Rating Rationale
June 04, 2024 | Mumbai
Valiant Organics Limited
Ratings downgraded to 'CRISIL A-/Negative/CRISIL A2+'
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.370 Crore
Long Term RatingCRISIL A-/Negative (Downgraded from 'CRISIL A/Negative')
Short Term RatingCRISIL A2+ (Downgraded from 'CRISIL A1')
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 downgraded its ratings on the bank facilities of Valiant Organics Limited (VOL) to ‘CRISIL A-/Negative/CRISIL A2+ from ‘CRISIL A/Negative/CRISIL A1’.

 

Rating action reflects continued moderation in the business risk profile of the company on account of subdued demand and fall in realization along with lower fixed cost absorption.

 

Revenue for the fiscal 2024 moderated to around Rs 677 crore, a year-on-year degrowth of ~26% mainly due to slower-than-expected recovery over the medium term. Performance in the H2FY24 remained under pressure owing to continued macro-economic headwinds in both the agrochemicals and pigment segments. The company incurred operating loss of Rs 17 crore in H2 FY24. This plummeting margin is also on account of low-capacity utilisation resulting in lower absorption of fixed cost amid tepid demand from the end user segment. Company’s working capital cycle has also been stretched.

 

The ratings continue to reflect VOL's established market position and healthy financial risk profile. These rating strengths are partially offset by VOL's exposure to volatile commodity prices, cyclicality in domestic end-user industries and moderately high working capital requirements.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description

Strengths:

  • Established market position in the chemicals industry: VOL's promoters have been engaged in the chemical intermediates business for over three decades which has enabled them to develop strong understanding of market dynamics and establish healthy relations with customers and suppliers. VOL has a diversified business profile with diversity at product, geography, customer and end-use industry level.

 

  • Satisfactory financial profile: The financial risk profile metrics continue to remain strong, with a robust networth to be around Rs 665 crore as on March 31, 2024. This supports the financial flexibility of the company. Supported by a robust networth and low dependence on external debt, the capital structure is comfortable with gearing around 0.32 time as on March 31, 2024. This is expected to remain comfortable going forward.. Debt protection metrics are moderate, with interest cover and net cash accruals to adjusted debt ratios (NCAAD) around 2.19 (12.6 Times in FY 23) times and 0.14 times (0.43 time in FY 23), respectively in fiscal 2024.

 

Weaknesses:

  • Exposure to volatile commodity prices: The prices of raw material inputs, which are derivatives of crude oil, are volatile, thus impacting profitability. The international market prices of raw materials follow the petrochemicals cycle. However, order-backed sales and pass on of volatility in raw material prices to customers will continue to support VOL's operating margin.

 

  • Susceptibility to adverse changes in government regulations, and to cyclicality in domestic end-user industries: The inorganics chemicals business is highly susceptible to government regulations, and any unfavorable changes in policies can strain profitability. Hence, entities in this segment will also remain exposed to cyclicality in end-user industries over the medium term.

Liquidity: Adequate

Bank limit utilization is low at around 50 percent for the past twelve months ending March 2024.  Cash accruals are expected to be over Rs 50 Crores which is sufficient against term debt obligation of Rs 40-45 Crores over the medium term. In addition, it will act as cushion to the liquidity of the company. Current ratio is moderate at 0.99 times on March 31, 2024. Moderate cash and bank balance of around Rs. 32 Lacs as on March 31, 2024.    Low gearing and moderate net worth support its financial flexibility and provides the financial cushion available in case of any adverse conditions or downturn in the business.

Outlook: Negative

Scale of operations and profitability may remain constrained amid tepid demand which may impact business risk profile over the medium term.

Rating Sensitivity factors

Upward factors

  • Sustained revenue growth supported by growth in volume sales on the back of increased offtake and sustained operating margin of above 12% resulting in higher cash accruals.
  • Sustenance of financial risk profile and working capital management.

 

Downward factors

  • Decline in scale of operations with operating margin remaining below 8%, hence leading to much lower net cash accruals.
  • Stretch in its working capital requirements thus weakening its liquidity & financial profile.

About the Company

The company is engaged in the business of manufacturing speciality chemicals.

About the Group

Established in 1984 as Valiant Chemical Corporation and then later changed to Valiant Organics Limited (VOL) in 2005, the company is engaged in the business of manufacturing specialty chemicals. The company is promoted by Gogri,Chedda and Gala families and is based out of Mumbai, Maharashtra. The company acquired Abhilasha Tex Chem Pvt. Ltd  in 2017 and Amarjyot Chemical Limited in March 2019.

Key Financial Indicators

As on/for the period ended March 31

Unit 

2024

2023

Operating income

Rs.Crore

680

912

Reported profit after tax

Rs.Crore

(3.30)

76

PAT margins

%

NM

8.33

Adjusted Debt/Adjusted Networth

Times

0.32

0.33

Interest coverage

Times

2.19

12.67

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 instrument Date of allotment Coupon rate (%) Maturity date Issue size (Rs.Crore) Complexity levels Rating  assigned with outlook
NA Cah Credit NA NA NA 5 NA CRISIL A-/Negative
NA External Commercial Borrowings NA NA Sep-2024 6.86 NA CRISIL A-/Negative
NA FCNR (B) Long Term Loan NA NA Feb-2025 13.71 NA CRISIL A-/Negative
NA Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee NA NA NA 10 NA CRISIL A2+
NA Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility NA NA NA 20.43 NA CRISIL A-/Negative
NA Short Term Bank Facility# NA NA NA 67.5 NA CRISIL A2+
NA Term Loan NA NA Sep-2026 99 NA CRISIL A-/Negative
NA Working Capital Facility NA NA NA 147.5 NA CRISIL A-/Negative

#Interchangeable with cash credit limit

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/ST 360.0 CRISIL A2+ / CRISIL A-/Negative 23-02-24 CRISIL A/Negative / CRISIL A1 20-11-23 CRISIL A/Negative 06-10-22 CRISIL A/Stable   -- CRISIL A-/Positive
      --   -- 17-04-23 CRISIL A/Stable 04-03-22 CRISIL A/Stable   -- --
      --   -- 01-02-23 CRISIL A/Stable   --   -- --
Non-Fund Based Facilities ST 10.0 CRISIL A2+ 23-02-24 CRISIL A1 20-11-23 CRISIL A1 06-10-22 CRISIL A1   -- --
      --   -- 17-04-23 CRISIL A1 04-03-22 CRISIL A1   -- --
      --   -- 01-02-23 CRISIL A1   --   -- --
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Cash Credit 5 Citibank N. A. CRISIL A-/Negative
External Commercial Borrowings 6.86 Standard Chartered Bank Limited CRISIL A-/Negative
FCNR (B) Long Term Loan 13.71 Citibank N. A. CRISIL A-/Negative
Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee 10 HDFC Bank Limited CRISIL A2+
Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 20.43 Not Applicable CRISIL A-/Negative
Short Term Bank Facility& 67.5 Citibank N. A. CRISIL A2+
Term Loan 36.5 The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited CRISIL A-/Negative
Term Loan 50 Citibank N. A. CRISIL A-/Negative
Term Loan 12.5 HDFC Bank Limited CRISIL A-/Negative
Working Capital Facility 120 The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited CRISIL A-/Negative
Working Capital Facility 20 HDFC Bank Limited CRISIL A-/Negative
Working Capital Facility 7.5 Standard Chartered Bank Limited CRISIL A-/Negative
&interchangeable with cash credit limit
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 Chemical Industry
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt

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