Rating Rationale
November 19, 2020 | Mumbai
Diffusion Engineers Limited
Ratings Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.45 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL BBB+/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A2 (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its ratings on the bank facilities of Diffusion Engineers Limited (DEL) at 'CRISIL BBB+/Stable/CRISIL A2'.
 
Business remained constrained during the first two months of fiscal 2021 owing to the economic slowdown that resulted from the nationwide lockdown imposed by the government to curb the spread of Covid-19. However, operations gradually resumed normalcy thereafter, with revenue of Rs 66.8 crore reported for the first half of fiscal 2021. Further, healthy order flow, enhanced capacity and established clientele should continue to support operating performance over the medium term.
 
The ratings continue to reflect DEL's comfortable operating efficiency, diverse revenue profile and healthy financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by average scale of operations in the intensely competitive industrial consumables and refurbishment industry and large working capital requirement.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths:
* Healthy operating efficiency and diverse revenue profile: Benefits from promoter's industry experience of around four decades and diverse product and service offerings should support business. Operating margin has averaged 11-12% and return on capital employed (RoCE) of about 13-15% in the five fiscals through 2020. Further it has diverse revenue streams like products, services, job work and exports. It also caters to variety of end user industries like Cement, Power, Sugar, Steel, Engineering etc.
 
* Healthy financial risk profile: Gearing remained comfortable at 0.34 times as on March 31, 2020, supported by a healthy networth of over Rs 93.77 crore in the absence of any major debt-funded capital expenditure (capex), and controlled working capital debt. Also, debt protection metrics were robust, with interest coverage ratio of over 9.2 times for fiscal 2020 on account of a healthy operating profitability. The company has incurred a debt funded capex of Rs.19.5 crore for setting up new facility, nonetheless, its financial risk profile remains comfortable driven by limited debt and healthy accretions.
 
Weaknesses:
* Average, but improving, scale of operations in fragmented market: Intense competition may continue to constrain scalability, pricing power and profitability. Thus, despite better demand in the new product segment, turnover remained subdued at Rs 147 crore for fiscal 2020 (Rs 152.33 crore in fiscal 2019). Sustained growth in revenue while maintaining operating efficiencies remains critical.
 
* Large working capital requirement: The working capital cycle may remain stretched over the medium term and hence will be closely monitored. Gross current assets (GCAs) have been 170-199 days for the three fiscals through 2020. GCAs, inventory and debtors were 212 days, 125 days and 95 days, respectively, as on March 31, 2020.
Liquidity Adequate

Liquidity should remain supported by the ample surplus in cash accrual and bank lines. Cash accrual is projected at over Rs 12 crore per annum over the medium term, sufficient to meet the yearly debt obligation of Rs 2-2.5 crore. Bank limit utilisation was moderate and averaged 39% during the 12 months through August 2020. Current ratio has been healthy at 1.4 times over the four fiscals through 2020. Unencumbered cash and bank balance and liquid mutual fund investments were comfortable at Rs 0.8 crore and Rs 7.6 crore, respectively, as on March 31, 2020.

Outlook: Stable

DEL should continue to benefit from its healthy business and financial risk profiles.
 
Rating Sensitivity Factors
Upward Factors
*Revenue growth of 20-25% per annum and operating margin steady at 12-13%
*Significant improvement in working capital cycle
 
Downward Factors
*Revenue declining by 20-30% and operating margin dropping below 9%
*Any larger-than-expected, debt-funded capex.

About the Company

Incorporated in 1982 and promoted by Mr N K Garg, DEL manufactures industrial consumables such as wear plates, welding rods/electrodes, and flux-cored wires. It also provides refurbishment services to various capital goods industries. Manufacturing facilities are in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

Key Financial Indicators
As on/for the period ended March 31 Units 2020 2019
Operating income Rs.Crore 147.03 152.33
Reported profit after tax (PAT) Rs.Crore 9.06 9.93
PAT margins % 6.2 6.5
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 0.34 0.17
Interest coverage Times 9.23 8.37

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.Crore)
Complexity levels Rating assigned
with outlook
NA Letter of Credit & Bank Guarantee NA NA NA 20 NA CRISIL A2
NA Cash Credit NA NA NA 25 NA CRISIL BBB+/Stable
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
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  25.00  CRISIL BBB+/Stable      21-08-19  CRISIL BBB+/Stable      22-11-17  CRISIL BBB+/Stable  CRISIL BBB+/Stable 
            05-08-19  CRISIL BBB+/Stable      04-04-17  CRISIL BBB+/Stable   
            22-02-19  CRISIL BB+/Stable (Issuer Not Cooperating)*           
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  20.00  CRISIL A2      21-08-19  CRISIL A2      22-11-17  CRISIL A2  CRISIL A2 
            05-08-19  CRISIL A2      04-04-17  CRISIL BBB+/Stable/ CRISIL A2   
            22-02-19  CRISIL A4+ (Issuer Not Cooperating)*           
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
*Issuer did not cooperate; based on best-available information
Annexure - Details of various bank facilities
Current facilities Previous facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating
Cash Credit 25 CRISIL BBB+/Stable Cash Credit 25 CRISIL BBB+/Stable
Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee 20 CRISIL A2 Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee 20 CRISIL A2
Total 45 -- Total 45 --
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 Engineering Sector
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt
The Rating Process
Understanding CRISILs Ratings and Rating Scales

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