Rating Rationale
September 15, 2023 | Mumbai
Aarti Drugs Limited
Ratings reaffirmed at 'CRISIL AA-/Stable/CRISIL A1+'; rated amount enhanced for Bank Debt
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.1715 Crore (Enhanced from Rs.1636 Crore)
Long Term RatingCRISIL AA-/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term RatingCRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
Note: None of the Directors on CRISIL Ratings Limited’s Board are members of rating committee and thus do not participate in discussion or assignment of any ratings. The Board of Directors also does not discuss any ratings at its meetings.
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to Annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities

Detailed Rationale

CRISIL Ratings has reaffirmed its 'CRISIL AA-/Stable/CRISIL A1+’ ratings on the bank loan facilities of Aarti Drugs Limited (ADL, part of Aarti group)

 

The ratings continue to reflect Aarti group’s established market position in the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) business, sound operating efficiencies and strong financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by working capital intensive nature of operations and susceptibility of operating margin to fluctuations in raw material prices, intense competition, and regulatory risks.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at the ratings, CRISIL Ratings has combined the business and financial risk profiles of ADL and its wholly owned subsidiary, Pinnacle Life Science Pvt Ltd (PLSPL; Rated 'CRISIL A/Stable/CRISIL A1'), herein after referred to as the Aarti group, as there are operational and financial linkages between these entities.

 

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 business risk profile marked by established market position in the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) business: Aarti Group is one of the leading manufacturers of APIs in India. It operates in over 12 therapeutic segments with expertise in the antibiotic and antidiarrheal segments with increasing focus on the anti-protozoal, antifungal and antidiabetic segments. Group is in process of adding new product capacities as well as enhancing existing capacities. Group has a diversified customer base with presence in domestic as well as export markets. Group has reported revenue of around Rs 2718.24 crore in fiscal 2023 against Rs 2499.96  crore in fiscal 2022.

 

  • Healthy financial risk profile: The financial risk profile is driven by comfortable capital structure and strong debt protection metrics. With debt funded capex, the debt increased to Rs 606 crore as on March 31, 2023. However, adjusted gearing has remained at 0.51 time as on March 31, 2023, and should continue to remain healthy over the medium term. Healthy profitability and lower reliance on working capital debt have kept debt protection metrics healthy, as reflected in net cash accruals to adj.networth and interest coverage ratios at over 0.5 time and 9 times, respectively in fiscal 2023. Any larger-than-expected debt-funded capex or acquisition could impact the capital structure and debt protection metrics, and hence, will be a key monitorable.

 

Weaknesses:

  • Working capital intensive nature of operations: Operations are working capital intensive indicated by gross current assets (GCA) in range of  of 180-210 days over past 3 years through March 31, 2023. Debtors have been in range of 90-120 days and inventory in range of 70-90 days during this period. As a result, majority of the accretions are utilized towards working capital and capital expenditure requirements of the group.

 

  • Susceptibility to fluctuations in raw material prices, intense competition, and regulatory risks: Although group has ability to pass on increase in raw material prices to its customers, Group’s operating margin is susceptible to sharp changes in raw material prices as seen during fiscal 2022 and 2023. Further, majority of raw material is imported from China which exposes group to geo- political risks. While group has found alternate procurement sources for some raw materials; meaningful diversification of raw material procurement from non-Chinese suppliers would be monitorable going ahead.

 

Further, the bulk drugs industry is highly competitive due to presence of numerous domestic as well as global players, which exerts pricing pressure on individual entities. This necessitates the group to remain cost competitive to maintain profitability. Indian players, including ADL, also face challenges from increase in inspections and regulatory actions by authorities such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

 

The group has reported operating margin of ~13%. Sustained improvement in operating margin to remain key monitorable over medium term.

Liquidity: Strong

Bank limit utilization is moderate at around 80.49 percent for the past twelve months ended April 2023. Cash accrual is expected to be over Rs 300 Crores, which is sufficient against term debt obligation of Rs 40-50 Crores over the medium term. In addition, it will be act as cushion to the liquidity of the company.
 
Current ratio is healthy at 1.59 times on March 31, 2023. Low gearing and moderate net worth support its financial flexibility and provides the financial cushion available in case of any adverse conditions or downturn in the business. ADL has announced buyback of around ~60 crore in fiscal 2024.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL Ratings believes the Aarti groups’ business risk profile will continue to improve over the medium term backed by good growth prospects for its products. This will help in gradual improvement in utilization of capacities to be added and in maintaining operation margin

Rating Sensitivity factors

Upward factors:

  • Sharp and sustained revenue growth with operating margin remaining above 18% backed by successful ramp-up of operations from planned capacity expansion and product diversification  leading to higher net cash accruals
  • Sharp improvement in working capital cycle
  • Sustenance of financial risk profile

 

Downward factors:

  • Decline in revenue and operating margin continuing to remain below 11% resulting in lower than expected accruals
  • Cost or time overrun in planned capacity expansion
  • Increase in working capital requirement, larger-than-expected, debt-funded capex or acquisition, or more-than-expected dividend pay-out, weakening the financial risk profile, particularly liquidity

About the Group

ADL, incorporated in 1984, manufactures APIs, formulations, advance intermediates, and specialty chemicals; APIs contribute almost 80% to the total revenue. ADL has 11 manufacturing facilities certified under good manufacturing practices in Maharashtra and Gujarat. The company operates in over 90 countries. It is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange.

