Rating Rationale
January 24, 2024 | Mumbai
Leap Agri Logistics (Guwahati) Private Limited
'CRISIL A+ / Stable' assigned to Bank Debt
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities RatedRs.34 Crore
Long Term RatingCRISIL A+/Stable (Assigned)
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1 crore = 10 million
Refer to Annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities

Detailed Rationale

CRISIL Ratings has assigned its CRISIL A+/Stable’ rating to the bank facilities of Leap Agri Logistics (Guwahati) Private Limited (LALGPL).

 

The rating reflects benefits of long-term concession agreement with Food Corporation of India (FCI), extensive experience of promoters, funding support from parent providing financial flexibility and comfortable coverage metrics with presence of reserve for DSRA. These strengths are partially offset by the limited track record of operations and operational risk associated with unplanned outages.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description

Strengths:

  • Benefits of long-term concession agreement with Food Corporation of India (FCI): LALGPL has entered into a concession agreement with FCI (rated at CRISIL AAA(CE)/Stable/CRISIL A1+) on 15th September 2016 to set up an integrated storage facility comprising of 4 silos well-connected with railway sidings for foodgrain with a storage capacity of 50,000 MT on DBFOT basis. With strong counterparty and nodal agency for development of modern grain silos across India, the regulatory and offtake risks are mitigated. For use of the silos over a period of 30 years from the appointed date, LALGPL will continue to receive fixed rental from FCI, which provides stable income visibility for LALGPL. Furthermore, with these fixed rentals (depending on normative capacity) and variable charges (depending on occupancy), a fair escalation is the rates are expected. Any development leading to significantly lower revenues, escalation multipliers and/or higher O&M expenses exerting pressure on SPVs debt servicing capabilities remain a key monitorable.

 

  • Extensive experience of promoters: LALGPL is a part of Hyderabad based Leap India group. It is primarily held by Leap India Food logistics Pvt Ltd (LIFLPL). The group has been promoted by Mr. Rajeev Karthikeyan and Mr. Anurag Malempati. The promoters have varied entrepreneurship experience. The promoters, through their other group concerns operate in the education, renewable energy and automobile sectors. This has given them an understanding of the market and helped them establish meaningful relationships with its stakeholders, such as the concession authority, FCI. Promoters’ extensive experience will continue to benefit the business in the long run.

 

  • Funding support from parent providing financial flexibility: Leap India Food Logistics Private Limited (LIFLPL), holding 67% stake in the SPV, has raise equity investments worth USD 200 million from GIC (Government of Singapore Investment Corporation) for development of such silos via other SPVs under the parent. The aforesaid equity is being deployed in ongoing projects and for bidding for other SPV assets. Furthermore, Happzee Technologies Private Limited (HTPL), holding 60% stake in LIFLPL has also raised equity investments of Rs 190 crore from Siemens Financial Services GMBH for the same purpose. These are long-tenured instruments, and the coupon and principal payment have no scheduled due date. Moreover, the promoters have set aside Rs 25 crore in form of FDs for contingency. The aforesaid funding support from parent, strengthens the SPVs financial flexibility and as such LIFLPL is estimated to have cash and cash equivalent of Rs 125 crore as on December 31, 2023.

 

  • Comfortable coverage metrics with presence of reserve for DSRA provides comfort: LALGPL’s coverage metrics are expected to remain comfortable over the debt tenure. The debt structure of the SPV requires it to maintain an escrow account with the lending bank and all the cash flows of the project are deposited in the escrow account, having waterfall mechanism. Further, as per the sanctioned terms, LALGPL is maintaining a DSRA equivalent to three months of debt servicing obligations for the project loan, which provides comfort.

 

Weakness:

  • Limited track record of operations and operational risk associated with unplanned outages: Operations commenced in fiscal 2022 with receipt of first rental payment in November 2021. Hence, the first full year of operations was fiscal 2023 only, where revenues were estimated to be around Rs 10.2 crore against actual average storage capacity utilization of 77%, which improved to 80% in H1 of fiscal 2024 generating revenue of Rs 5.9 crore.

 

Though FCI provides payment security in form of default escrow account mechanism and issue of Letter of Credit (LC), aside the asset insurance cover, any outages in the storage facility could lead to higher-than-expected O&M expenses or charges for damages, significantly lowering fixed rentals and thus, revenues. Stability in operations, regular O&M mitigating needs for major overhaul and longer track record of steady cash flows is a key monitorable.

Liquidity: Adequate

Average and minimum debt service coverage ratio for next 3 years stands at 1.2 times and it is expected to improve over the tenor of the currency loan in absence of debt funded capex and withdrawals of surplus cash profits, coupled with repayment of term debt as scheduled. Comfort drawn from funding support from parent and guarantees provided by FCI in form of termination payment and waterfall mechanism for use of funds available in escrow account. Furthermore, debt service reserve account (DSRA) equivalent to three months of debt (interest and principal) obligation is being maintained.

Outlook Stable

CRISIL Ratings believes LALGPL will continue to benefit from long term concession agreement with Food Corporation of India (FCI).

Rating Sensitivity factors

Upward factors:

  • Track record of operations coupled with steady cash flows
  • DSRA covering 6 months interest plus principal
  • Substantial improvement in financial performance of the sponsors providing financial flexibility

 

Downward factors:

  • Decline in DSCR to less than 1.1 times due to wavering of fixed charges on account of low occupancy caused due to major haul and/or time overrun in maintenance
  • Delays in receipt of rentals, causing cash flow mismatches, lowering liquidity buffer
  • Capital expenditure plans and their funding and/or refinancing

About the Company

LALGPL, part of Hyderabad based Leap India group, was incorporated in August 2016. The SPV has equity share holding of Leap Space and Logistics Pvt Ltd and Leap India Food Logistics Pvt Ltd in the ratio 33:67, and is engaged in development and operating silos terminals for storage of wheat for Food Corporation of India (FCI) under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode located at Changsari, Assam and has commenced operations in October 2021. It operates 4 silos units with a total installed capacity of 50,000 MT on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis. LALGPL is currently managed by Mr. Anurag Malempati and Mr. Rajeev Karthikeyan.

Key Financial Indicators

As on / for the period ended March 31

 

2023

2022

Operating income

Rs crore

10.23

4.24

Reported profit after tax

Rs crore

1.31

9.57

PAT margins

%

12.8

225.5

Adjusted Debt/Adjusted Net worth

Times

36.47

4.47

Interest coverage

Times

2.16

1.84

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 Level

Rating assigned
with outlook

NA

Working Capital Term Loan

NA

NA

Mar-27

2.5

NA

CRISIL A+/Stable

NA

Term Loan

NA

NA

Jun-33

2.63

NA

CRISIL A+/Stable

NA

Term Loan

NA

NA

Nov-33

28.75

NA

CRISIL A+/Stable

NA

Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility

NA

NA

NA

0.12

NA

CRISIL A+/Stable

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 34.0 CRISIL A+/Stable   --   --   --   -- --
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of Bank Lenders & Facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Name of Lender Rating
Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 0.12 Not Applicable CRISIL A+/Stable
Term Loan 2.63 State Bank of India CRISIL A+/Stable
Term Loan 28.75 State Bank of India CRISIL A+/Stable
Working Capital Term Loan 2.5 State Bank of India CRISIL A+/Stable
Criteria Details
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition

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