Rating Rationale
April 26, 2024 | Mumbai
Fredun Pharmaceuticals Limited
Ratings Reaffirmed and Withdrawn
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.85 Crore
Long Term RatingCRISIL BB+/Stable (Rating Reaffirmed and Withdrawn)
Short Term RatingCRISIL A4+ (Rating Reaffirmed and Withdrawn)
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Ratings has reaffirmed its ratings on the bank facilities of Fredun Pharmaceuticals Limited (FPL) and subsequently withdrawn the ratings at the company's request and on receipt of a no-objection certificate from the bankers. The withdrawal is in line with CRISIL Ratings’ policy on withdrawal of bank loan ratings.

 

The ratings continue to reflect extensive experience of the promoters in the pharmaceutical formulations business, diversified product profile with geographical presence and moderate financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by customer concentration in revenues, large working capital requirement with increasing scale of operations, exposure of the operating margin to volatility in raw material prices and stretched liquidity.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description

Strengths:

  • Extensive experience of the promoters: The key promoters of FBL -- Dr Daulat Medhora and Mr. Nariman Medhora – have an experience of over three decades in the pharmaceuticals formulations business and have been instrumental in research & development work and manufacturing of new products. Furthermore, Mr. Fredun Medhora (managing director) has been in the in business for over a decade. The promoters-initiated strategies to expand product categories and enhance geographical reach and are expected to continue to infuse timely need-based funding support which supports the overall business profile.

 

  • Diversified product profile and geographical reach: FPL has offerings in 23 therapeutic classes (including anti-diabetics, anti-retroviral and anti-hypertensive), with around 1100 products registered in the domestic and overseas markets. It also exports to over 46 countries in South Asia, Africa, Commonwealth of Independent States, and Latin America. The wide product basket and geographical presence provide diversity in the revenue profile. The addition of new product registrations and foray into new product categories and markets help in the consistent scaling up of operations. Revenues increased to Rs 273 crores in fiscal 2023 from Rs 96 crore in fiscal 2019 and is expected to continue to grow at a healthy pace supported by new product launches as well as healthy demand from the key customers.

 

  • Moderate capital structure: FPL’s networth stood at Rs 96 crores as on March 31, 2023, and is estimated to gradually improve in fiscal 2024 and beyond with steady accretion to reserves.  Overall, capital structure is marked by comfortable gearing and total outside liabilities to adjusted networth of around 0.30-0.50 times and 1-1.5 times estimated as on March 31, 2024 (from 0.90 time and 1.67 times, respectively, a year before). Debt protection metrics are moderate, with interest coverage and net cash accruals to adjusted debt of above 3.5-4 times and 0.25-0.30 times in fiscal 2024 (as against 3.23 times and 0.15 times, respectively, in fiscal 2023). Capital structure is expected to remain moderate over the medium term in the absence of any major debt-funded capital expenditure (capex) or acquisition plans.

 

Weakness:

  • Customer concentration in revenues: During the first half of fiscal 2024, top 5 customers accounted for around 65-70% of the total revenues exposing the company to moderate risk of customer concentration. While this risk is partially mitigated by established long-standing relationships with customers excess dependence on few customers would be key monitorable for the medium term.

 

  • Large working capital requirements: Overall operations remain working capital intensive with significant increase in gross current assets have increased to around 287 days as on March 31, 2023 primarily driven by debtors of around 46 days and inventory of around 225 days. Debtors are expected to remain moderate as the company extends a credit period 100-120 days to its customers. Inventory levels have significantly increased in fiscal 2023 and remained high as on Sept 2023, primarily on account of newer product launches for which the company maintains sufficient inventory. This has also resulted in high dependence in working capital limits. While the inventory cycle is expected to ease over the medium term, with increase in acceptances of the newly launched products in the market, efficient management of the working capital cycle amidst increasing scale of operations remains critical and would be closely monitored.

 

  • Exposure to volatility in input material prices: The operating margin has fluctuated between 8% and 11% for the four fiscals ended March 31, 2023. The Company has export-oriented business and sells its products to semi-regulated markets. Rise in key input prices, higher logistics cost and expenditure towards new product development/registration impact profitability. Further, large inventory stocking exposes the company to sharp variations in raw material prices. However, given the company’s large product basket, it limits exposure to a particular product, in case of significant price variations.

