Rating Rationale
July 23, 2020 | Mumbai
Alfa Laval India Private Limited
Ratings reaffirmed; CP withdrawn
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.297.26 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL AA+/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
 
Rs.10 Crore Commercial Paper CRISIL A1+ (Withdrawn)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its 'CRISIL AA+/Stable/CRISIL A1+' ratings on the bank facilities of Alfa Laval India Private Limited (Alfa Laval India). CRISIL has withdrawn its rating on the commercial paper (CP) programme at the company's request and there is no outstanding against the CP. The withdrawal is also in line with CRISIL's rating withdrawal policy.
 
On July 14, 2020, S&P Global Ratings had placed its 'BBB+' rating on Alfa Laval AB (Alfa Laval) on 'Credit Watch Negative' following the company's offer for a potential takeover of Finland-based Neles Oyj for a proposed valuation of EUR 1.73 billion. If successful, the transaction will increase Alfa Laval's debt, weakening its credit metrics from current levels. The extent of downgrade will depend on Alfa Laval's capital structure following the acquisition, potential remedial actions to reduce leverage, and ability to restore credit ratios.
 
CRISIL believes the rating action on the parent will not impact the credit risk profile of Alfa Laval India given its strong financial risk profile and limited financial linkages with the parent.
 
Alfa Laval India has a comfortable financial risk profile with nil debt and healthy networth of Rs 998 crore (provisional) as on December 31, 2019. The company is likely to remain debt-free over the medium term. It had healthy surplus liquidity of Rs 500 crore in the form of deposits and marketable securities as on June 30, 2020, after paying out interim dividend of Rs 250 crore for 2020. Alfa Lava India has not paid any dividend to the parent in the past few years (barring 2017). Financial linkages with the parent are expected to remain limited. Even if there is any fund outflow, the company is likely to maintain a minimum surplus liquidity of Rs 300 crore. Nevertheless, any substantial reduction in surplus liquidity or sharp deterioration in the credit risk profile of the parent will remain monitorables.
 
Operating performance for 2020 will be impacted by the demand slowdown due to Covid-19. Revenue is likely to decline, however operating profitability should remain healthy around 18% (moderating slightly from 20% in 2019) supported by various cost cutting measures.
 
The ratings continue to reflect Alfa Laval India's strong financial and business risk profiles, backed by established market position in the process technology and equipment segment. The ratings also take into account the technological and marketing support from the parent, Alfa Laval. These strengths are partially offset by susceptibility to cyclicality in the engineering and capital goods industry and to volatile input costs. The company is also exposed to project-related risks in the process technology business.

Analytical Approach

CRISIL has considered the standalone business and financial risk profiles of Alfa Laval India, given its limited financial linkage with the parent.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths
* Strong financial risk profile: Networth and capital structure were healthy, backed by steady cash accrual and zero debt in the five years ended December 31, 2019. Revenue grew 13% in 2019 to around Rs 1,384 crore, while operating margin remained healthy at 20%. In the absence of any major debt-funded capital expenditure (capex), the capital structure should remain stable, although operating performance is expected to remain subdued in the near term due to Covid-19. Besides, Alfa Laval India is committed to maintaining minimum liquid surplus of Rs 300 crore.

* Established market position backed by diversified user base, and strong technological and project management skills: The company has an established position in the heat exchangers, centrifugal separators, decanters, and pumps segments. Furthermore, it provides integrated solutions to process industries such as edible oil processing, brewery, food processing, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. End-user base is diversified, with no industry contributing more than 20% to revenue, which helps partially offset the risk of slowdown in any one segment.

Weaknesses
* Susceptibility to cyclicality in the capital goods sector and to fluctuations in input prices: The engineering and capital goods industry is highly vulnerable to economic cycles. Alfa Laval India has seen periodic slowdowns in revenue growth due to deferment of capex by customers. Besides, turnkey projects in the process technology division, with a gestation period of 9-11 months, have limited cushion for raw material price escalation.

* Exposure to project-related risks in process technology business: The process technology division continues to face project-related risks such as significant delays in execution or increase in input prices, which could put pressure on working capital management.
Liquidity Strong

Cash accrual is expected to be negative in 2020 (on account of dividend payout of around Rs 250 crore), and over Rs 100 crore per annum over the medium term. The company had liquid surplus of about Rs 500 crore as on June 30, 2020, and will maintain minimum surplus liquidity of Rs 300 crore even in case of any dividend payout to the parent. Alfa Laval India has access to fund-based limit of Rs 23 crore, which is unutilised. Capex is expected to be moderate at Rs 45-50 crore each in 2020 and 2021. The company has nil term debt obligation. Accrual and cash and equivalent are likely to be sufficient to meet capex and incremental working capital requirement. Besides, with nil debt, Alfa Laval India has sufficient gearing headroom to contract debt for capex.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes Alfa Laval India's credit risk profile will continue to benefit from its strong financial risk profile, healthy market position, and continued technological support from the parent over the medium term.
 
