Rating Rationale
August 20, 2024 | Mumbai
B and A Packaging India Limited
Ratings reaffirmed at 'CRISIL BBB/Stable/CRISIL A3+'
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.40 Crore
Long Term RatingCRISIL BBB/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term RatingCRISIL A3+ (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 BBB/Stable/CRISIL A3+’ ratings on the bank facilities of B and A Packaging India Limited (BAPIL).

 

The ratings continue to reflect the extensive experience of the promoters in the packaging industry and the company’s comfortable financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by modest scale of operations, exposure to intense competition and working capital-intensive operations.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description

Strengths:

  • Extensive experience of the promoters: The promoters’ experience of over three decades, their strong understanding of local market dynamics and healthy relationships with suppliers and customers should continue to support the business. BAPIL has been constantly developing new products based on customer requirements. It has diversified its customer base and successfully ramped up the paper sacks and flexible laminates verticals resulting in steady turnover of Rs 129 crore for fiscal 2024, which has grown at compound annual growth rate of 10% over the past three fiscals. Operating margin has been stable at 12-13% in the three fiscals through March 31, 2024.

 

  • Comfortable financial risk profile: Networth of Rs 74 crore as on March 31, 2024, supports the capital structure with nil gearing and total outside liabilities to tangible networth ratio of 0.3 time for fiscal 2024. The availability of open credit from suppliers limit its external working capital borrowings. Coupled with steady operating profitability, the interest coverage and net cash accrual to adjusted debt ratios were healthy at 21.0 times and 4.6 times, respectively, as on March 31, 2024. Despite debt-funded capital expenditure (capex) of less than Rs 15 crore in fiscal 2025 to expand production capacity of flexible laminates, steady profitability ratio should control leverage and aid debt protection metrics over the medium term.

 

Weaknesses:

  • Modest scale of operations and exposure to intense competition: Since cost of procuring the key raw materials (paper and polypropylene granules) accounts for the bulk of the production expense, even a slight variation in price can drastically impact profitability. Furthermore, intense competition continues to constrain scalability, pricing power and profitability. BAPIL’s operating income has been range-bound at Rs 128-132 crore in the three fiscals through March 31, 2024, supported by premium earned on sale of value-added products offsetting impact of volatility in average prices. Thus, timely completion of the capex and ramp up of the additional machinery for higher production of flexible laminates, driving up revenue while sustaining operating margin at 11-12%, is monitorable.

 

  • Working capital-intensive operations: Gross current assets (GCA) were 176 days as on March 31, 2024, driven by high inventory and debtors of 86 days and 64 days, respectively. BAPIL relies on imported raw material for high quality output and about 45-50% of its total raw material requirements are imported where the lead time is over 60 days due to challenges associated with shipment. Moreover, to combat intense competition, the company also allows credit up to 60 days. However, the large working capital requirement is supported by letter of credit-backed purchases having usance of 90 days or open credit of 90-180 days on purchases. A longstanding presence in the industry and healthy relationships with customers and suppliers should support the working capital requirement over the medium term.

Liquidity: Adequate

Bank limit utilisation was low at 21% on average for the 12 months ended March 31, 2024. Cash accrual is expected to be Rs 11.5-13 crore which would be sufficient against term debt obligation of Rs 2.4 crore per annum over the medium term, and the surplus will support the working capital cycle of the company. The current ratio was healthy at 4.3 times as on March 31, 2024. Free cash and bank balance was around Rs 11 crore as on March 31, 2024. Low gearing and comfortable networth support its financial flexibility and provide the financial cushion required for adverse conditions or downturn in the business.

Outlook: Stable

BAPIL should continue to benefit from the extensive experience of its promoters.

Rating Sensitivity factors

Upgrade factors

  • Substantial growth in revenue and sustenance of profitability, leading to cash accrual of around Rs 25 crore
  • Prudent working capital management and sustenance of financial risk profile

 

Downgrade factors

  • Steep decline in revenue or profitability, resulting in cash accrual of less than Rs 7 crore
  • Stretched working capital cycle or large debt-funded capex or huge dividend payout weakening the financial flexibility

About the Company

Established as B&A Sacks Ltd in 1986 and renamed as B&A Multiwall Packaging Ltd in February 1997, the company got its current name in July 2010. BAPIL manufactures paper sacks and flexible laminates used for packaging tea, carbon-black, and chemicals and flexible laminates. The company, listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, is owned and managed by the Barooah family and a line of executives. Its manufacturing facility is located in Odisha.

Key Financial Indicators

As on/for the period ended March 31

 Unit

2024

2023

Operating income

Rs.Crore

128.79

131.52

Reported profit after tax

Rs.Crore

11.45

8.43

PAT margins

%

8.89

6.41

Adjusted Debt/Adjusted Networth

Times

0.04

0.18

Interest coverage

Times

21.03

11.54

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 Instrument Date of Allotment Coupon Rate (%) Maturity Date Issue Size (Rs.Cr) Complexity Levels Rating Assigned with Outlook
NA Cash Credit NA NA NA 15 NA CRISIL BBB/Stable
NA Bank guarantee NA NA NA 0.2 NA CRISIL A3+
NA Letter of credit NA NA NA 11 NA CRISIL A3+
NA Proposed term loan NA NA NA 11.42 NA CRISIL BBB/Stable
NA Term loan NA NA Apr-2025 2.38 NA CRISIL BBB/Stable
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 28.8 CRISIL BBB/Stable   -- 25-05-23 CRISIL BBB/Stable 24-02-22 CRISIL BBB/Stable   -- CRISIL BBB/Stable
Non-Fund Based Facilities ST 11.2 CRISIL A3+   -- 25-05-23 CRISIL A3+ 24-02-22 CRISIL A3+   -- CRISIL A3+
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Bank Guarantee 0.2 Punjab National Bank CRISIL A3+
Cash Credit 15 Punjab National Bank CRISIL BBB/Stable
Letter of Credit 11 Punjab National Bank CRISIL A3+
Proposed Term Loan 11.42 Not Applicable CRISIL BBB/Stable
Term Loan 2.38 Punjab National Bank CRISIL BBB/Stable
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 rating short term debt

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