Rating Rationale
June 04, 2019 | Mumbai
Coal India Limited
Ratings Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.5550 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL AAA/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
 
Corporate Credit Rating  CCR AAA/Stable (Renewed & Reaffirmed)
Rs.150 Crore Short Term Debt CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has renewed and reaffirmed its 'CCR AAA/Stable' corporate credit rating on Coal India Limited (CIL), and reaffirmed its 'CRISIL AAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+' ratings on the bank facilities and short-term debt.
 
The ratings continue to reflect CIL's strategic role in helping India meet its energy requirement, its near-monopoly status, healthy profitability, and strong financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by susceptibility to regulatory risks, socio-political factors, and constraints in the coal distribution and evacuation infrastructure in India.

Analytical Approach

CIL coordinates the operations, pricing, and treasury functions of its subsidiaries: Bharat Coking Coal Ltd, Central Coalfields Ltd, Eastern Coalfields Ltd, Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd, Northern Coalfields Ltd, South Eastern Coalfields Ltd, Western Coalfields Ltd, Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Ltd, and Coal India Africana Ltd. CRISIL has, therefore, combined the business and financial risk profiles of CIL and its subsidiaries, to arrive at the ratings.

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:
* Strategic importance in meeting India's energy requirement: Given India's abundant coal reserves and non-availability of other sustainable sources of fuel, coal will continue to play a dominant role in meeting the country's energy requirement. CIL accounted for 84% of domestic coal production in fiscal 2019, and 81% of its supplies were to the power sector.
 
* Continued near-monopoly status: CIL possesses 48% of India's proven reserves in its command area, and accounts for bulk of domestic coal production. While talk of reforms such as privatisation in the coal mining sector has gained traction, implementation will take time, and therefore, CIL may continue to enjoy its monopoly over the medium term.
 
* Healthy profitability: Favourable geological conditions and improving productivity in terms of output per man-shift, through increased outsourcing and capital expenditure (capex), have kept the operating margin healthy over the past decade. However, in fiscal 2018, the margin dropped below 10% (from 25.4% in fiscal 2016), due to one-time expenses related to increased provisioning for wage revision and higher cost of production, following grade slippages. With application of coal cess from December 2017, and price hikes implemented in January 2018, profitability has significantly improved in fiscal 2019. Production also grew 7%, while despatches rose 5%, owing to greater demand, especially from power producers. Realisations, too were up 10%, to Rs 1,500 per tonne, boosted by higher premiums of e-auctions. With steady demand from the power sector, volume and profitability should improve further in fiscal 2020, and remain healthy over the medium term.
 
* Strong financial risk profile: Gearing was negligible at 0.09 time, and liquidity robust at over Rs 31,000 crore as on March 31, 2019 (Rs 32,713 crore as on March 31, 2017). The government reduced its shareholding to 70.96% as on March 31, 2019, from 78.55% a year before, through various tranches of divestment. The total payout through this divestment was about Rs 8,500 crore. Dividend payout remained high at around Rs 11,200 crore during fiscal 2019 (over Rs 12,000 and Rs 15,000 crore during fiscals 2018 and 2017). While this lowered the networth, absence of any significant debt (around Rs 2,100 crore in fiscal 2019) has kept the capital structure sound.
 
Capex worth Rs 25,000 crore is to be undertaken in fiscals 2020 and 2021, primarily to increase mining and coal washing capacity and improve rail infrastructure. The company also has plans to set up solar power and thermal power plants, and revive fertiliser plants. However, these are in the preliminary stage, with no significant investment expected over the medium term.
 
Despite the proposed capex, buyback of shares, and high dividend payout, financial risk profile and liquidity will remain strong over the medium term, backed by robust capital structure, sizeable liquid surplus, and healthy cash accrual. Any larger-than-expected capex, adversely impacting cash position, will remain a key monitorable.
 
Weaknesses:
* Influence of socio-political factors and regulatory risks: Despite improving productivity, CIL's coal output has been constrained by delays in obtaining environmental and forest approvals, especially in greenfield projects, and lack of adequate logistic infrastructure. Flexibility is also restricted by socio-political factors, which mandate development activities in coal mining areas, thereby impacting the cost structure. The company plays an important role in ensuring the country's energy security, and hence, domestic coal has a discounted price, compared to imported coal. Entry of private players under commercial mining route, will take time to start production, thus, keeping CILs near-monopoly status and strategic importance to Government of India intact. Operational flexibility has improved in the past two years, with environmental and forest clearances, enabling faster implementation of stuck projects for coal evacuation. Any change in the regulatory regime or socio-political factors will impact the business.
 
* Constraints in coal distribution and evacuation infrastructure: In the past, volume had been impacted by shortage of adequate rakes for transportation of coal and last-mile connectivity in pitheads. Nonetheless, there has been progress in implementation of previously stuck projects, with better coordination among stakeholders. Consequently, a two critical rail links (Tori-Shivpur, Tori-Balumath), for transporting coal from CIL's mines, has been commissioned in fiscal 2019. Further rail projects will be implemented over the next couple of years, to ease evacuation constraints and increase the share of railways in transporting coal. Any delay in the completion of these links may impact production.
Liquidity

Liquidity is robust, backed by large cash and bank balance of over Rs 31,000 crore as on March 31, 2019. Working capital limit of Rs 250 crore, remained largely unutilised during fiscal 2019, while long term debt was negligible around Rs 2,100 crore. Though liquidity has reduced over the years, due to the ongoing capex and large dividend payouts, it is likely to remain robust backed by healthy cash balances.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes CIL will maintain its dominant market position in the domestic coal market over the medium term, driven by strong capital structure and surplus liquidity.  
 
