Rating Rationale
July 23, 2020 | Mumbai
Mahaveer Finance India Limited
Rating removed from 'Watch Negative'; Rating reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.30 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL BBB-/Negative (Removed from 'Rating Watch with Negative Implications'; Rating Reaffirmed)
 
Rs.10 Crore Non Convertible Debentures CRISIL BBB-/Negative (Removed from 'Rating Watch with Negative Implications'; Rating Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has removed its rating on the long-term bank facilities and non-convertible debentures of Mahaveer Finance India Limited (Mahaveer Finance) from 'Watch with Negative Implications' and assigned a 'Negative' outlook. The rating has been reaffirmed at 'CRISIL BBB-'.
 
Earlier on May 5, 2020, CRISIL had placed the long-term rating on negative watch. This was on account of the company's stretched liquidity position and likely deterioration in the asset quality with collections being affected. At the same time, CRISIL was also monitoring the incremental fundraising by the company to assess its liquidity position. The watch resolution follows clarity on some of these aspects.
 
The long-term rating has now been assigned a negative outlook. This is primarily on account of CRISIL's expectation that collection efficiency of Mahaveer Finance will remain under pressure because of the prevailing lockdown (including localised lock down in Tamil Nadu region which accounts for majority of portfolio for Mahaveer finance). The liquidity position of the company, nevertheless, has improved on account of incremental fundraising under the TLTRO scheme, improvement in collections, moratorium on borrowings and negligible disbursements. Mahaveer Finance has been able to raise around Rs 25 crore till July 2020 under this scheme. Furthermore, the collections during June 2020 also saw upward traction in comparison to the previous two months. However, the ability of the company to improve its collection efficiency in the coming months, while maintaining its liquidity cover at the present level, will remain a key monitorable.
 
On the liability side, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced regulatory measures under the Covid-19 - Regulatory Package, whereby lenders were permitted to grant moratorium on bank loans. This moratorium has further been extended till August 31, 2020. CRISIL understands that Mahaveer Finance has received moratorium approval from most of its lenders and its debt obligation, scheduled to be honoured over July and August 2020, is covered under this relaxation.
 
On the collections front, the company reported collections efficiency (total collections, including overdues, as proportion of total billings) of 28% for May 2020 and 61% for June 2020. The company's liquidity buffer (assuming 50% collections and factoring in cash and equivalent available as on July 10, 2020) to cover total debt and loan repayment and operating expenses till September 2020 at over 1 time.
 
On the capitalisation front, Mahaveer Finance's adjusted gearing was 4.1 times as on March 31, 2020 (as compared to 3.8 times as on March 31, 2019). Mahaveer Finance has indicated that they expect to maintain steady-state gearing of 5 times. Any increase in gearing levels beyond committed thresholds will be a key rating sensitivity factor.
 
The rating continues to reflect Mahaveer Finance's experienced management and adequate capitalisation. These strengths are partially offset by modest asset quality and exposure to geographical concentration risk.  

Analytical Approach

CRISIL has considered the business and financial risk profiles of the company on a standalone basis.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths:
* Extensive experience of the promoters
Benefits from the three-decade-long experience of the promoters, their in-depth understanding of borrower behaviour, and maintenance of comfortable asset quality, should continue to support the business. The promoters have expanded their branch network in the southern region, within Tamil Nadu (TN), Andhra Pradesh (AP), Telangana and Pondicherry. The managing director, Mr Mahaveerchand Dugar, has substantial experience in the vehicle financing business, and has also conducted training sessions for other large financiers. Mr Dugar is supported by his sons, Mr M. Deepak Dugar and Mr M. Praveen Dugar, who are also the co-promoters in the business.

* Adequate capitalisation
Networth and adjusted gearing are at Rs 57 crore and 4.1 times, respectively, as on March 31, 2020, against Rs 50 crore and 3.8 times, as on March 31, 2019. The company has demonstrated its ability to raise equity capital from Banyan Tree Growth Capital II LLC for Rs 25 crore in fiscal 2018.