Liquidity: Stretched

While overall bank limit utilization (including PCFC limits) was moderate and averaged around 78% over the last twelve months ending November 2023, cash credit limits in one of the banks remain highly utilized close to 98-100% over the past six months straining the overall liquidity profile. However, the net cash accruals are expected to be in the range of Rs 20-25 crores which should support working capital requirements and repayment obligations of Rs 4 crores each for fiscals 2024 and 2025. Additionally, the company had cash and cash equivalents of around Rs 1-2 crores, as on September 2023. While the company is expected to raise funds in near term to fund working capital, however timely closure of the same remains a key monitorable for the medium term. Additionally, liquidity should remain supported by the timely, need-based funds extended by the promoters.

Outlook: Stable

FPL will continue to benefit from the extensive experience of its promoters and its diversified product basket and customer base.

Rating Sensitivity Factors

Upward factors

  • Sharp rise in topline and better operating profitability, leading to higher cash accrual 
  • Improvement in working capital cycle and bank limit utilization of below 85% aiding liquidity

 

Downward factors:

  • Decline in revenue and operating profitability, resulting in lower than expected cash accruals 
  • Further stretch in the working capital cycle with GCA above 320 days or a large, debt-funded capex weakening the liquidity

About the Company

FPL was incorporated in 1987 by Mr Nariman Medhora and his wife, Dr Daulat Medhora. The company manufactures pharmaceutical formulations such as tablets, syrups, capsules, and ointments. Product basket includes multiple therapeutic classes such as anti-diabetics, anti-retroviral and anti-hypertensive. The manufacturing unit is in Palghar, Maharashtra, and the corporate office in Mumbai.

Key Financial Indicators

As on/for the period ended

Unit

6 months ended Sept 30, 2023

March 31, 2023

March 31, 2022

Operating income

Rs.Crore

144.03

274.08

222.59

Reported profit after tax (PAT)

Rs.Crore

6.34

10.81

6.34

PAT margin

%

4.4

3.9

2.8

Adjusted debt/adjusted networth

Times

0.58

0.90

0.89

Interest coverage

Times

3.2

3.2

3.2

 

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 assigned
with outlook

NA

Cash Credit

NA

NA

NA

35

NA

CRISIL BB+/Stable (Rating Reaffirmed and Withdrawn)

NA

Cash Credit

NA

NA

NA

28

NA

CRISIL BB+/Stable (Rating Reaffirmed and Withdrawn)

NA

Packing Credit

NA

NA

NA

5

NA

CRISIL A4+ (Rating Reaffirmed and Withdrawn)

NA

Proposed Cash Credit Limit

NA

NA

NA

5

NA

CRISIL BB+/Stable (Rating Reaffirmed and Withdrawn)

NA

Term Loan

NA

NA

May-2027

12

NA

CRISIL BB+/Stable (Rating Reaffirmed and Withdrawn)

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/ST 85.0 CRISIL BB+/Stable/CRISIL A4+ (Ratings Reaffirmed and Withdrawn) 28-02-24 CRISIL BB+/Stable / CRISIL A4+ 13-04-23 CRISIL BBB-/Stable / CRISIL A3 12-09-22 CRISIL BBB-/Stable / CRISIL A3   -- --
      -- 09-02-24 CRISIL BB+/Stable / CRISIL A4+   --   --   -- --
      -- 22-01-24 CRISIL BB+ /Stable / CRISIL A4+ (Issuer Not Cooperating)*   --   --   -- --
Non-Fund Based Facilities ST   --   --   -- 12-09-22 CRISIL A3   -- --
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
* - Issuer did not cooperate; based on best-available information
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Cash Credit 35 HDFC Bank Limited CRISIL BB+/Stable (Rating Reaffirmed and Withdrawn)
Cash Credit 28 State Bank of India CRISIL BB+/Stable (Rating Reaffirmed and Withdrawn)
Packing Credit 5 Saraswat Bank CRISIL A4+ (Rating Reaffirmed and Withdrawn)
Proposed Cash Credit Limit 5 Not Applicable CRISIL BB+/Stable (Rating Reaffirmed and Withdrawn)
Term Loan 12 Saraswat Bank CRISIL BB+/Stable (Rating Reaffirmed and Withdrawn)
Criteria Details
Links to related criteria
Rating Criteria for the Pharmaceutical Industry
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt

