Detailed Rationale

CRISIL Ratings has assigned its ‘CRISIL AAA/Stable’ rating to the Rs 200 crore subordinated debt of HDFC Credila Financial Services Ltd (HDFC Credila) and has reaffirmed its ratings on the existing debt instruments at ‘CRISIL AAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+’.

 

CRISIL Ratings has also withdrawn its rating on the Rs 400 crore of NCDs as these have been redeemed. Refer the 'Annexure - Details of Rating Withdrawn' for the same. The withdrawal is line in with CRISIL Ratings policy on withdrawing the ratings.

 

The ratings continue to reflect strong expectation of managerial, financial, and operational support from the parent, Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd (HDFC: rated ‘CRISIL AAA/FAAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+’), experienced management with strong processes and systems, and an adequate resource profile. These strengths are partially offset by overall moderate scale of operations.

 

During the first wave of the pandemic the company had provided moratorium to its customers and collections declined during the initial months but improved thereafter. Intermittent lockdowns and localised restrictions amid the second wave of the pandemic had again impacted collections. While the same has improved subsequently, any change in the payment discipline of borrowers or subsequent waves may affect delinquency levels. HDFC Credila did witness an inch up in overall delinquencies. Its gross stage 3 (GS3) assets increased to 0.57% as on March 31, 2022 (0.60% as on March 31, 2021) from 0.12% as on March 31, 2020. . While a part of the increase in GS3 assets was attributed to the macro-environment related challenges, close to ~62% of the GS3 assets, as on March 31, 2022, are restructured assets under the RBI Resolution Framework 1.0 and 2.0 and have been conservatively classified as GS3 assets. Overall, under the RBI’s Resolution Framework 1.0 and 2.0 for COVID-19-related Stress, the company has implemented restructuring on around 0.62% of its portfolio. On account of pandemic and its impact on the economy, HDFC Credila’s ability to manage collections and asset quality will remain a monitorable.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at the ratings, CRISIL Ratings has considered the standalone business and financial risk profiles of HDFC Credila and has factored in the support expected from the parent, HDFC.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description

Strengths:

Strong expectation of managerial, financial and operational support from the parent

HDFC views education loans as a segment with high growth potential in the long term; HDFC Credila, India's first dedicated non-banking financial company (NBFC) offering education loans, is the vehicle to target this segment. Although HDFC Credila has an overall small scale of operations, the strong involvement of HDFC clearly reflects its confidence in the growth potential of the education loan business and plans to ramp-up HDFC Credila's operations commensurately. Currently, there are three directors on the company’s board from HDFC; these directors, along with the rest of the board, take an active interest in the formulation of the company's business strategies. Moreover, HDFC Credila benefits from its association with HDFC and its established branch network and infrastructure in the sourcing of business.

 
HDFC has infused around Rs 250 crore in fiscal 2020, Rs 50 crore in fiscal 2019 and Rs 80 crore in fiscal 2018 as additional capital into HDFC Credila. Since December 12, 2019, the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of HDFC post-acquisition of balance shares from the original promoters.

 

Experienced management with strong processes and systems

With HDFC taking over full ownership of HDFC Credila, Mr Arijit Sanyal has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer on December 12, 2019 and taken over the reins from the erstwhile promoters, Mr Ajay Bohora and Mr. Anil Bohora. The company has an experienced management team with veterans from the banking and financial services industry. Moreover, it benefits from being the first education loans-focused NBFC in a segment that is predominantly dominated by banks. It has also built strong systems and processes over the past many years that help mitigate asset quality risks of this segment. The company has a large database of colleges and over 200,000 courses which it uses for taking decisions on loans. The company has developed credit scoring models for disbursing loans to borrowers of which around 34% are backed by collateral and all loans have a co-borrower. The company is likely to remain a strong player in the education loan industry.

 

Adequate resource profile

The strong parentage helps HDFC Credila access a large pool of investors, and raise debt at competitive costs. As on March 31, 2022, the company had total borrowing worth Rs 7,515 crore raised at a competitive borrowing cost. It has been able to gradually diversify its resource profile and reduced the dependence on bank borrowing. As on March 31, 2022, bank borrowing constituted 54% of the total borrowing. The company has also been able to raise USD 100 million external commercial borrowing in the fiscal 2020. It is expected to increase the proportion of capital-market borrowing and continue to diversify the resource mix over the medium term depending on market conditions.

