Rating Rationale
February 24, 2020 | Mumbai
Uflex Limited
Ratings placed on 'Watch Developing'
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.2200 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL A (Placed on 'Rating Watch with Developing Implications')
Short Term Rating CRISIL A1 (Placed on 'Rating Watch with Developing Implications')
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has placed its ratings on the bank facilities Uflex Limited (Uflex, part of UFLEX group) on 'Rating Watch with Developing Implications'.
 
The ratings for Uflex have been placed on watch following an update dated Feb 13, 2020, wherein the company has informed that it is proposing a brown field expansion by the step-down subsidiary of the Company, Flex Films Europe, Poland. The existing capacities are 33,500 MT/annum of BOPET Films in Poland, which the company is planning to expand to 42,000 MT/annum. The total investment expected in the said expansion is Euro 55 million. Furthermore, the company is undertaking various other expansions in overseas market of Nigeria, Hungary and Russia, which also entails capacity expansion plan over the medium term. CRISIL is in discussions with the management on the operationalisation of these expansions, their terms of funding and the impact of these on the financial and business risk profile of Uflex group. CRISIL will resolve the watch once there is full clarity on the above aspects.
 
The rating reflects the company's established presence in the flexible packaging industry, diversified customer and product profile; and comfortable financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by working capital intensive operations, demand related risks from the new liquid packaging plant and cyclical and commoditised nature of plastic films industry.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at its ratings, CRISIL has combined the business and financial risk profiles of Uflex with all its Indian and foreign subsidiaries, and step down subsidiaries, referred to as the Uflex Group on account of operational, management and financial linkages among entities.

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 market position in the flexible packaging industry: Uflex Group is one of the largest players in the flexible packaging industry with a strong market presence in both the domestic and overseas markets, through its subsidiaries in Egypt, Dubai, Mexico, Kentucky and Poland. The group reported revenue of around Rs. 7909 crore for Fiscal 2019 as against Rs. 6689 crore in previous fiscal. 
 
* Diversified product and customer profile: Uflex Group has its presence throughout the value chain in flexible packaging. It provides complete end-to-end packaging solutions ranging from basic raw materials (PET Chips), intermediate products (packaging machines, holograms, adhesives) and end products (plastic films and laminates). Over the years, the Group has developed a reputed and diversified customer base, catering to leading players in the plastic films, packaging and FMCG industry. Also, customer concentration risk is low.
 
* Comfortable financial risk profile: Capital structure stands comfortable with gearing at 0.46 times and 0.41 times and as on September 30, 2019 and March 31, 2019 respectively. Debt protection metrics also stand strong with interest cover of 4.87 times and 4.62 times as on Dec 31, 2019 and March 31, 2019 respectively.
 
Weaknesses:
* Working capital intensive operations: Gross current assets were at 156 days as on March 31, 2019, driven by debtors of 97 days and inventory of 44 days for Fiscal 2019. The working capital requirements are partially offset by credit of 70-90 days from the suppliers.
 
* Demand related risks from the new liquid packaging plant: Uflex group's new plant for liquid packaging products in Gujarat has started operations in March 2018. The same is yet to fully stabilise and also generate profits on a standalone basis. The demand related risks for the group are high as the group needs to tie up with long term basis with customers over the medium term in order to turn profitable and support the group's liquidity. Group has tied up with few customers, however, significant volume ramp up needs to be witnessed over the medium term.
 
* Cyclical and commoditised nature of plastic films industry: The BOPP and BOPET industry is marked by cyclicality. Product realisations have fluctuated in the past, depending on the demand-supply gap. Moreover, the industry has a tendency to add large capacities when there is an improvement in prices, resulting in overcapacity and hence, pressure on realisations. Also, because of the commoditised nature of the packaging business, players have little scope for passing on increase in raw material costs (accounting for 65 to 75 per cent of net sales), making them highly susceptible to volatility in raw material prices. Thus, players' operating margins are susceptible to fluctuations in both product realisations and input costs.
Liquidity Strong

Liquidity is ample marked by low bank limit utilization with average fund based and non-fund based limit utilization at 65% and 55% for twelve months ended November-2018. Company is expected to generate healthy cash accruals of Rs. 750-900 crore against repayments of Rs. 350-450 crore in Fiscal 2020 and Fiscal 2021. Company has set up liquid packaging plant, the operations of which are expected to stabilize by next fiscal and hence will further support the liquidity. 