Weaknesses
* Modest asset quality
Asset quality, as reflected in delinquencies in stressed assets (including repossessed assets) stood at 3.4% as on March 31, 2020, as compared to 3.2% as on March 31, 2019 and 3.0% as on March 31, 2018. While the stressed assets (post write-offs) stood at 3.2% as on March 31, 2019, increase in the stressed assets level was because of higher delinquencies that the company faced in few of its branches. The management has therefore taken cautious steps to correct the asset quality and has reduced incremental disbursements in those regions. The management has been actively following up with borrowers for recovery of dues and has also repossessed vehicles from the borrowers. CRISIL, nevertheless, will continue to closely monitor the asset quality situation over the medium term.
 
* Exposure to geographical concentration risk
Operations will remain concentrated in TN, AP, Telangana and Pondicherry. Nearly 54% of assets under management are in TN, followed by AP (30%), as on March 31, 2020. However, the company will continue to widen its branch network in the existing geographies.
Liquidity Stretched

The company's liquidity buffer (assuming 50% collections and factoring in cash and equivalent available as on July 10, 2020) to cover total debt and loan repayment and operating expenses till September 2020 is over 1 time. CRISIL will continue to monitor the liquidity position closely. Furthermore, its ability to bring the collections back on track and also raise incremental funds will remain key rating sensitivity factors.   

Outlook: Negative

The outlook revision reflects CRISIL's belief that Mahaveer's collections and asset quality metrics are likely to remain under pressure on account of the extended nationwide lockdown and challenging economic environment.
 
Rating sensitivity factors:
Upward factors:
* Ability of the company to improve its liquidity cover from the present level, to manage debt repayment
* Ability to improve collection efficiency and reach pre-pandemic levels
* Steady-state gross non-performing assets (GNPAs) improving to below 5% over the medium term
* Ability to significantly scale-up the loan book while maintaining operational cost and improving earnings
 
Downward factors:
* Inability to ramp-up liquidity and improve the liquidity cover to manage debt repayment
* Inability to improve the collections which may result in deterioration in asset quality
* Increase in steady-state gearing to above 5 times

About the Company

Incorporated in 1981, Mahaveer Finance was registered as a deposit-taking, non-banking finance company (NBFC) with the RBI. It was taken over by the current management in 1987. In 2015, the company surrendered its deposit-taking license to the RBI, and was converted into a non-deposit-taking NBFC- asset finance company.

Key Financial Indicators
Particulars as on Unit Mar-2020* Mar-2019 Mar-2018
Total managed assets ^ Rs crore 302 210 134
Total income Rs crore 51.2 40.1 22.4
Profit after tax Rs crore 7.1 5.2 4.8
GNPA # % 3.4 3.2 3.0
Adjusted gearing Times 4.1 3.8 2.1
# 90+ dpd, ^ includes securitised portfolio
* Provisional

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 Level Rating assigned with outlook
INE911L08012 Non- convertible Debentures 25-May-2016 16.4 24- May-2022 10.0 Simple CRISIL BBB-/Negative
NA Cash credit NA NA NA 27.25 NA CRISIL BBB-/Negative
NA Proposed cash credit limit NA NA NA 0.25 NA CRISIL BBB-/Negative
NA Term loan NA NA 30-Sep- 2018 2.5 NA CRISIL BBB-/Negative
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
Non Convertible Debentures  LT  10.00
23-07-20 
CRISIL BBB-/Negative  05-05-20  CRISIL BBB-/Watch Negative  31-07-19  CRISIL BBB-/Stable  31-07-18  CRISIL BBB-/Stable  28-07-17  CRISIL BB+/Stable  CRISIL BB/Stable 
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  30.00  CRISIL BBB-/Negative  05-05-20  CRISIL BBB-/Watch Negative  31-07-19  CRISIL BBB-/Stable  31-07-18  CRISIL BBB-/Stable  28-07-17  CRISIL BB+/Stable  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 27.25 CRISIL BBB-/Negative Cash Credit 27.25 CRISIL BBB-/Watch Negative 
Proposed Cash Credit Limit .25 CRISIL BBB-/Negative Proposed Cash Credit Limit .25 CRISIL BBB-/Watch Negative
Term Loan 2.5 CRISIL BBB-/Negative Term Loan 2.5 CRISIL BBB-/Watch Negative
Total 30 -- Total 30 --
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition
Rating Criteria for Finance Companies

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