Rating Rationale
July 30, 2020 | Mumbai
INFINA Finance Private Ltd
Rating Reaffirmed  
 
Rating Action
Rs.1200 Crore Commercial Paper CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
Rs.15000 Crore Commercial Paper Issue* CRISIL A1+ (Withdrawn)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
*Assigned for initial public offering/ open offer financing on episodic basis and/or application on proprietary account
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its rating on the existing commercial paper of INFINA Finance Private Ltd (INFINA) 'CRISIL A1+'. Rating on Rs.15000 crore commercial paper issue has been withdrawn as there was no outstanding against the facility.
 
The rating continues to reflect INFINA's healthy capitalisation and financial flexibility as a Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd's (KMBL; rated 'CRISIL AAA/CRISIL AA+1/FAAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+') associate, and benefits derived from the Kotak group's expertise, and systems and processes. These rating strengths are partially offset by volatility in INFINA's earnings, given its correlation with capital markets, and the company's susceptibility to risks inherent in the securities-based lending and proprietary trading businesses. 
 
Given the nature of the business, the earnings tend to be volatile and hence in the current difficult macro environment on account of Covid-19, the performance of the company and ability to generate adequate returns will remain monitorable.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at its ratings, CRISIL has considered standalone financials of Infina. The rating further draws comfort from the financial flexibility it enjoys being a KMBL associate. 

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths
* Healthy capitalization: INFINA has a healthy capital position, with large net worth of Rs 1705 crore and overall capital adequacy ratio of 318.15% as on March 31, 2020. Gearing was nil as on that date. Even adjusting for the capital allocated for proprietary trading, gearing has been negligible on a steady-state basis. Gearing peaked around 6 times when the company contracted debt to fund initial public offering (IPO) financing business. With moderate business projected for the near term, CRISIL believes INFINA's gearing will not exceed 1 time (excluding capital allocated for proprietary trading activity) on a steady-state basis, and 8 times on an episodic basis, leading to continued healthy capitalisation.

* Financial flexibility as a Kotak group associate: The company's linkages with the Kotak group will ensure funding and liquidity support from the group's promoters. INFINA follows some of the Kotak group's robust policies and processes and effective risk management procedures in securities-based lending and proprietary trading.

Weakness
* Volatile earnings profile: Given the inherent volatility in INFINA's businesses because of its high correlation with equity markets, its earnings tend to be volatile. In the proprietary trading segment, INFINA primarily follows a long-short strategy and the portfolio is constructed to ensure significantly lower volatility compared to the overall market. However, income from this segment remains linked to the capital markets, and hence, is uncertain and volatile. Given INFINA's limited presence in the non-capital-markets segment, CRISIL expects INFINA's earnings to remain volatile over the medium term. Further, shift to Indian Accounting Standard (Ind-AS), and hence recognition of unrealised fair valuation gain (along with loss that was already being recognized as per IGAAP) is expected to increase the volatility in earnings.

The company reported a loss of Rs 51 crore in fiscal 2020, on account of decrease in proprietary trading profits and difficult macro environment during the end of the fiscal on account of Covid-19.

* Risks associated with proprietary trading in equities and securities-based lending business: The securities-based lending business is susceptible to significant counterparty and liquidity risks, to fluctuations in the market value of collateral, and to concentration in collateral and clientele. Business volumes also tend to be cyclical. Even in proprietary trading segment, the earnings are uncertain and exposed to capital market risks.
Liquidity Strong

The asset liability management profile was comfortable with positive cumulative mismatches in the up to 1 year bucket as on June 30, 2020. Liquidity is also supported by cash & bank balance of Rs 11 crore, fixed deposits Rs 235 crore and liquid /overnight mutual fund investments of Rs 900 crore as on June 30, 2020. The total borrowings were nil as on same date. The company also benefits from its association with Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.

Rating Sensitive Factors
Downward Factor
* Deterioration in capitalization levels, with gearing going above 2.5 times on a steady state basis.
* Decrease in the benefits derived from the Kotak group, impacting the financial flexibility of the company.

