Rating Rationale
September 26, 2024 | Mumbai
 
Simplex Castings Limited
'CRISIL BB-/Stable/CRISIL A4+' assigned to Bank Debt
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.72 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL BB-/Stable (Assigned)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A4+ (Assigned)
Note: None of the Directors on CRISIL Ratings Limited’s Board are members of rating committee and thus do not participate in discussion or assignment of any ratings. The Board of Directors also does not discuss any ratings at its meetings.
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to Annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities

 

Detailed Rationale

CRISIL Ratings has assigned its ‘CRISIL BB-/Stable/CRISIL A4+’ ratings to the bank loan facilities of Simplex Castings Ltd (SCL).

 

The ratings reflect the extensive experience of the promoters in the heavy engineering castings business and moderate financial risk profile of the company. These strengths are partially offset by exposure to intense competition, volatility in raw material prices and large working capital requirement.

Analytical Approach:

Unsecured loans of Rs. 23.32 crore as on 31st march 2024 is treated as 75% equity, 25% debt due to non-interest bearing nature and the same is expected to remain in the business.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description

Strengths:

  • Extensive experience of the promoters: SCL has been in involved in the heavy engineering castings business for more than five decades. The company is promoted by Mr. Ketan Moolchand Shah and Ms. Sangeeta Ketan Shah. The promoters have more than two decades of experience in the steel – castings and foundry business; their strong understanding of market dynamics and healthy relations with customers and suppliers should continue to support the business. Further, a diversified end-user industry base insulates the business from slowdown in a particular industry and thereby boosts steady growth.

 

  • Moderate financial risk profile: The capital structure should remain supported by limited reliance on external funds. Gearing is estimated at 0.86 time and total outside liabilities to adjusted networth ratio of 1.59 times as on March 31, 2024. Debt protection metrics may continue to be comfortable, despite leverage, due to moderately healthy profitability. The interest coverage ratio is estimated at 2.25 times and net cash accrual to total debt ratio at 0.18 time for fiscal 2024.

 

Weaknesses:

  • Exposure to intense competition: The steel industry is highly cyclical and fragmented due to low capital requirement and limited value addition. The low entry barrier has led to several players catering to regional demand. The consequent intense competition along with limited product diversity (due to commodity nature of products) may continue to constrain scalability, pricing power and profitability.    

 

  • Exposure to volatility in raw material prices: Since cost of procuring the key raw materials (iron/steel scrap, metalised aluminum, pillow block, mild steel plates) accounts for 60-70% of production cost, even a slight variation in price can drastically impact the operating margin. Further, operations are non-integrated and restricted to the downstream stage of the steel value chain. The margin is also susceptible to changes in market prices according to demand-supply situations.

 

  • Large working capital requirement: Gross current assets were 282 days as on March 31, 2024, driven by high debtor and inventory levels. It is required to extend long credit period. Furthermore, due to its business need, it hold large work in process & inventory.

Liquidity: Stretched

Bank limit utilization is high at around 97 percent for the past twelve months ended Aug-24. Cash accrual are expected to be over Rs. 6 crore which are sufficient against term debt obligation of Rs. 1.5-2 crore over the medium term.

 

Current ratio are moderate at 1.16 times on March 31, 2024. The promoters are likely to extend support in the form of equity and unsecured loans to meet its working capital requirements and repayment obligations.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL Ratings believe SCL will continue to benefit from the extensive experience of its promoter, and established relationships with clients

Rating sensitivity factors

Upward factors:

  • Steady improvement in scale of operations and sustenance of operating margin at more than 12%, leading to higher-than-expected net cash accrual
  • Improvement in the working capital cycle, resulting in higher cushion in bank limit

 

Downward factors:

  • Decline in scale of operations and operating margin dropping below 9%, resulting in lower-than-expected net cash accrual
  • Further stretch in the working capital cycle

About the Company

Set up as a partnership firm in 1971, the entity got reconstituted into a private-limited company in 1980 and into a public-limited company in 1993. SCL manufactures heavy engineering castings in grey cast iron, alloy cast iron and stainless steel, which find application in industries such as railways, steel, oil and gas, power and defence. It has three facilities at Bhilai, Urla and Rajnandgaon (all in Chhattisgarh), with total installed capacities of 24,600 metric tonne per annum.

 

SCL is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. The company is managed by Mr. Ketan Moolchand Shah (chairman and whole-time director), Ms. Sangeeta Ketan Shah (managing director) and Mr. Sajal Kumar Ghosh (whole-time director).

Key Financial Indicators

As on/for the period ended March 31

Unit

2024

2023

Operating income

Rs crore

122.83

116.60

Reported profit after tax (PAT)

Rs crore

3.11

-18.90

PAT margin

%

1.95

-14.57

Adjusted debt/adjusted networth

Times

2.17

2.16

Interest coverage

Times

2.15

1.51

 

Status of non cooperation with previous CRA:

SCL had not cooperated with India Ratings and Research Pvt Ltd, which classified it as non-cooperative vide release dated Aug 18, 2023. The reason provided by India Ratings and Research Pvt Ltd was non-furnishing of information for monitoring of ratings.

 

SCL had also not cooperated with Brickwork Ratings India Pvt Ltd, which classified it as non-cooperative vide release dated Aug 13, 2020. The reason provided by Brickwork Ratings India Pvt Ltd was non-furnishing of information for monitoring of ratings.

 

Further, SCL had not cooperated with Acuite Ratings and Research Ltd, which has classified it as non-cooperative vide release dated May 10, 2019. The reason provided by Acuite Ratings and Research Ltd was non-furnishing of information for monitoring of ratings.

Any other information: Not Applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL Ratings` 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.

CRISIL Ratings will disclose complexity level for all securities - including those that are yet to be placed - based on available information. The complexity level for instruments may be updated, where required, in the rating rationale published subsequent to the issuance of the instrument when details on such features are available.

For more details on the CRISIL Ratings` complexity levels please visit www.crisilratings.com. Users may also call the Customer Service Helpdesk with queries on specific instruments.

Annexure - Details of Instrument(s)

ISIN Name of the
instrument
Date of
Allotment
Coupon
Rate (%)
Maturity
Date
Issue size
(Rs. Crore)
Complexity
Level
Rating assigned
with outlook
NA  Bank Guarantee  NA  NA  NA  24 NA  CRISIL A4+ 
NA  Cash Credit  NA  NA  NA  35 NA  CRISIL BB-/Stable 
NA  Letter of Credit  NA  NA  NA  13 NA  CRISIL A4+ 
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2024 (History) 2023  2022  2021  Start of 2021
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund Based Facilities LT 35.0 CRISIL BB-/Stable   --   --   --   -- Withdrawn (Issuer Not Cooperating)*
Non-Fund Based Facilities ST 37.0 CRISIL A4+   --   --   --   -- Withdrawn (Issuer Not Cooperating)*
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
* - Issuer did not cooperate; based on best-available information
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Bank Guarantee 9 Bank of Baroda CRISIL A4+
Bank Guarantee 5 Union Bank of India CRISIL A4+
Bank Guarantee 10 State Bank of India CRISIL A4+
Cash Credit 13 Bank of Baroda CRISIL BB-/Stable
Cash Credit 2.5 Union Bank of India CRISIL BB-/Stable
Cash Credit 19.5 State Bank of India CRISIL BB-/Stable
Letter of Credit 6.5 Bank of Baroda CRISIL A4+
Letter of Credit 6.5 State Bank of India CRISIL A4+
Criteria Details
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
Rating Criteria for Engineering Sector
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt

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