 

Adequate capitalisation

HDFC Credila had adequate capitalisation with a networth and a gearing of Rs 1361 crore and 5.5 times, respectively, as on March 31, 2022 (Rs 1144 crore and 4.6 times, respectively, as on March 31, 2021).  Historically, HDFC Credila has operated at a relatively high gearing levels. Its gearing was 7.6 times as on March 31, 2019, and 8.3 times as on March 31, 2018. Nevertheless, supported by capital infusion aggregating to Rs 250 crore by HDFC in fiscal 2020, the gearing improved to 5.9 times as on March 31, 2020. On account of lower disbursements and higher prepayments, loan book growth has remained muted in fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2021 due to the on and off lockdowns and restrictions on international travel during the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic, resulting in gearing further improving to 4.6 times as on March 31, 2021. However, with pick-up in disbursements in FY22, the gearing increased to 5.5 times as on March 31, 2022. While the leverage levels are expected to gradually inch-up with scale up in operations, CRISIL Ratings understands from the management that the company will maintain a steady-state gearing of 6.5 times.

 

Further, adequate internal cash accrual (consistent with a return on equity of more than 14% over the past five fiscals) coupled with equity infusions as and when required from the parent, is expected to support capitalisation.

 

Weakness:

Moderate scale of operations with limited seasoning of the loan book

Scale of operations is moderate, however the business has seen significant growth over the past few years. The five-year compound annual growth rate of loan book was 22% during fiscals 2017 to 2022. However, on account of lockdowns related to the pandemic, disbursements have been impacted in fiscal 2021. Lower disbursements and high prepayments led to a flat loan book in fiscal 2021 at Rs 6267 crore as on March 31, 2021. Nevertheless, disbursements have picked up in fiscal 2022 to Rs 4309 crore (Rs 1579 crore in fiscal 2021 and Rs 2094 crore in fiscal 2020) – increasing the loan book to Rs 8,838 crore as on March31, 2022.

 

Gross stage 3 assets had a slight uptick to 0.57% (Rs 50 crore) as on March 31, 2022 from (0.60% {Rs 37 crore} as on March 31, 2021), from 0.12% (Rs 8 crore) as on March 31, 2020. Further, the company has invoked restructuring for accounts worth 0.62% of the loan book (Rs 55 crore), out of which accounts worth Rs 31 crore are classified as gross stage 3. Further, given high growth in recent years, a significant part of the loans disbursed are in the moratorium period and hence, the seasoning of the loan portfolio is limited at this stage. However, the overall gross stage 3 assets remain low and comfortable.

 

Nevertheless, the ability to successfully recover the loans across business cycles is yet to be tested.

Liquidity: Superior

The company has adequate liquid assets (Rs 221 crore) and unutilized bank lines (Rs 1005 crore) as on June 13, 2022 which is sufficient to cover upcoming debt repayments (including interest expense) for the next six months (Rs 736 crore of repayments by November 30, 2022). Liquidity position is further supported by the parentage of HDFC.

Outlook: Stable

HDFC Credila should continue to benefit from the strong financial, managerial, and operational support from HDFC and the experienced management.

Rating Sensitivity Factors

Downward factors

• Downward change in the credit risk profile of HDFC by 1 notch could lead to a similar rating change on HDFC Credila
• Any material change in the shareholding or support philosophy of HDFC impacting the quantum and timing of support.

About the Company

HDFC Credila was incorporated on February 1, 2006, promoted by Mr Anil Bohora and Mr Ajay Bohora. The company is registered as a non-deposit-taking NBFC with the Reserve Bank of India. It is in the business of originating, funding, and servicing educational loans. With HDFC buying out the promoters’ stake in fiscal 2020, the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of HDFC since December 12, 2019.

 

HDFC Credila has eight own offices, and at other places does business through the branches of HDFC. The company uses various channels for sourcing and marketing, which include the internet, branch network of HDFC and a few private sector banks, partnering with colleges, education consultants, and test preparation centres, advertising, and direct marketing.

 

The loan book was at Rs 8,838 crore as on March 31, 2022. The networth was Rs 1,361 crore as on this date (Rs 1144 crore as on March 31, 2021). Tier-1 and overall capital adequacy ratios were 14.4% and 18.9%, respectively, as on March31, 2022 (17.7% and 24.0%, respectively, as on March 31, 2021). 

 

For fiscal 2022, profit after tax (PAT) was Rs 206 crore on total income of Rs 824 crore, against a PAT of Rs 155 crore on total income of Rs 713 crore for the previous fiscal.

Any other information: Not applicable