fiscal 2019 from Rs 206.8 crore and Rs 31.6 crore, respectively, in fiscal 2018. Revenue growth was mainly due to new export clients added across geographies and increasing sales to existing customers. Also, higher focus on manufacturing activities as opposed to trading supported the overall operating margin in fiscal 2019. Business risk profile will sustain over the medium term, backed by proposed capacity expansion and continued healthy demand in the food colour segment. Additionally, financial risk profile is expected to remain comfortable with controlled reliance on external debt and continued steady accretion to reserves, despite capital expenditure (capex). Increasing cash accrual and cushion in working capital limit will also support liquidity over the medium term. Timely completion of capex and successful ramp up of operations while maintaining margin, would be key monitorables.
 
The ratings reflect VSFIL's established presence in food colour industry and healthy financial risk profile because of comfortable networth and gearing and robust debt protection metrics. These strengths are partially offset by large working capital requirement and timely completion and offtake risk associated with new plant.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at its ratings, CRISIL has combined the financial and business risk profiles of VSFIL and its wholly owned subsidiary, Arjun Food Colorants Manufacturing Pvt Ltd. This is because both these entities, collectively referred to as VSFIL, have a common management and strong operational and financial links.

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:
* Established presence in food colour industry: The company has more than 20 years of experience in the food colour industry, and an established presence in the export market. Clientele includes global food colour vendors such as Univar Inc, UK; Map Technologies Ltd, UK; Proquimac Food & Pharma SA, Spain; Nicola J Flavours & Fragrances, South Africa; Cathay Industries, Australia; and SC Micron Chemicals Corporation, the Philippines. The company also benefits from its ISO and Kosher certifications, and product approvals from customers. About 76% of total sales is derived from the export market. VSFIL also has strong relationship with global majors such as Nestle, Mars, Pedigree, and Sanofi.
 
* Healthy financial risk profile: Gearing is comfortable at 0.44 time (below 1 time in the past four years) as on March 31, 2019, while networth is healthy at Rs 101 crore. Debt protection metrics are robust, with interest coverage and net cash accrual to total debt ratios of 13.5 times and 0.6 time, respectively, in fiscal 2019. Financial risk profile is expected to remain stable over the medium term, supported by steady accretion to reserves and controlled reliance on external debt for proposed capex.
 
Weaknesses:
* Large working capital requirement: Gross current assets (excluding cash) were 193 days because of stretched receivables of 102 days and inventory of 72 days, as on March 31, 2019. Operations will remain working capital intensive over the medium term.
 
* Timely completion and offtake risk associated with new plant: VSFIL is undertaking capex of around Rs 65 crore in 2 phases. Phase 1 of around Rs 30-35 crore will be funded entirely through internal accruals; is expected to be completed by H2 of fiscal 2021. Accordingly, the company is currently exposed to timely completion and offtake risk associated with the new plant. Ability of the company to swiftly ramp up new capacities will be a rating monitorable.
Liquidity Adequate

Expected annual cash accrual of Rs 27-29 crore will be sufficient to meet yearly term debt obligation of Rs 1.8 crore, over the medium term. Remaining accrual will cushion liquidity. Bank limit utilisation was around 70% in the 12 months ended June 2019. Capex of Rs 60-65 crore over the next three fiscals is likely to be debt-funded by around Rs 15 crore. Unencumbered cash of Rs 18 crore as on March 31, 2019, also underpins liquidity.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes VSFIL will improve on its already established position in the food colour market, backed by its longstanding association with customers and suppliers.
 
Rating sensitivity factors:
Upward factors
* Sustained revenue growth of over 15% per fiscal backed by successful ramp-up of operations from planned capacity expansion, while maintaining operating margin
* Sustenance of capital structure
 
Downward factors
* Decline in accrual to below Rs 20 crore due to drop in revenue or operating margin
* Cost or time overrun in planned capacity expansion
* Increase in working capital requirement, larger-than-expected, debt-funded capex or acquisition, or substantial dividend payout weakening financial risk profile, especially liquidity

About the Company

Incorporated in 1994 and promoted by Mr Bipin Manek, VSFIL manufactures synthetic food colours used in the foodstuff, pharmaceutical, confectionery, pet food, healthcare, dairy products, soft drinks, and cosmetics industries. The company has also set up a research and development unit near its facility in Roha, Maharashtra, which enables it to test food colours and meet quality specification set by the US Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory bodies around the world. VSFIL mainly exports to 80 countries in Europe, North America, Africa, and Australia.

Key Financial Indicators
As on / for the period ended March 31   2019 2018
Operating income Rs crore 226.05 206.8
Reported profit after tax Rs crore 29.06 15.7
PAT margins % 12.85 7.6
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 0.44 0.57
Interest coverage Times 13.45 6.3
 

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 Bank Guarantee NA NA NA 0.05 CRISIL A2
NA Bill Discounting NA NA NA 33 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Foreign Exchange Forward NA NA NA 0.8 CRISIL A2
NA Letter of Credit NA NA NA 9 CRISIL A2
NA Term Loan NA NA Mar-2021 1.55 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
NA Packing Credit NA NA NA 37.32 CRISIL A2
 
Annexure - List of entities consolidated
Names of Entities Consolidated Extent of Consolidation Rationale for Consolidation
Vidhi Speciality Food Ingredients Ltd Full Financial, Operational and Managerial Linkages
Arjun Food Colorants Manufacturing Pvt Ltd Full Financial, Operational and Managerial Linkages
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  72.67  CRISIL BBB+/Stable/ CRISIL A2      04-10-18  CRISIL BBB/Positive/ CRISIL A3+  08-09-17  CRISIL BBB/Stable/ CRISIL A3+  22-03-16  CRISIL BBB/Stable/ CRISIL A3+  CRISIL BBB-/Stable/ CRISIL A3 
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  9.05  CRISIL A2      04-10-18  CRISIL A3+  08-09-17  CRISIL A3+  22-03-16  CRISIL A3+  CRISIL A3 
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
Bank Guarantee .05 CRISIL A2 Bill Discounting 22.5 CRISIL A3+
Bill Discounting 33 CRISIL BBB+/Stable Letter of Credit 17 CRISIL A3+
Foreign Exchange Forward .8 CRISIL A2 Packing Credit 38 CRISIL A3+
Letter of Credit 9 CRISIL A2 Term Loan 4.22 CRISIL BBB/Positive
Term Loan 1.55 CRISIL BBB+/Stable -- 0 --
Packing Credit 37.32 CRISIL A2 -- 0 --
Total 81.72 -- Total 81.72 --
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 Chemical Industry
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt

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