Rating Sensitivity Factors
Upward Factors
* Substantial and sustainable increase in revenue, and maintaining healthy operating profitability of over 20%
* Sustenance of strong financial risk profile and healthy surplus liquidity
 
Downward Factors
* More-than-expected decline in revenue or profitability, impacting cash generation
* Large, debt-funded capex or acquisition, weakening gearing to over 1 time
* Material deterioration in liquidity due to more-than-expected dividend outflow.

About the Company

Alfa Laval India is a 99.99% subsidiary of Alfa Laval. The Indian subsidiary operates through two divisions: process technology and equipment. The equipment division sells standardised Alfa Laval equipment such as separators, heat exchangers, and flow products. The process technology division provides turnkey solutions, mainly to vegetable oil refining plants, breweries, fuel ethanol plants, and spray drying plants. The division also supplies equipment to the energy and waste-management sectors. Alfa Laval India got voluntarily delisted from stock exchanges on April 19, 2012. In 2016, as per the share reduction scheme approved by the Bombay High Court, the company bought back the stake of the minority shareholders (1.8% of equity capital). The stake of Alfa Laval increased to 99.99% after the share buyback. The remaining 0.01% is held by other Alfa Laval group companies. In 2018, the company acquired 100% stake in Alfa Laval Support Services Pvt Ltd, which was merged with Alfa Laval India with effect from April 1, 2018.

Key Financial Indicators
Particulars-year ended Dec 31 Unit 2019 2018
Operating income Rs.Cr 1,384 1,222
Profit after tax Rs.Cr 199 166
PAT margin % 14.3 13.6
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 0.00 0.00
Interest coverage Times NM NM
Note: 2019 financials are provisional

Any other information: Not applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL 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. For more details on the CRISIL complexity levels, please visit www.crisil.com/complexity-levels.
Annexure - Details of Instrument(s)
ISIN Name of Instrument Date of Allotment Coupon Rate (%) Maturity Date Issue Size
(Rs.Cr)
Complexity  Levels Rating Assigned
with Outlook
NA Bank Guarantee NA NA NA 269.55 NA CRISIL A1+
NA Cash Credit NA NA NA 22.71 NA CRISIL AA+/Stable
NA Proposed Working Capital Facility NA NA NA 5 NA CRISIL AA+/Stable
 
Annexure - Details of Rating Withdrawn
ISIN Name of Instrument Date of Allotment Coupon Rate (%) Maturity Date Issue Size
(Rs.Cr)
Complexity  Levels
NA Commercial Paper NA NA 7-365 Days 10 Simple
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
Commercial Paper  ST  10.00  Withdrawn  17-04-20  CRISIL A1+  31-07-19  CRISIL A1+  19-07-18  CRISIL A1+  25-05-17  CRISIL A1+  CRISIL A1+ 
                28-05-18  CRISIL A1+       
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  27.71  CRISIL AA+/Stable  17-04-20  CRISIL AA+/Stable  31-07-19  CRISIL AA+/Stable  19-07-18  CRISIL AA+/Stable  25-05-17  CRISIL AA+/Stable  CRISIL AA+/Stable 
                28-05-18  CRISIL AA+/Stable       
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  269.55  CRISIL A1+  17-04-20  CRISIL A1+  31-07-19  CRISIL A1+  19-07-18  CRISIL A1+  25-05-17  CRISIL A1+  CRISIL A1+ 
                28-05-18  CRISIL A1+       
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 269.55 CRISIL A1+ Bank Guarantee 269.55 CRISIL A1+
Cash Credit 22.71 CRISIL AA+/Stable Cash Credit 22.71 CRISIL AA+/Stable
Proposed Working Capital Facility 5 CRISIL AA+/Stable Proposed Working Capital Facility 5 CRISIL AA+/Stable
Total 297.26 -- Total 297.26 --
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 Criteria for rating short term debt
Criteria for Notching up Stand Alone Ratings of Companies based on Parent Support
Mapping global scale ratings onto CRISIL scale

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