Media Relations
Analytical Contacts
Customer Service Helpdesk

Aveek Datta
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
M: +91 99204 93912
B: +91 22 3342 3000
AVEEK.DATTA@crisil.com

Prakruti Jani
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
M: +91 98678 68976
B: +91 22 3342 3000
PRAKRUTI.JANI@crisil.com

Rutuja Gaikwad 
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
B: +91 22 3342 3000
Rutuja.Gaikwad@ext-crisil.com


Himank Sharma
Director
CRISIL Ratings Limited
B:+91 124 672 2000
himank.sharma@crisil.com


Shalaka Singh
Associate Director
CRISIL Ratings Limited
B:+91 22 3342 3000
Shalaka.Singh@crisil.com


AISHWARYA SANJAY DEOSTHALI
Rating Analyst
CRISIL Ratings Limited
B:+91 22 3342 3000
AISHWARYA.DEOSTHALI@crisil.com
Timings: 10.00 am to 7.00 pm
Toll free Number:1800 267 1301

For a copy of Rationales / Rating Reports:
CRISILratingdesk@crisil.com
 
For Analytical queries:
ratingsinvestordesk@crisil.com


 

Note for Media:
This rating rationale is transmitted to you for the sole purpose of dissemination through your newspaper/magazine/agency. The rating rationale may be used by you in full or in part without changing the meaning or context thereof but with due credit to CRISIL Ratings. However, CRISIL Ratings alone has the sole right of distribution (whether directly or indirectly) of its rationales for consideration or otherwise through any media including websites and portals.


About CRISIL Ratings Limited (A subsidiary of CRISIL Limited, an S&P Global Company)

CRISIL Ratings pioneered the concept of credit rating in India in 1987. With a tradition of independence, analytical rigour and innovation, we set the standards in the credit rating business. We rate the entire range of debt instruments, such as bank loans, certificates of deposit, commercial paper, non-convertible/convertible/partially convertible bonds and debentures, perpetual bonds, bank hybrid capital instruments, asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities, partial guarantees and other structured debt instruments. We have rated over 33,000 large and mid-scale corporates and financial institutions. We have also instituted several innovations in India in the rating business, including ratings for municipal bonds, partially guaranteed instruments and infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs).
 
CRISIL Ratings Limited ('CRISIL Ratings') is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CRISIL Limited ('CRISIL'). CRISIL Ratings Limited is registered in India as a credit rating agency with the Securities and Exchange Board of India ("SEBI").
 
For more information, visit www.crisilratings.com 

 



About CRISIL Limited

CRISIL is a leading, agile and innovative global analytics company driven by its mission of making markets function better. 

It is India’s foremost provider of ratings, data, research, analytics and solutions with a strong track record of growth, culture of innovation, and global footprint.

It has delivered independent opinions, actionable insights, and efficient solutions to over 100,000 customers through businesses that operate from India, the US, the UK, Argentina, Poland, China, Hong Kong and Singapore.

It is majority owned by S&P Global Inc, a leading provider of transparent and independent ratings, benchmarks, analytics and data to the capital and commodity markets worldwide.

For more information, visit www.crisil.com

Connect with us: TWITTER | LINKEDIN | YOUTUBE | FACEBOOK


CRISIL PRIVACY NOTICE
 
CRISIL respects your privacy. We may use your contact information, such as your name, address and email id to fulfil your request and service your account and to provide you with additional information from CRISIL. For further information on CRISIL's privacy policy please visit www.crisil.com.



DISCLAIMER

This disclaimer is part of and applies to each credit rating report and/or credit rating rationale ('report') that is provided by CRISIL Ratings Limited ('CRISIL Ratings'). To avoid doubt, the term 'report' includes the information, ratings and other content forming part of the report. The report is intended for the jurisdiction of India only. This report does not constitute an offer of services. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, nothing in the report is to be construed as CRISIL Ratings providing or intending to provide any services in jurisdictions where CRISIL Ratings does not have the necessary licenses and/or registration to carry out its business activities referred to above. Access or use of this report does not create a client relationship between CRISIL Ratings and the user.

