Rating Rationale
April 30, 2019 | Mumbai
Ganga Pulp and Papers Private Limited
Rating downgraded to 'CRISIL BB-/Stable'
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.16.5 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL BB-/Stable (Downgraded from 'CRISIL BB/Stable')
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has downgraded its rating on the long-term bank facilities of Ganga Pulp and Papers Private Limited (GPIL; part of the Ganga group) to 'CRISIL BB-/Stable' from 'CRISIL BB/Stable'.
 
The downgrade reflects increase in working capital intensity marked by GCA days of 88days in FY2016 to 210 days in FY2018, The same was on account stretched debtor's days.
 
The rating reflects the extensive experience of the Ganga group's promoters in the paper industry and established customer base coupled with improved operating efficiencies. These strengths are partially offset by a leveraged capital structure and small scale of operations in an intensely competitive segment.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at the rating, CRISIL has combined the business and financial risk profiles of GPIL and Ganga Pulp and Papers Pvt Ltd (GPPPL). This is because both the companies, together referred to as the Ganga group, have strong business and financial linkages.

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:
* Long track record of promoters and established clientele: Presence of around three decades in the paper segment has enabled the promoters to register strong revenue growth and establish healthy relationship with reputed customers such as Lokmat, Indian Express, and Dainik Bhaskar.
 
* Moderate Financial risk Profile: The net worth was healthy at Rs 26.49 crore as on March 31, 2018, as against Rs 24.42 crore as on March 31, 2017 .The gearing remained moderate 1.85 time as on March 31, 2018. Debt protection metrics have been moderate, with interest coverage ratio of 2.4 times and net cash accrual to adjusted debt ratio of 0.10 time in fiscal 2018, against  3.03 times and 0.12 time, respectively, in fiscal 2018,The financial risk profile is likely to remain moderate the medium term.
 
Weakness:
*
Small scale of operations in highly fragmented industry: With more than 350 paper mills, the domestic industrial paper industry, especially the kraft paper and newsprint segments, is intensely competitive. Moreover, competition from imports, which accounts for about 60% of the domestic demand for newsprint, is also increasing. Imports, especially from Korea and China, have sharply risen over the last few years after government removed import duty on newsprint. This has adversely affected margins of domestic players. Moreover, end-users of packaging paper are price sensitive.

Liquidity

Liquidity is Moderate, with expected cash accruals at around Rs. 5.8-6.2 crores, which should be comfortable to meet repayment obligation of around Rs 3.4 crore over the medium term. Furthermore, utilisation of bank limit of averaging at 70% in the eight months through November 2018.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes the Ganga group's business risk profile will remain stable over the medium term, backed by established relationship with customers. The outlook may be revised to 'Positive' in case of more-than-expected improvement in profitability, or if capital structure gets better due to fresh equity infusion. The outlook may be revised to 'Negative' in case of sizeable, debt-funded capital expenditure or lower-than-expected improvement in cash accrual.

About the Group

Incorporated in 1985, GPIL is currently managed by Mr R K Chaudhary and his friend, Mr Sandeep Kanoria. It was earlier known as Kasat Paper & Pulp and was set up by Mr Shrikant Kasat (reconstituted as a public limited company in December 1992). GPIL filed reference with Board for Industrial & Financial Reconstruction in 2003 and, as per revival scheme, its ownership was transferred to the present promoters in January 2007. GPIL manufactures newsprint, writing, and printing paper at its unit that has capacity of 55,000 tonne per annum (enhanced from 30,000 tonne per annum in March 2018).
 
GPPPL was incorporated in June 2000 and is engaged in the same business. Its unit has manufacturing capacity of 36,000 tonne per annum.

Key Financial Indicators
Particulars Unit 2018 2017
Revenue Rs crore 133.38 107.21
Profit after tax (PAT) Rs crore 2.07 3.08
PAT margin % 1.6 2.9
Adjusted  debt/adjusted net worth Times 1.85 1.61
Interest coverage Times 2.40 3.11

Status of non cooperation with previous CRA: Ganga Pulp and Papers Private Limited (GPPPL) has not cooperated with Brickwork Ratings India Private Limited which has classified it as issuer not cooperative vide release dated January 24, 2019. The reason provided by Brickwork Ratings India Private Limited is non-furnishing of information for monitoring of ratings.

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 NA NA NA 5 CRISIL BB-/Stable
NA Long Term Loan NA NA Mar- 2024 11.5 CRISIL BB-/Stable
Annexure - List of entities consolidated
Names of Entities Consolidated Extent of Consolidation Rationale for Consolidation
Ganga Pulp and Papers Private Limited Full Consolidation  The group companies are under a common management and the promoters consider the entities as part of a group for strategic decision-making.
Ganga Papers India Limited Full Consolidation  The group companies are under a common management and the promoters consider the entities as part of a group for strategic decision-making.
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
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  16.50  CRISIL BB-/Stable      31-03-18  CRISIL BB/Stable    --    --  -- 
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 5 CRISIL BB-/Stable Cash Credit 5 CRISIL BB/Stable
Long Term Loan 11.5 CRISIL BB-/Stable Long Term Loan 11.5 CRISIL BB/Stable
Total 16.5 -- Total 16.5 --
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
CRISILs Approach to Recognising Default
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation
Criteria for rating entities belonging to homogenous groups

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