Rating Rationale
October 24, 2024 | Mumbai
Baba Agro Food Limited
Rating reaffirmed at 'CRISIL BBB+/Positive'; Rated amount enhanced for Bank Debt
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.235 Crore (Enhanced from Rs.185 Crore)
Long Term RatingCRISIL BBB+/Positive (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 rating on the long term bank facilities of Baba Agro Food Ltd (BAFL) at ‘CRISIL BBB+/Positive’.

 

The ratings reflect the extensive experience of the promoters in the rice milling industry and comfortable financial risk profile of the company. These strengths are partially offset by exposure to intense competition and intensive working capital management

Analytical Approach

CRISIL Ratings has evaluated the standalone business and financial risk profiles of BAFL

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description

Strengths:

  • Extensive experience of the promoters: The promoters’ experience of more than 20 years in the rice industry and healthy relationships with customers and suppliers will continue to support the business. The company deals with over 1000 wholesalers and retailers across east India. The brand, Baba, has an established market position and is sold in the open market to traders or retailers in Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar.

 

  • Comfortable financial risk profile: Despite the debt-funded capex towards enhancing the manufacturing capacity in Aurangabad, Bihar, capital structure remains comfortable with gearing and Total Outside Liabilities to Tangible Networth (TOL/TNW) ratio at 1.40 times and 1.56 times as on March 31st, 2024. Networth stood healthy at Rs 172 crore as on March 31st, 2024. Debt protection metrics were robust, reflected in interest coverage and net cash accrual to total debt (NCATD) ratios of 4 times and 0.18 time, respectively, in fiscal 2024. The financial risk profile will remain comfortable over the medium term driven by steady accretion to reserves

 

Weaknesses:

  • Exposure to intense competition: The rice milling business in east India is highly competitive with several players catering to regional demand. Despite the company’s presence of over two decades and established relationships with customers and farmers, competitive pressure persists.

 

  • Intensive working capital management: Operations are working capital intensive on account of 3-4 months of inventory, which increased to 107 days on March 31, 2024. The increase in inventory is to cater to the requirement of non-basmati rice, As a result, bank limit, which was utilized around 90% over the past 12 months through August 2024, will only partly moderate over the medium term. Efficient working capital management and its impact on liquidity will remain a key rating sensitivity factor

Liquidity: Adequate

Bank limit utilisation at around 91 percent for the past twelve months ended August 2024. Cash accrual are expected to be over Rs 44 crore which are sufficient against term debt obligation of Rs 8-9 crore over the medium term. Current ratio are healthy at 1.4 times on March 31, 2024. The promoters are likely to extend support in the form of equity and unsecured loans to meet its working capital requirements and repayment obligations

Outlook; Positive

CRISIL Ratings believes BAFL will continue to benefit from the extensive experience of the promoters and its established brand image

Rating sensitivity factors

Upward factors:

  • Strong revenue growth while maintain stable operating at around 6.8% leading to higher-than-expected net cash accruals.
  • Efficient working capital cycle leading to total outside liabilities by total networth  ratio of less than 1 time.

 

Downward factors:

  • Significant decline in revenue or reduced operating margin leading to net cash accruals of less than Rs. 25 crore
  • Intense working capital management or major debt funded capex plans impacting capital structure

About the Company

Set up in 2008, BAFL operates a non-basmati parboiled rice mill in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Operations are managed by the promoter-directors, Mr Gyan Prakash Sahu and Mr. Mr. Yogesh Kumar Sahu. Its unit has capacity of 4,63,200 tonne per annum.

Key Financial Indicators

As on / for the period ended March 31

Unit

2024*

2023

Operating income

Rs crore

1026.03

816.26

Reported profit after tax

Rs crore

30.91

26.69

PAT margins

%

3.01

3.29

Adjusted Debt/Adjusted Net worth

Times

1.40

1.18

Interest coverage

Times

4.05

4.35

*Provisional

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  142 NA  CRISIL BBB+/Positive 
NA  Warehouse Receipts  NA  NA  NA  65 NA  CRISIL BBB+/Positive 
NA  Term Loan  NA  NA  31-Mar-27 13.63 NA  CRISIL BBB+/Positive 
NA  Term Loan  NA  NA  31-Mar-27 10 NA  CRISIL BBB+/Positive 
NA  Term Loan  NA  NA  31-Mar-27 4.37 NA  CRISIL BBB+/Positive 
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2024 (History) 2023  2022  2021  Start of 2021
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund Based Facilities LT 235.0 CRISIL BBB+/Positive 18-09-24 CRISIL BBB+/Positive 03-07-23 CRISIL BBB+/Stable 28-03-22 CRISIL BBB/Positive   -- CRISIL BBB-/Stable
      --   -- 22-06-23 CRISIL BBB+/Stable   --   -- --
Non-Fund Based Facilities ST/LT   --   --   -- 28-03-22 CRISIL A3+ / CRISIL BBB/Positive   -- CRISIL BBB-/Stable / CRISIL A3
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Cash Credit 40 Bank of Baroda CRISIL BBB+/Positive
Cash Credit 12.5 Punjab National Bank CRISIL BBB+/Positive
Cash Credit 35 HDFC Bank Limited CRISIL BBB+/Positive
Cash Credit 15 IDBI Bank Limited CRISIL BBB+/Positive
Cash Credit 29.5 Indian Bank CRISIL BBB+/Positive
Cash Credit 10 IDBI Bank Limited CRISIL BBB+/Positive
Term Loan 13.63 Indian Bank CRISIL BBB+/Positive
Term Loan 10 HDFC Bank Limited CRISIL BBB+/Positive
Term Loan 4.37 IDBI Bank Limited CRISIL BBB+/Positive
Warehouse Receipts 30 HDFC Bank Limited CRISIL BBB+/Positive
Warehouse Receipts 35 IDBI Bank Limited CRISIL BBB+/Positive
Criteria Details
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies

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