Rating Rationale
July 16, 2020 | Mumbai
PPG Asian Paints Private Limited
Ratings Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.95 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL AA/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its 'CRISIL AA/Stable/CRISIL A1+' ratings on the bank facilities of PPG Asian Paints Private Limited (PPG Asian Paints).
 
The ratings continue to reflect the company's established position in the automotive paint industry, the operational support it receives from its parents Asian Paints Ltd (Asian Paints; 'CRISIL AAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+') and PPG Industries Inc, USA (PPG Industries; rated 'A-/Stable/A-2' by S&P Global Ratings), and its strong financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by vulnerability to cyclicality in the automotive industry, and susceptibility of profitability to volatility in raw material prices and limited pricing flexibility.
 
With decline in demand and temporary shutdown of plants in March-April 2020 due to the nationwide lockdown to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, the company's performance will be affected in the near term. Despite the expected decline in revenue for fiscal 2021, operating margin is expected to sustain at 10.5-11% due to benign raw material prices. Revenue should rebound in fiscal 2022 with gradual revival in the automotive and industrial segments.

Financial risk profile remains strong, supported by net debt-free balance sheet and sizeable liquid surplus of around Rs 120 crore as on March 31, 2020. Expected nominal capital expenditure (capex) of around Rs 24 crore in fiscal 2021 and Rs 15 crore in fiscal 2022 will likely be funded entirely through cash accrual. Hence, the company should sustain its net debt-free balance sheet over the medium term.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at its ratings, CRISIL has combined the business and financial risk profiles of PPG Asian Paints and its wholly owned subsidiaries PPG Asian Paints Lanka Pvt Ltd and Revocoat India Pvt Ltd, as they are in the same business.

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
* Established position in the automotive paint segment for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and market leadership in the automotive refinish segment: PPG Asian Paints is the second largest player in the automotive OEM paint segment; Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd ('CRISIL AAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+') is the market leader. PPG Asian Paints is the market leader in the automotive refinish business. In the premium segment, it has a strong presence with renowned brands such as 2K Nexa Autocolor and is a leader in the economy polyurethane and alkyd segment with its Bilux and Aspa brands, respectively. The company will maintain its established market position over the medium term because of its strong clientele and wide product portfolio.

* Strong support from parent companies: PPG Asian Paints is an equal joint venture (JV) of Asian Paints, India's largest producer of decorative paints, and the US-based PPG Industries, a leading supplier of automotive and industrial paints. PPG Asian Paints has emerged as a strong player in the industrial paints segment in India, benefitting from the brands of PPG Industries and Asian Paints. It also benefits from Asian Paints' wide distribution network and the strong technological support from PPG Industries.

* Strong financial risk profile: The company had negligible debt and healthy networth of over Rs 900 crore as on March 31, 2020. Its conservative gearing policy is reflected in gearing of less than 0.5 time in the past 10 years. The capex for the Dahej plant has been completed and commercialised. Capex is expected to be nominal at Rs 15-25 crore per annum and funded entirely through the healthy internal accrual and liquid surplus, leading to continued strong credit metrics over the medium term.

Weaknesses
* Susceptibility of profitability to volatility in input prices and limited pricing flexibility: Raw materials are predominantly crude derivatives. Besides, the company imports a major share of its requirement and has negligible export. Hence, it is vulnerable to any steep volatility in crude prices and foreign exchange (forex) rates. Moreover, the company has limited flexibility to pass on input price increases due to relatively low bargaining power with automotive OEMs.

* Vulnerability to cyclicality in the automotive segment: PPG Asian Paints derives about 95% of its revenue from the automotive paint and general industrial segments, which depend on economic activity in the country. Consequently, the company's revenue is vulnerable to cyclicality in the end-user industries.
Liquidity Strong

PPG Asian Paints enjoys strong liquidity driven by expected cash accrual of over Rs 90 crore each in fiscals 2021 and 2022 and liquid surplus of about Rs 120 crore as on March 31, 2020. It has access to fund based limits of Rs 70 crore, which is largely unutilised. Besides, long-term debt is nil. Capex is expected at Rs 15-25 crore annually. The company is likely to fund capex and incremental working capital requirement entirely through internal accrual and liquid surplus.

Outlook: Stable

PPG Asian Paints will continue to benefit from its established market position and strong clientele, leading to steady business performance over the medium term. Its financial risk profile should remain strong, supported by healthy cash accrual, prudent working capital management and moderate capex plan.

Rating Sensitivity Factors
Upward Factors
* Healthy revenue growth of over 15% and better revenue diversity, strengthening the market position
* Sustained improvement in operating margin to over 15%, aiding cash generation
* Sustenance of strong financial risk profile

Downward Factors
* Decline in revenue by around 25% or in profitability to below 7%, leading to lower-than-expected cash generation
* Large, debt-funded capex resulting in moderation in the financial risk profile, with gearing weakening to over 0.5 time.

About the Company

PPG Asian Paints manufactures automotive paints and other industrial paints for automotive OEMs, and caters to the automotive refinish, marine and packaging segments.
 
The company was set up in 1997 as Asian PPG Industries, which restructured its business in fiscal 2013. As part of the restructuring, PPG Coatings India Pvt Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of PPG Industries) and AP Coatings Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of Asian Paints) were amalgamated with Asian PPG Industries. Thereafter, the liquid industrial paints, protective coatings, and powder business were demerged into Asian Paints PPG Pvt Ltd (a newly formed JV between PPG Industries and Asian Paints). Simultaneously, Asian PPG Industries was reconstituted as a private limited company and renamed PPG Asian Paints Pvt Ltd.

Key Financial Indicators
Particulars Unit 2020 2019
Revenue Rs.Cr 1235 1343
Profit After Tax (PAT) Rs.Cr 101 82
PAT Margin % 8.2 6.1
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times NA NA
Interest coverage Times 41.3 36.3

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 Working Capital Demand Loan# NA NA NA 70 NA CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Bill Discounting NA NA NA 25 NA CRISIL A1+
#Interchangeable with letter of credit/bank guarantee
 
Annexure - List of Entities Consolidated
Names of entities consolidated Extent of consolidation Rationale for consolidation
PPG Asian Paints Lanka Pvt Ltd Full Strong business and financial linkages
Revocoat India Pvt Ltd Full Strong business and financial linkages
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
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  95.00  CRISIL AA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+      18-04-19  CRISIL AA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  08-01-18  CRISIL AA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+      CRISIL AA-/Positive/ CRISIL A1+ 
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
Bill Discounting 25 CRISIL A1+ Bill Discounting 25 CRISIL A1+
Working Capital Demand Loan# 70 CRISIL AA/Stable Working Capital Demand Loan# 70 CRISIL AA/Stable
Total 95 -- Total 95 --
#Interchangeable with letter of credit/bank guarantee
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
Rating Criteria for Chemical Industry
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt

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