Rating Rationale
September 11, 2024 | Mumbai
Unihealth Consultancy Limited
Rating reaffirmed at 'CRISIL BB-/Stable'
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.2 Crore
Long Term RatingCRISIL BB-/Stable (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 BB-/Stable rating on the long term bank facilities of Unihealth Consultancy Limited (UCL, part of Unihealth Group).

 

The rating reflects the group's established operations through its subsidiaries in Africa and expertise of the promoters in healthcare industry as well as comfortable financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by high geographical concentration in the African region, and working capital intensive operations.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at its ratings, CRISIL Ratings has consolidated the business and financial risk profiles of UCL along with its subsidiaries and joint venture, Aryavarta FZE, Bio Health Limited, Unihealth (T) Limited, Unihealth Uganda Limited, UMC Global Health Limited, Victoria Hospitals Limited, Unihealth Pharmaceuticals Private Limited and UHS Oncology Private Limited, Unihealth Holdings Limited, UMC Hospitals Private Limited  collectively referred to as the Unihealth group, as they are in the similar line of business and have significant operational and financial linkages.

 

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:

  • Extensive experience of promoters in the healthcare industry and established operations: The promoters, Mr. Akshay Parmar and Dr. Anurag Shah have an established experience of more than a decade in the healthcare industry. This has enabled the establishment of network of hospitals and medical centers across Uganda, Nigeria and Tanzania, among others. Additionally, the group also provides project consultancy services, in setting and managing hospitals. The steady growth in operations, primarily in the Africa region, has resulted in a strong revenue growth from Rs 22 crores in fiscal 2020 to around Rs 47 crores in fiscal 2024. The established experience of promoters and track record of managing operations should continue to support the group’s business risk profile over the medium term.

 

  • Comfortable financial risk profile: Overall financial risk profile of the group is comfortable as reflected in the net worth of Rs 78.4 crores as on March 31, 2024 mainly due to the fund raised in fiscal 2024 by IPO as compared to 19.6 crores a year ago. The capital structure has improved significantly on the back of same as reflected in the gearing and total outside liability to adjusted net worth ratio of 0.19 times and 0.3 to 0.4 times respectively as on March 31, 2024 (2 times and 2.6 times a year ago). The debt protection measures also remains adequate with interest cover and net cash accruals to adjusted net worth ratio of 5.9 times and 0.8 times in fiscal 2024 (3.8 times and 0.2 times a year ago). Overall financial risk profile should improve further over the medium term with steady accretion to the reserves.

 

Weaknesses:

  • High geographical concentration in Africa region: As the group derives a bulk of its revenues from African countries such as Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria, it exposes it to significant risk of geographical diversification. The group’s revenues thus remain susceptible to the geopolitical environment, any depreciation in the currency in the region, including regulatory changes or occurrence of any events which could impact the business risk profile.

 

  • Working capital intensive operations: The working capital cycle is intensive as reflected in gross current assets which ranged at 300 days as on March 31, 2024 due to high debtors of 250 days and moderate inventory of 15-30 days. Debtors are high due to extended credit period of 6-9 months primarily extended to government customers. Working capital cycle is expected to continue to remain intensive over the medium term.

Liquidity: Stretched

Cash accrual are expected to be over Rs 14-16 crores should be sufficient against term debt obligation of Rs 3.5 crore in fiscal 2025 and 2026. The company does not have any bank limits. Liquidity is further supported in the form of unsecured loans from promoters with need-based funding support expected to continue. Cash and cash equivalents stood at Rs 29 crores as on March 31, 2024.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL Ratings believe the group will continue to benefit from the extensive experience of its promoter, and established operations.

Rating sensitivity factors

Upward factors:

  • Steady growth in the revenues while diversifying its geographical presence leading to African region contributing below 70% to overall group sales.
  • Sustained healthy financial risk profile.

 

Downward factors:

  • Further stretch in working capital cycle with GCA above 350 days.
  • Any sharp fluctuations profitability or large debtor write offs or large dividend payouts impacting net cash accruals and liquidity.

About the Group

UCL, part of the Unihealth group was incorporated in 2010 by Mr. Anurag Shah and Mr. Akshay Parmar, as Unihealth Consultancy Private Limited and later reconstituted as a public limited company in 2023. Headquartered in Mumbai, UCL operates in the field of medical tourism and hospital management, and distributorship of medical equipment. The company also operates and manages hospitals and medical centers in Africa though its subsidiaries.

 

The company is in process of getting listed on Small and Medium Enterprise (“SME”) platform of National Stock Exchange (NSE).

Key Financial Indicators: Consolidated

As on / for the period ended March 31

Unit

2024

2023

Operating income

Rs crore

48.75

44.15

Reported profit after tax

Rs crore

10.38

7.66

PAT margins

%

20.8

17.3

Adjusted Debt/Adjusted Net worth

Times

0.19

2.00

Interest coverage

Times

5.4

3.7

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  Proposed Fund-Based Bank Limits  NA  NA  NA  2 NA  CRISIL BB-/Stable 

Annexure – List of entities consolidated

Names of Entities Consolidated

Extent of Consolidation

Rationale for Consolidation

Aryavarta FZE

Full

Common management and engaged in the same line of business with operational and financial linkages to the extent of consolidation

Bio Health Limited

Unihealth (Tanzania) Limited

Unihealth Pharmaceutical Limited

Unihealth Holdings Limited

UMC Hospitals Private Limited

Victoria Hospitals Limited

UMC Global Health Limited

UHS Oncology Private Limited

Unihealth (Uganda) Limited

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 2.0 CRISIL BB-/Stable   -- 31-07-23 CRISIL BB-/Stable   -- 30-06-21 Withdrawn CRISIL D
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Proposed Fund-Based Bank Limits 2 Not Applicable CRISIL BB-/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
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation

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