Rating Sensitivity factors
Upward factors:
* Stabilization of the proposed capex resulting into significant scaling up of operations and improved profitability levels.
* Improvement in working capital cycle by more than 25%.
 
Downward factors:
* Reduction in cushion available in cash accruals against expected debt obligation for fiscal 2022 and onwards.
* Deterioration of gearing to over of 1 time with erosion in EBIDTA margins.
About the Group

Promoted and founded in 1985 by Mr. Ashok Chaturvedi, Uflex group, is engaged in offering end-to-end flexible packaging solutions including films (BOPET, BOPP, CPP and metallized), flexible laminates, holographic films, aseptic liquid packaging, packaging & printing machines and inks and adhesives, etc. catering mainly to the FMCG industry. The company is headquartered in Noida (National Capital Region, New Delhi) and has manufacturing facilities in India, Dubai, Mexico, Egypt, Poland and USA.

Key Financial Indicators -UFLEX group
Particulars Unit 2019 2018
Revenue Rs Cr. 7909 6688.9
Profit After Tax (PAT) Rs Cr. 315 312.2
PAT Margin % 4.0 4.7
Adjusted Debt/Adjusted Networth Times 0.5 0.5
Interest coverage Times 4.34 4.5

Any other information: Not applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL complexity levels are assigned to various types of financial instruments. The CRISIL complexity levels are available on www.crisil.com/complexity-levels. Users are advised to refer to the CRISIL 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 (%)
Maturit
y date
Issue size
(Rs crore)
Rating assigned
with outlook
NA Long Term Loan NA NA Sep-27 923.0 CRISIL A/Watch Developing
NA Working Capital
Facility
NA NA NA 775.0 CRISIL A/Watch Developing
NA Letter of Credit NA NA NA 25.0 CRISIL A1/Watch Developing
NA Proposed fund based limits NA NA NA 477.0 CRISIL A/Watch Developing
 
Annexure - List of entities consolidated
Names of Entities Consolidated Extent of Consolidation Rationale for Consolidation
Uflex Limited Full consolidation Holding company
USC Holograms Pvt. Ltd. Full consolidation Subsidiary company
S.D.Buildwell Private Limited Full consolidation Subsidiary company
Flex Middle East FZE Full consolidation Subsidiary company
Flex Films Europa Sp. Z.o.o. Full consolidation Subsidiary company
Flex Films (USA) Inc Full consolidation Subsidiary company
UFlex Europe Limited Full consolidation Subsidiary company
Flex P. Films Egypt S.A.E. Full consolidation Subsidiary company
UFLEX Packaging Inc. Full consolidation Subsidiary company
UPET Holdings Limited Full consolidation Subsidiary company
Upet Singapore Pte. Ltd. Full consolidation Subsidiary company
Flex P. Films (Brasil) Commercio De Films Plasticos Ltda Full consolidation Subsidiary company
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  2175.00  CRISIL A/(Watch) Developing      14-05-19  CRISIL A/Stable    --    --  -- 
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  25.00  CRISIL A1/(Watch) Developing      14-05-19  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
Letter of Credit 25 CRISIL A1/Watch Developing Letter of Credit 25 CRISIL A1
Long Term Loan 923 CRISIL A/Watch Developing Long Term Loan 923 CRISIL A/Stable
Proposed Fund-Based Bank Limits 477 CRISIL A/Watch Developing Proposed Fund-Based Bank Limits 477 CRISIL A/Stable
Working Capital Facility 775 CRISIL A/Watch Developing Working Capital Facility 775 CRISIL A/Stable
Total 2200 -- Total 2200 --
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
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt
The Rating Process
Understanding CRISILs Ratings and Rating Scales

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