Rating Rationale
January 31, 2025 | Mumbai
Chadha Papers Limited
'Crisil BB+/Stable/Crisil A4+' assigned to Bank Debt
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.55 Crore
Long Term RatingCrisil BB+/Stable (Assigned)
Short Term RatingCrisil A4+ (Assigned)
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 assigned its ‘Crisil BB+/Stable/Crisil A4+ ratings to the bank loan facilities of Chadha Papers Ltd (CPL).

 

The ratings reflect the extensive experience of the promoters in the paper industry and healthy scale of operations. These strengths are partially offset by moderate financial risk profile and moderate operating profitability.

Analytical Approach

Preference shares (Rs 35.82 crore as on September 30, 2024) have been treated as debt as these shares have been repaid in the past and are likely to be repaid over the medium term as well.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description

Strengths:

  • Extensive experience of the promoters: Established in 1990, CPL is promoted by the owners of the Wave group, which is a leading business conglomerate present across diverse sectors. The key promoter is Mr Rajinder Chadha, son of Mr Kulwant Singh Chadha (founder of the Wave group). The company’s business is run by an experienced management team that has more than a decade of experience in the paper and related industries. Expertise of the promoters, their strong understanding of market dynamics and healthy relationships with customers and suppliers should continue to support the business.

 

  • Healthy scale of operations: Despite the cyclicality in the paper prices, the company has shown a healthy scale of operations in terms of volume and realisation over the years, while fulfilling their commitments towards their customers on timely basis. During fiscal 2024, the company has showcased a volumetric growth of 6%, with total revenue of Rs 609 crore. Revenue is estimated at Rs 239 crore for the first half of fiscal 2025 and projected to cross Rs 500 crore by fiscal end. Though revenue is expected to be low in fiscal 2025 on account of plant shutdown for a month, it should start improving from fiscal 2026 onwards when the demand for paper is expected to be high owing to reprinting of schoolbooks with new syllabus as per the New Education Policy of the government.

 

Weaknesses:

  • Moderate financial risk profile: Due to high reliance on external debt, the capital structure of the company has been leveraged, with total outside liabilities to tangible networth (TOL/TNW) ratio of 3.8 times as on March 31, 2024. Though the ratio may improve to 2.7-2.8 times as on March 31, 2025, it shall still remain high. Further, on account of the decline expected in profitability in fy25, the interest coverage ratio may moderate to 2.1-2.2 times in fiscal 2025 (from 3.25 times in fiscal 2024). With improvement in the operating profitability in the upcoming fiscals, increase in networth with steady accretion to reserve and better interest coverage ratio will remain monitorable.

 

  • Moderate operating profitability: The operating profitability declined in the first half of fiscal 2025 on account of increasing prices of kraft paper, which could not be passed on to customers entirely, along with lower absorption of fixed costs amid production shut down for a month. The margin stood at 5.6% for the first half of fiscal 2025 (as against 13.8% in fiscal 2024). The margin may marginally increase to 6.5-7.0% by fiscal 2025 end, supported by the better efficiencies generated from new machinery as well as sales of value-added products such as paper bags. Fiscal 2026 is expected to witness further improvement on account of reduction in power and fuel costs, backed by installation of new turbines and boiler; however, this will remain a key monitorable.

Liquidity: Stretched

Bank limit utilisation was moderate at 72% on average over the 12 months through November 2024. Liquidity is partially supported by expected net cash accrual of Rs 19-20 crore as on March 31, 2025, which will support liquidity and cushion the strategic investments and capital expenditure (capex) in the absence of any term debt obligation. The company is undergoing a capex of Rs 40-50 crore to set up a refuse-derived fuel boiler and four-megawatt turbine, which will be funded through cash accrual. The current ratio is likely to be 1.3-1.4 times as on March 31, 2025. Liquidity will be further supported by unsecured loans and security deposits from the promoters and group companies.

Outlook: Stable

CPL will continue to benefit from the extensive experience of the promoters and their established relationship with clients.

Rating sensitivity factors

Upward factors:

  • Prudent working capital management leading to moderate dependency on external debt and improving the liquidity and capital structure, with the TOL/ANW ratio moderating to below 2.5 times
  • Steady growth in revenue and stable operating margin of 9-10%, leading to healthy cash accrual

 

Downward factors:

  • Sizeable stretch in the working capital cycle or any large, debt-funded capex, resulting in further deterioration in the capital structure, with the TOL/ANW ratio above 3.5 times.
  • Decline in revenue or operating margin dropping below 5%, leading to lower-than-expected cash accrual

About the Company

Established in 1990, CPL is a Uttar Pradesh-based company promoted by Mr. Kulwant Singh Chadha and his family members. The company is a part of the Wave group, which is a leading business conglomerate present across diverse sectors. CPL manufactures different kinds of papers such as kraft, absorbent kraft, writing and printing papers and newsprint.

Key Financial Indicators

As on/for the period ended March 31

Unit

2024

2023

Operating income

Rs crore

609.31

697.03

Reported profit after tax (PAT)

Rs crore

37.99

60.87

PAT margin

%

6.24

8.73

Adjusted debt/adjusted networth

Times

1.41

5.08

Interest coverage

Times

3.25

6.29

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. Crore) Complexity Levels Rating Outstanding with Outlook
NA Cash Credit NA NA NA 25.00 NA Crisil BB+/Stable
NA Letter of Credit NA NA NA 30.00 NA Crisil A4+
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2025 (History) 2024  2023  2022  Start of 2022
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund Based Facilities LT 25.0 Crisil BB+/Stable   --   --   --   -- Withdrawn
Non-Fund Based Facilities ST 30.0 Crisil A4+   --   --   --   -- Withdrawn
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Cash Credit 25 State Bank of India Crisil BB+/Stable
Letter of Credit 30 State Bank of India Crisil A4+
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 Approach to Recognising Default
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt

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