 

PLSPL, incorporated in 2003, manufactures and packages pharmaceutical formulations. ADL acquired PLSPL in September 2014, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. PLSPL recommenced commercial operations in December 2014. Most of its requirement of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are met by ADL.

Key Financial Indicators (consolidated)

As on / for the period ended March 31

 

2023

2022

Operating income

Rs crore

2,718.24

2,499.96

Reported profit after tax

Rs crore

166.35

205.00

PAT margins

%

6.12

8.21

Adjusted Debt/Adjusted Net worth

Times

0.51

0.52

Interest coverage

Times

9.25

16.42

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 and are included (where applicable) in the 'Annexure - Details of Instrument' in this Rating Rationale.

CRISIL Ratings will disclose complexity level for all securities - including those that are yet to be placed - based on available information. The complexity level for instruments may be updated, where required, in the rating rationale published subsequent to the issuance of the instrument when details on such features are available.

For more details on the CRISIL Ratings` complexity levels please visit www.crisilratings.com. Users may also call the Customer Service Helpdesk with queries on specific instruments.

Annexure - Details of Instrument(s)

ISIN Name of the
instrument
Date of
Allotment
Coupon
Rate (%)
Maturity
Date
Issue size
(Rs. Crore)
Complexity
Level
Rating assigned
with outlook
NA Cash Credit NA NA NA 65 NA CRISIL AA-/Stable
NA Working Capital Facility NA NA NA 1415 NA CRISIL A1+
NA Term Loan NA NA Mar-27 234.6 NA CRISIL AA-/Stable
NA Proposed Working Capital Facility NA NA NA 0.4 NA CRISIL A1+

Annexure – List of entities consolidated

Names of Entities Consolidated

Extent of Consolidation

Rationale for Consolidation

Aarti Drugs Limited

Full

Similar line of business with operational synergies and wholly owned subsidiary

Pinnacle Life Science Private Limited

Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2023 (History) 2022  2021  2020  Start of 2020
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund Based Facilities ST/LT 1715.0 CRISIL A1+ / CRISIL AA-/Stable 16-05-23 CRISIL A1+ / CRISIL AA-/Stable 03-08-22 CRISIL A1+ / CRISIL AA-/Stable 30-04-21 CRISIL A1+ / CRISIL AA-/Stable 26-10-20 CRISIL A+/Positive / CRISIL A1 CRISIL A+/Stable / CRISIL A1
      --   -- 27-07-22 CRISIL A1+ / CRISIL AA-/Stable 14-04-21 CRISIL A1+ / CRISIL AA-/Stable 15-10-20 CRISIL A+/Positive / CRISIL A1 --
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Cash Credit 64 HDFC Bank Limited CRISIL AA-/Stable
Cash Credit 1 IDBI Bank Limited CRISIL AA-/Stable
Proposed Working Capital Facility 0.35 Not Applicable CRISIL A1+
Proposed Working Capital Facility 0.05 Not Applicable CRISIL A1+
Term Loan 33.15 HDFC Bank Limited CRISIL AA-/Stable
Term Loan 163.5 Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited CRISIL AA-/Stable
Term Loan 37.95 SVC Co-Operative Bank Limited CRISIL AA-/Stable
Working Capital Facility 70 Union Bank of India CRISIL A1+
Working Capital Facility 100 Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation CRISIL A1+
Working Capital Facility 75 State Bank of India CRISIL A1+
Working Capital Facility 125 Standard Chartered Bank Limited CRISIL A1+
Working Capital Facility 90 Emirates NBD Bank PJSC CRISIL A1+
Working Capital Facility 250 Axis Bank Limited CRISIL A1+
Working Capital Facility 180 Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited CRISIL A1+
Working Capital Facility 236 HDFC Bank Limited CRISIL A1+
Working Capital Facility 50 RBL Bank Limited CRISIL A1+
Working Capital Facility 44 IDBI Bank Limited CRISIL A1+
Working Capital Facility 55 DBS Bank Limited CRISIL A1+
Working Capital Facility 100 The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited CRISIL A1+
Working Capital Facility 40 The Federal Bank Limited CRISIL A1+
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
Rating Criteria for the Pharmaceutical Industry
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation
Understanding CRISILs Ratings and Rating Scales

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