About the Company

INFINA is registered with the Reserve Bank of India as a non-deposit-taking, non-banking financial company. It primarily undertakes IPO financing and proprietary trading. It also provides loans against securities. INFINA had strategic investment in the telecommunications sector, which was divested in March 2006. The proceeds were invested in tax-saving bonds, which matured in 2009. Subsequently, to utilise its large capital base, INFINA entered the proprietary trading business.
 
For fiscal 2020, INFINA, under Ind AS, reported a loss of Rs 51.3 crore on total income of Rs 111.2 crore, compared with loss of Rs 30.6 crore on total income of Rs 93.5 crore for previous fiscal.

1For Perpetual Non-Cumulative Preference Shares.

Key Financial Indicators
As on/for the year ended March 31 Unit 2020 2019
Total Assets Rs crore 1722.9 1798.1
Total income Rs crore 111.2 93.5
Profit after tax Rs crore -51.3 -30.6
Gross NPA % Nil Nil
Gearing Times Nil 0.1
Return on assets % -2.9 -1.6

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.Cr) Complexity Level Rating assigned with outlook
NA Commercial Paper Programme NA NA 7-365 days 1200 Simple CRISIL A1+
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
Commercial Paper  ST  1200.00  CRISIL A1+  28-02-20  CRISIL A1+  24-12-19  CRISIL A1+  11-12-18  CRISIL A1+  20-12-17  CRISIL A1+  -- 
            29-11-19  CRISIL A1+  17-09-18  CRISIL A1+  06-12-17  CRISIL A1+   
            25-11-19  CRISIL A1+  13-08-18  CRISIL A1+  31-10-17  CRISIL A1+   
            01-10-19  CRISIL A1+  25-07-18  CRISIL A1+  24-10-17  CRISIL A1+   
            30-07-19  CRISIL A1+  21-06-18  CRISIL A1+  04-10-17  CRISIL A1+   
            26-06-19  CRISIL A1+  10-05-18  CRISIL A1+  29-09-17  CRISIL A1+   
            04-04-19  CRISIL A1+  14-03-18  CRISIL A1+       
                28-02-18  CRISIL A1+       
                15-02-18  CRISIL A1+       
                31-01-18  CRISIL A1+       
                11-01-18  CRISIL A1+       
Commercial Paper Issue  ST  15000.00  Withdrawn  28-02-20  CRISIL A1+  24-12-19  CRISIL A1+  11-12-18  Withdrawn  20-12-17  CRISIL A1+  -- 
            29-11-19  CRISIL A1+  17-09-18  CRISIL A1+  06-12-17  CRISIL A1+   
            25-11-19  CRISIL A1+  13-08-18  CRISIL A1+  31-10-17  CRISIL A1+   
            01-10-19  CRISIL A1+  25-07-18  CRISIL A1+  24-10-17  CRISIL A1+   
            30-07-19  CRISIL A1+  21-06-18  CRISIL A1+  04-10-17  CRISIL A1+   
            26-06-19  CRISIL A1+  10-05-18  CRISIL A1+  29-09-17  CRISIL A1+   
            04-04-19  CRISIL A1+  14-03-18  CRISIL A1+  21-09-17  CRISIL A1+   
                28-02-18  CRISIL A1+  08-09-17  CRISIL A1+   
                15-02-18  CRISIL A1+  31-07-17  CRISIL A1+   
                31-01-18  CRISIL A1+  28-06-17  CRISIL A1+   
                11-01-18  CRISIL A1+  19-06-17  CRISIL A1+   
                    05-05-17  CRISIL A1+   
                    26-04-17  CRISIL A1+   
                    24-03-17  CRISIL A1+   
                    22-03-17  CRISIL A1+   
                    06-03-17  CRISIL A1+   
                    23-01-17  CRISIL A1+   
Short Term Debt  ST                  21-09-17  CRISIL A1+  CRISIL A1+ 
                    08-09-17  CRISIL A1+   
                    31-07-17  CRISIL A1+   
                    28-06-17  CRISIL A1+   
                    19-06-17  CRISIL A1+   
                    05-05-17  CRISIL A1+   
                    26-04-17  CRISIL A1+   
                    24-03-17  CRISIL A1+   
                    22-03-17  CRISIL A1+   
                    06-03-17  CRISIL A1+   
                    23-01-17  CRISIL A1+   
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
 
Links to related criteria
Rating Criteria for Finance Companies
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt

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