Rating Rationale
September 30, 2019 | Mumbai
Vindhya Telelinks Limited
Rating reaffirmed 
 
Rating Action
Rs.200 Crore Commercial Paper CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its 'CRISIL A1+' rating on the commercial paper programme of Vindhya Telelinks Limited (VTL; part of the VTL group).
 
The rating continues to reflect the group's strong market position in the optical fibre cables (OFC) industry. The rating also factors in the group's sizeable orders and diversified revenue portfolio and healthy financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by large working capital cycle, vulnerability to volatile raw material prices and foreign exchange (forex) rates, and exposure to risks related to tender-based nature of business.

Analytical Approach

CRISIL has combined the business and financial risk profiles of VTL and its wholly owned subsidiaries: August Agents Ltd (AAL), Insilco Agents Ltd (IAL), and Laneseda Agents Ltd (LAL). The companies, collectively referred to as the VTL group, have significant financial linkages and are wholly owned subsidiaries of VTL.

Please refer Annexure - List of Entities Consolidated, which captures the list of entities considered and their analytical treatment of consolidation

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths:
* Strong market position in the OFC industry: VTL is the flagship company of the cables division of the MP Birla group. It manufactures OFCs and undertakes engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) projects primarily in the telecom sector. The VTL group has a strong business risk profile as it is among the top three OFC manufacturers in India. It started the cables division in 1983 and currently has an estimated OFC manufacturing capacity of 24 lakh kilometre per annum. On account of the strong market position, operating income remained high at Rs 2,095.37 crore in fiscal 2019.
 
* Sizeable orders and diversified revenue profile: The EPC segment has grown in the past few years, driven by the management's policy to move up the value chain in the OFC division. Apart from supplying cables to telecom operators, the VTL group also undertakes turnkey projects and has set up distribution lines for state power distribution companies. The EPC division grew 58% fiscal-on-fiscal in 2019, while the cables division rose 52%. Revenue is expected to improve over the medium term on account of healthy demand prospects in the OFC and EPC segments. Orders of Rs 2,237.88 crore awaiting execution as on July 31, 2019, provide healthy revenue visibility for the medium term.

* Comfortable financial risk profile: Financial risk profile was healthy. Debt was around Rs 831 crore and networth Rs 2392.9 crore as on March 31, 2019. Gearing, therefore, remained low at 0.35 time. Debt protection metrics were comfortable, with interest coverage and net cash accrual to total debt ratios of 4.5 times and 0.34 time, respectively, in fiscal 2019.
 
Weaknesses
* Large working capital requirement: Operations are working capital intensive, with gross current assets of 378 days as on March 31, 2019, driven, in turn, by debtors and inventory of 215 and 188 days, respectively. Debtors have increased in the past couple of years because of subsequent rise in revenue derived from the EPC segment (around 66% in fiscal 2019), where the bill is raised on time but payment is made as per contract terms.
 
* Vulnerability to volatile raw material prices and forex rates, and exposure to risks related to tender-based nature of business: The price of the main raw material (optical fibre) is volatile. In the absence of any price escalation clause, increase in input costs could impinge on profitability. Furthermore, as a significant proportion of raw material requirement is imported and the transaction is not fully hedged, susceptibility to fluctuations in forex rates persists. Operating margin has, therefore, been volatile at 12.3-16.9 % in the four fiscals through 2019, and is likely to remain so over the medium term.

Liquidity: Superior
Bank limit utilisation was moderate at 75% during the 6 months through July 2019. Net cash accrual is expected at Rs 174 crore in fiscal 2020 and Rs 202 crore in fiscal 2021, against maturing debt of Rs 30.8-86.5 crore per fiscal. Liquidity is also supported by investment in mutual funds and group companies (which are listed) with market value of around Rs 55.14 crore and Rs 1518.40 crore, respectively. The current ratio remained moderate at 1.71 time as on March 31, 2019.
 
Rating sensitivity factors
Downward factors
* Decline in operating margin by 500 basis points  and net cash accrual by 30%
* Deterioration in working capital cycle by 75 days.
About the Company

VTL, incorporated in 1983, is the flagship company of the cables business of the MP Birla group. It manufactures OFCs at its plant in Rewa (Madhya Pradesh) and undertakes EPC projects in the power and telecom sectors. It is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange.
 
The MP Birla group has presence in diverse businesses (such as cement manufacturing, guar gum, and cables and wires) and also operates educational and medical trusts and institutes.
 
AAL, IAL, and LAL are non-operational and act as holding companies for VTL's investments.

Key Financial Indicators
Particulars Unit 2019 2018
Revenue Rs crore 2095.37 1342.62
Profit after tax (PAT) Rs crore 275.61 153.4
PAT margin % 13.2 11.4
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 0.35 0.22
Interest coverage Times 4.48 3.75

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 Commercial Paper NA NA 7 to 365 days 200 CRISIL A1+

Annexure - List of entities consolidated 
Name of the company % of consolidation
Vindhya Telelinks Ltd 100% consolidation
August Agents Ltd 100% consolidation
Insilco Agents Ltd 100% consolidation
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
Commercial Paper  ST  200.00  CRISIL A1+      29-09-18  CRISIL A1+  28-09-17  CRISIL A1+  30-09-16  CRISIL A1+  CRISIL A1 
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
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
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt
The Rating Process
Understanding CRISILs Ratings and Rating Scales

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