Rating Rationale
February 07, 2022 | Mumbai
ABM Knowledgeware Limited
Rated amount enhanced
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.38.1 Crore (Enhanced from Rs.22.5 Crore)
Long Term RatingCRISIL BBB+/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term RatingCRISIL A2+ (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to Annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities

Detailed Rationale

CRISIL Ratings has reaffirmed its 'CRISIL BBB+/Stable/CRISIL A2+' ratings on the bank facilities of ABM Knowledgeware Limited (ABM, part of ABM Group).

 

The ratings continue to reflect the group's established track record in the e-governance information technology (IT) services sector and healthy financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by moderate scale of operations and large working capital requirement.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at the ratings, CRISIL Ratings has combined the financial and business risk profiles of ABM and its subsidiaries, Instasafe Technologies Pvt Ltd (ITPL) and InstaSafe Inc (ITSI). This is because all these entities, collectively referred to as the ABM group, have common management and strong operational and financial linkages.


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:

  • Established track record in the e-governance IT services market: ABM has been providing IT services to government agencies for over two decade, with special focus on e-governance. The group's established market position in Maharashtra has helped it successfully implement its customised in-house software products. The annual maintenance and post-implementation contracts received provide further boost to the operating margin.

 

  • Healthy financial risk profile: The financial risk profile remains healthy driven by very comfortable capital structure with the networth of ~Rs 186.7 crore as on March 31, 2021 with NIL debt and total outside liabilities to total net worth of 0.19 times respectively. In absence of any debt funded capex and healthy accretion to reserves, overall financial profile is expected to further strengthen over medium term.

 

Weaknesses:

  • Working capital intensive operations: Operations are working capital intensive, as reflected in gross current assets (excluding cash) of 188 days as on March 31, 2021, driven by receivables of around 117 days, which includes retention money and inventory (including unbilled revenue) of 52 days. Working capital requirement may continue to remain large over the medium term as the group deals with state & central government bodies which lead to higher receivable days.

 

  • Moderate scale of operations: Despite the longstanding presence in the business, ABM's scale is moderate, with revenue at around Rs 89 crore in fiscal 2021. The order book declined from Rs. 286 crores to Rs. Rs. 212 crores in November 2021. This was on account of lower tenders floated by MCGM & other urban local bodies, given their focus on Covid-19 pandemic related activities. In H1FY22, group has booked a revenue of ~Rs. 49 crores. While, the revenue is expected to be supported by group’s focus to enter new segments within the IT space, to offset the impact of lower orders from existing clients; the scale of operations is expected to remain moderate over the medium term.

 

Liquidity: Strong

There was almost NIL utilization in the fund based working capital bank limits during the past twelve months ended December 2021, despite large working capital requirements. Group had unencumbered cash & cash equivalents of ~Rs. 90.2 crores as on December, 31, 2021 providing strong liquidity support. Net cash accrual of more than Rs. 15 crores per annum against NIL term debt obligations is expected to further augment the liquidity and support incremental working capital requirements, over the medium term.

 

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes ABM will continue to benefit from its expertise of the promoter and healthy financial risk profile.

Rating Sensitivity factors

Upward factors:

  • Sharp and sustained revenue growth with sustenance of operating margins, leading to higher' than-expected cash accrual and meaningful reduction in concentration of revenue from The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM).
  • Improvement in working capital cycle, with receivables days reducing to less than 90 days.
  • Sustained healthy financial & strong liquidity risk profile.

 

Downward factors:

  • Significant reduction in revenue or sharp drop in operating margin, leading to much lower cash accruals.
  • Stretch in working capital cycle with significant elongation in debtors or debt-funded capital expenditure (capex) or acquisition, or high dividend pay-out impacting the financial risk profile or liquidity
  • Reduction in unencumbered liquid investments/cash balance to below Rs 30 crores.

About the Group

Incorporated in 1993, ABM is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. The company provides IT services with focus on e-governance in urban administration, utility, IT-enabled citizen/consumer services, and enterprise resource planning. ABM is promoted by Mr Prakash Rane and his family members.


ITPL provides cloud-based security-as-a-service solutions, which obviate the need for significant investments in hardware and make security imperatives simpler for customers.
 
ITPL has a 100% subsidiary, ITSI, in Delaware, USA, especially for executing orders in the country.

Key Financial Indicators

As on / for the period ended March 31

 

2021

2020

Operating income

Rs crore

89.3

72.7

Reported profit after tax

Rs crore

21.6

16.8

PAT margins

%

24.2

23.0

Adjusted Debt/Adjusted Net worth

Times

-

-

Interest coverage

Times

57.9

71.3

 

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 Cr)

Complexity

level

Rating assigned

with outlook

NA

Bank Guarantee

NA

NA

NA

17

NA

CRISIL A2+

NA

Cash Credit

NA

NA

NA

0.2

NA

CRISIL BBB+/Stable

NA

Proposed Working

Capital Facility

NA

NA

NA

20.9

NA

CRISIL A2+

 

Annexure – List of entities consolidated

Names of Entities Consolidated

Extent of Consolidation

Rationale for Consolidation

ABM Knowledgeware Ltd

Full

Common management and strong operational and financial links

Instasafe Technologies Pvt Ltd

Full

Common management and strong operational and financial links

InstaSafe Inc

Full

Common management and strong operational and financial links

 

Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2022 (History) 2021  2020  2019  Start of 2019
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund Based Facilities LT/ST 21.1 CRISIL BBB+/Stable / CRISIL A2+   --   -- 08-12-20 CRISIL BBB+/Stable 22-10-19 CRISIL BBB+/Stable CRISIL BBB+/Stable
Non-Fund Based Facilities ST 17.0 CRISIL A2+   --   -- 08-12-20 CRISIL A2+ 22-10-19 CRISIL A2+ CRISIL A2+
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Bank Guarantee 17 Canara Bank CRISIL A2+
Cash Credit 0.2 Canara Bank CRISIL BBB+/Stable
Proposed Working Capital Facility 15.6 Not Applicable CRISIL A2+
Proposed Working Capital Facility 5.3 Not Applicable CRISIL A2+

This Annexure has been updated on 07-Feb-22 in line with the lender-wise facility details as on 07-Feb-22 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 Consolidation

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