We are not aware that any user intends to rely on the report or of the manner in which a user intends to use the report. In preparing our report we have not taken into consideration the objectives or particular needs of any particular user. It is made abundantly clear that the report is not intended to and does not constitute an investment advice. The report is not an offer to sell or an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment in any securities, instruments, facilities or solicitation of any kind to enter into any deal or transaction with the entity to which the report pertains. The report should not be the sole or primary basis for any investment decision within the meaning of any law or regulation (including the laws and regulations applicable in the US).

Ratings from CRISIL Ratings are statements of opinion as of the date they are expressed and not statements of fact or recommendations to purchase, hold or sell any securities/instruments or to make any investment decisions. Any opinions expressed here are in good faith, are subject to change without notice, and are only current as of the stated date of their issue. CRISIL Ratings assumes no obligation to update its opinions following publication in any form or format although CRISIL Ratings may disseminate its opinions and analysis. The rating contained in the report is not a substitute for the skill, judgment and experience of the user, its management, employees, advisors and/or clients when making investment or other business decisions. The recipients of the report should rely on their own judgment and take their own professional advice before acting on the report in any way. CRISIL Ratings or its associates may have other commercial transactions with the entity to which the report pertains.

Neither CRISIL Ratings nor its affiliates, third-party providers, as well as their directors, officers, shareholders, employees or agents (collectively, 'CRISIL Ratings Parties') guarantee the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the report, and no CRISIL Ratings Party shall have any liability for any errors, omissions or interruptions therein, regardless of the cause, or for the results obtained from the use of any part of the report. EACH CRISIL RATINGS PARTY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, SUITABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE. In no event shall any CRISIL Ratings Party be liable to any party for any direct, indirect, incidental, exemplary, compensatory, punitive, special or consequential damages, costs, expenses, legal fees or losses (including, without limitation, lost income or lost profits and opportunity costs) in connection with any use of any part of the report even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

CRISIL Ratings may receive compensation for its ratings and certain credit-related analyses, normally from issuers or underwriters of the instruments, facilities, securities or from obligors. Public ratings and analysis by CRISIL Ratings, as are required to be disclosed under the regulations of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (and other applicable regulations, if any), are made available on its website, www.crisilratings.com (free of charge). Reports with more detail and additional information may be available for subscription at a fee - more details about ratings by CRISIL Ratings are available here: www.crisilratings.com.

CRISIL Ratings and its affiliates do not act as a fiduciary. While CRISIL Ratings has obtained information from sources it believes to be reliable, CRISIL Ratings does not perform an audit and undertakes no duty of due diligence or independent verification of any information it receives and/or relies on in its reports. CRISIL Ratings has established policies and procedures to maintain the confidentiality of certain non-public information received in connection with each analytical process. CRISIL Ratings has in place a ratings code of conduct and policies for managing conflict of interest. For details please refer to:
https://www.crisil.com/en/home/our-businesses/ratings/regulatory-disclosures/highlighted-policies.html.

Rating criteria by CRISIL Ratings are generally available without charge to the public on the CRISIL Ratings public website, www.crisilratings.com. For latest rating information on any instrument of any company rated by CRISIL Ratings, you may contact the CRISIL Ratings desk at crisilratingdesk@crisil.com, or at (0091) 1800 267 1301.

This report should not be reproduced or redistributed to any other person or in any form without prior written consent from CRISIL Ratings.

All rights reserved @ CRISIL Ratings Limited. CRISIL Ratings is a wholly owned subsidiary of CRISIL Limited.

 

 

CRISIL Ratings uses the prefix 'PP-MLD' for the ratings of principal-protected market-linked debentures (PPMLD) with effect from November 1, 2011, to comply with the SEBI circular, "Guidelines for Issue and Listing of Structured Products/Market Linked Debentures". The revision in rating symbols for PPMLDs should not be construed as a change in the rating of the subject instrument. For details on CRISIL Ratings' use of 'PP-MLD' please refer to the notes to Rating scale for Debt Instruments and Structured Finance Instruments at the following link: https://www.crisil.com/en/home/our-businesses/ratings/credit-ratings-scale.html