Rating Rationale
December 31, 2021 | Mumbai
The Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited
Rating upgraded to 'CRISIL A- / Positive'
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.100 Crore
Long Term RatingCRISIL A-/Positive (Upgraded from 'CRISIL BBB+ / Positive')
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to Annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities

Detailed Rationale

CRISIL Ratings has upgraded the ratings on the bank facilities of The Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (TKMML) to 'CRISIL A-/Positive' from 'CRISIL BBB+/Positive'.

 

The rating upgrade reflects CRISIL Ratings belief that TKMML's credit risk profile shall remain strong over the medium term supported by its established market position in the Titanium Dioxide (TiO2 segment). Demand is expected to improved due to global supply crunch and sustained orders from end user industries. TKMML's access to high quality ore through long lease of mining blocks on the Chavara Beach provides assured raw material availability which will continue to support the business risk profile.

 

Revenues have improved to Rs.840 crore for fiscal 2021 from Rs.734 crore for fiscal 2020. TKMML’s business risk profile continues to remain strong, with turnover of close to Rs.550 crore for the six-month ended September 2021. Operating profitability is expected to remain steady in the range 18-20 percent, supported by favorable Ti02 prices. Improvement in revenues coupled with steady operating profitability is expected to result in cash accrual of Rs.160-170 crore annually against no repayment obligations. In absence of any large capital expenditure plans and incremental working capital requirements being funded by steady cash accruals, the financial risk profile continues to remain strong.

 

The ratings continue to reflect TKMML's leading market position in the titanium dioxide industry aided by its longstanding industry presence and its established and diverse customer base. The ratings also reflect TKMML's healthy financial risk profile marked by low gearing and robust debt protection metrics. These rating strengths are partially offset by influence of socio-political factors and regulatory risks in the mining industry

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description

Strengths

Established regional presence and diverse customer base, and long-standing industry presence

TKMML's business risk profile benefits from its established regional presence. TKMML's operations comprise mining, mineral separation and manufacturing titanium dioxide (TiO2) and titanium sponge (TSP). The company has been awarded four blocks of beach sand in Kollam for mining thus enabling the company to have assured raw material availability. Apart from producing rutile-grade TiO2 pigment for various types of industries, it also produces other products like ilmenite, rutile, zircon, sillimanite, and synthetic rutile. The different grades are produced by TKMML under the brand name Kemox for uses in various industries like paints, paper, cosmetics, rubber, plastics, and ceramics.

 

Healthy financial risk profile:

The financial risk profile of the company is healthy marked by estimated net worth of over Rs.882 crore as on March 31, 2021. Non utilisation of the working capital facilities and absence of any major debt funded capital expenditure, has resulted in strong capital structure as on the same date. The company's earlier plans to add new capacities have been currently stalled. Therefore, it is not expected to contract any additional debt over the medium term and capital structure to remain strong. Further, strong operating profitability has aided in robust debt protection metrics. Any debt funded significant capacity expansion and funding of the same shall remain key monitorable over the medium term.

 

Weakness

Influence of socio-political factors and regulatory risks in the mining industry

Production may be hampered by delays in obtaining approvals for the brownfield project like environmental clearances. Flexibility is also restricted by socio-political factors, which mandate development activities and labour unrest in mining areas, thereby impacting cost structure. These factors resulted in a sharp decline in operating profitability in fiscal 2020 to around 5.5 percent from around 18 percent for fiscal 2019 KMML has a near monopoly in rutile grade titanium dioxide production due to restrictions in entry of private players in the highly concentrated ore mining areas. Any change in the regulatory regime or socio-political factors will impact the business.

Liquidity~ Strong

TKMML has strong liquidity, marked by healthy cash accrual against no repayment obligations and non-utilisation of the fund based working capital limits. TKMML is expected to generate annual cash accrual in excess of Rs.160-170 crore against no maturing repayment obligations. The fund based working capital limits have been hardly utilised over the last 12 months ended November 2021. Liquidity is further supported by healthy cash and bank balances of over Rs.200 crore, estimated as on March 31, 2021. These cash balances are likely to remain in business and support the business requirements. CRISIL Ratings believes that TKMML's liquidity shall remain at similar levels over the medium term.

Outlook Positive

CRISIL Ratings believes that the TKMML will continue to benefit over the medium term from its established regional presence in the manufacturing of titanium dioxide and its healthy financial risk profile.

Rating Sensitivity factors

Upward Factors

  • Improvement in cash accrual to more than Rs.200 crore
  • Improvement in turnover led by improved realisations

Downward Factor

  • Decline in turnover by more than 30 percent; resulting in lower profitability
  • Any large debt funded capital expenditure adversely impacting the financial risk profile.

About the Company

Incorporated in 1956 and based out of Kollam (Kerala), TKMML is a 100 per cent Government of Kerala (GOK) owned enterprise and is engaged in manufacturing of TiO2 pigments in rutile form. The major operations of the company comprise mining, mineral separation and manufacturing of TiO2 and titanium sponge

Key Financial Indicators

As on / for the period ended March 31

 

2021

2020

Operating income

Rs crore

834

759

Reported profit after tax

Rs crore

85

30

PAT margins

%

10.2

4.0

Adjusted Debt/Adjusted Net worth

Times

0.02

0.01

Interest coverage

Times

83.7

34.09

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. The CRISIL Ratings' complexity levels are available on www.crisil.com/complexity-levels. Users are advised to refer to the CRISIL Ratings' complexity levels for instruments that they consider for investment. Users may also call the Customer Service Helpdesk with queries on specific instruments.

Annexure - Details of Instrument(s)

ISIN

Name of Instrument

Date of Allotment

Coupon Rate (%)

Maturity Date

Issue Size (Rs. Crs)

Complexity Levels

Rating Assigned with Outlook

NA

Letter of Credit and bank guarantee

NA

NA

NA

15

NA

CRISIL A-/Positive

NA

Cash credit

NA

NA

NA

85

NA

CRISIL A-/Positive

Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2021 (History) 2020  2019  2018  Start of 2018
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund Based Facilities LT 85.0 CRISIL A-/Positive 08-04-21 CRISIL BBB+/Positive 12-08-20 CRISIL BBB+/Stable 21-08-19 CRISIL BBB+/Stable 05-07-18 CRISIL BBB+/Stable CRISIL BBB/Stable
Non-Fund Based Facilities LT 15.0 CRISIL A-/Positive 08-04-21 CRISIL A2 12-08-20 CRISIL A2   --   -- --
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Cash Credit 25 State Bank of India CRISIL A-/Positive
Cash Credit 25 ICICI Bank Limited CRISIL A-/Positive
Cash Credit 35 Axis Bank Limited CRISIL A-/Positive
Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee 15 Axis Bank Limited CRISIL A-/Positive

This Annexure has been updated on 31-Dec-2021 in line with the lender-wise facility details as on 30-Oct-2021 received from the rated entity.

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

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