Rating Rationale
August 20, 2024 | Mumbai
Teesta Agro Industries Limited
Ratings reaffirmed at 'CRISIL BBB/Stable/CRISIL A3+'
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.48 Crore
Long Term RatingCRISIL BBB/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term RatingCRISIL A3+ (Reaffirmed)
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 reaffirmed its CRISIL BBB/Stable/CRISIL A3+ ratings on the bank loan facilities of Teesta Agro Industries Ltd (Teesta).

 

The ratings continue to reflect the comfortable financial risk profile and established market presence of Teesta. These strengths are partially offset by modest operating efficiency and exposure to regulatory changes.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description

Strengths:

  • Strong market position: Teesta is the sole manufacturer of single super phosphate (SSP) fertiliser in West Bengal and the northeastern states. The company has 10 marketing offices across West Bengal, Assam, Delhi and Punjab; and has also set up a unit in Rajasthan. Despite government subsidy being insufficient to cover cost of transporting the fertiliser over long distances, the strategic location of units enables it to comfortably reach farmers in the Northeast who cultivate potatoes, oil seeds, mustard and vegetables.

 

  • Comfortable financial risk profile: Gearing has remained strong below 0.25 time over the last three fiscals and was 0.12 time as on March 31, 2024; networth was around Rs 110 crore. Debt protection metrics were healthy, with interest coverage and net cash accrual to adjusted debt ratios of 7.3 times and 0.46 time, respectively, for fiscal 2024. Financial risk profile will continue to be supported by the absence of any large, debt-funded capital expenditure (capex).

 

Weaknesses:

  • Modest operating efficiency: Since fertiliser is a seasonal commodity in the geography the company operates in, operating efficiency remains below average for the plant at Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) margin was muted at 4.4% for fiscal 2024. Sustained improvement in margins will remain a key rating sensitivity factor.

 

  • Susceptibility to government regulations: Since the fertiliser industry is strategically important, it will continue to be extensively regulated by the government. Intervention by the government in deciding output prices as well as changing subsidy rates will continue to impact operating margin. Scale of operations came down significantly as Teesta clocked a topline of about Rs 163 crore in fiscal 2024, driven by a 15% drop in manufacturing sales quantity and 100% drop in trading sales; impacted by reducing subsidy rates and softening realisations. Sustained improvement in scale of operations will remain a key monitorable

Liquidity: Adequate

Bank limit utilisation averaged a low 14% for the 12 months ended June 2024.Cash accrual is expected to be Rs 7-8 crore, which is sufficient against term debt obligation of Rs 1-2 crore over the medium term.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL Ratings believes the company will continue to benefit from its strong market position in the fertiliser business in the northern districts of West Bengal and the northeastern states.

Rating Sensitivity Factors

Upward factors:

  • Steady growth in revenue and profitability leading to accrual over Rs 15 crore
  • Significant improvement in operating efficiency indicators

 

Downward factors:

  • Steep decline in revenue and profitability below 4%
  • Any large, debt-funded capex weakening the capital structure

About the Company

Incorporated in September 1986, Teesta is promoted by Mr Hardev Singh and manufactures fertilisers such as SSP, mixture fertilisers in various grades, granulated single sulphur phosphate, nitrogen phosphorus potassium fertiliser and sulphuric acid. Facility in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal; and Chittorgarh, Rajasthan; have installed capacity of 1,85,000 tonne per annum (TPA) and 1,32,000 TPA, respectively, to manufacture SSP in powder and granular forms.

 

Products are sold under the Kanchan brand, which has strong recall in eastern and northeastern states. The Rajasthan unit, which was set up to expand operations to that state and Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, commenced operations in September 2016.

Key Financial Indicators

As on/for the period ended March 31

Unit

2024

2023

Operating income

Rs.Crore

163.24

286.35

Reported profit after tax (PAT)

Rs.Crore

3.61

7.34

PAT margin

%

2.21

2.56

Adjusted debt/Adjusted networth

Times

0.12

0.24

Interest coverage

Times

6.08

10.39

Status of non cooperation with previous credit rating agency (CRA)

Teesta has not cooperated with Credit Analysis & Research Ltd, which has classified it as non-cooperative through release dated March 16, 2018. The reason provided by the CRA is 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 Cash credit NA NA NA 18 NA CRISIL BBB/Stable
NA Term loan NA NA Sep-2027 3 NA CRISIL BBB/Stable
NA Bank Guarantee NA NA NA 2 NA CRISIL A3+
NA Letter of credit NA NA NA 25 NA CRISIL A3+
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 21.0 CRISIL BBB/Stable   -- 24-05-23 CRISIL BBB/Stable 28-02-22 CRISIL BBB-/Stable   -- CRISIL BBB-/Stable
Non-Fund Based Facilities ST 27.0 CRISIL A3+   -- 24-05-23 CRISIL A3+ 28-02-22 CRISIL A3   -- CRISIL A3
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Bank Guarantee 2 HDFC Bank Limited CRISIL A3+
Cash Credit 18 HDFC Bank Limited CRISIL BBB/Stable
Letter of Credit 25 HDFC Bank Limited CRISIL A3+
Term Loan 3 HDFC Bank Limited CRISIL BBB/Stable
Criteria Details
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition
Rating Criteria for Fertiliser Industry
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt

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