Downside scenario
* Any material adverse impact of changes in India's coal policy
* Significant weakening of financial risk profile, particularly liquidity

About the Company

CIL was incorporated in 1973, as Coal Mines Authority Ltd, after the nationalisation of the coal sector. A formal holding company, in the form of CIL was formed in November 1975. The company has eight wholly-owned Indian subsidiaries: Bharat Coking Coal Ltd, Central Coalfields Ltd, Eastern Coalfields Ltd, Western Coalfields Ltd, Northern Coalfields Ltd, Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd, South Eastern Coalfields Ltd, and Coal Mines Planning and Development Institute Ltd. It has a wholly-owned subsidiary in Mozambique, Coal India Africana Limitada.
 
CIL was conferred the Maharatna status by the Indian government in April 2011. The status provides operational and financial autonomy. Additionally, seven of its nine wholly-owned subsidiaries have been accorded the Miniratna status, leading to decentralisation of operations and decision-making. In October 2010, the government divested 10% stake in CIL for Rs 15,200 crore through an initial public offering (IPO). After the IPO, CIL was listed on the domestic stock exchanges. Over the years, the government has divested through offer for sale, by way of placement of shares in Central Public Sector Exchange Traded Fund and buyback of shares through offer for sale. Government shareholding as on March 31, 2019, was 70.96%.
 
In fiscal 2019, CIL produced 60.7 crore tonne of coal against 56.7 crore tonne in the previous year.

Key Financial Indicators
As on/for the period ended March 31   2019 2018
Revenue Rs crore 99,547 86,650
Profit after tax Rs crore 17,463 7038
PAT margin % 17.5 8.1
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 0.09 0.08
Interest coverage Times 91 22

Any other information: Not applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL complexity levels are assigned to various types of financial instruments. The CRISIL complexity levels are available on www.crisil.com/complexity-levels. Users are advised to refer to the CRISIL complexity levels for instruments that they consider for investment. 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) Rating assigned
with outlook
NA Cash Credit & Working Capital demand loan NA NA NA 250 CRISIL AAA/Stable
NA Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee^ NA NA NA 2290 CRISIL A1+
NA Foreign Exchange Forward NA NA NA 10 CRISIL A1+
NA Short Term Debt NA NA 7-365 days 150 CRISIL A1+
NA Proposed Long Term
Bank Loan Facility
NA NA NA 3000 CRISIL AAA/Stable
^ Out of this Rs.1990 Crore is outside consortium non-fund based limits
 
Annexure - List of entities consolidated
Names of Entities Consolidated Extent of Consolidation Rationale for Consolidation
Bharat Coking Coal Ltd Fully consolidated Strong financial and business linkages
Central Coalfields Ltd Fully consolidated Strong financial and business linkages
Eastern Coalfields Ltd Fully consolidated Strong financial and business linkages
Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd Fully consolidated Strong financial and business linkages
Northern Coalfields Ltd Fully consolidated Strong financial and business linkages
South Eastern Coalfields Ltd Fully consolidated Strong financial and business linkages
Western Coalfields Ltd Fully consolidated Strong financial and business linkages
Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Ltd Fully consolidated Strong financial and business linkages
Coal India Africana Ltd Fully consolidated Strong financial and business linkages
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2019 (History) 2018  2017  2016  Start of 2016
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
CCR  0.00  CCR AAA/Stable      04-09-18  CCR AAA/Stable  10-07-17  CCR AAA/Stable  25-11-16  CCR AAA  CCR AAA 
            04-06-18  CCR AAA/Stable  31-03-17  CCR AAA/Stable  31-08-16  CCR AAA   
Short Term Debt  ST  150.00  CRISIL A1+      04-09-18  CRISIL A1+  10-07-17  CRISIL A1+  25-11-16  CRISIL A1+  CRISIL A1+ 
            04-06-18  CRISIL A1+  31-03-17  CRISIL A1+  31-08-16  CRISIL A1+   
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  3260.00  CRISIL AAA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+      04-09-18  CRISIL AAA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  10-07-17  CRISIL AAA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  25-11-16  CRISIL AAA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  CRISIL AAA/Stable 
            04-06-18  CRISIL AAA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  31-03-17  CRISIL AAA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  31-08-16  CRISIL AAA/Stable   
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  2290.00  CRISIL A1+      04-09-18  CRISIL A1+  10-07-17  CRISIL A1+  25-11-16  CRISIL A1+  CRISIL A1+ 
            04-06-18  CRISIL A1+  31-03-17  CRISIL A1+  31-08-16  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
Cash Credit & Working Capital demand loan 250 CRISIL AAA/Stable Cash Credit & Working Capital demand loan 250 CRISIL AAA/Stable
Foreign Exchange Forward 10 CRISIL A1+ Foreign Exchange Forward 10 CRISIL A1+
Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee^ 2290 CRISIL A1+ Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee^ 2290 CRISIL A1+
Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 3000 CRISIL AAA/Stable Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 3000 CRISIL AAA/Stable
Total 5550 -- Total 5550 --
^ Out of this Rs.1990 Crore is outside consortium non-fund based limits
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
Rating Criteria for Mining Industry
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt
Criteria for Notching up Stand Alone Ratings of Entities Based on Government Support

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