PR

Press Release
ARASU AUTOS - THANJAVUR
October 17, 2023
Rating Reaffirmed and Issuer not co-operating

Product	Quantum (Rs. Cr)	Long Term Rating	Short Term Rating
Bank Loan Ratings	7.00	ACUITE B+ \| Reaffirmed \| Issuer not co-operating*	-
Bank Loan Ratings	0.75	-	ACUITE A4 \| Reaffirmed \| Issuer not co-operating*
Total Outstanding Quantum (Rs. Cr)	7.75	-	-

Rating Rationale

Acuité has reaffirmed the long-term rating of ‘ACUITE B+’ (read as ACUITE B plus) and short-term rating of ‘ACUITE A4’ (read as ACUITE A four) on the Rs. 7.75 crore bank facilities of ARASU AUTOS THANJAVUR (AAT). The rating continues to be flagged as “Issuer Not-Cooperating” and is based on the best available information.

About the Company

Arasu Auto (Thanjavur) was established in the year 1990 and is engaged in 2W dealership of Bajaj Auto in Thanjavur under the brand name Arasu Bajaj. The operations of the firm are managed by Mr. R.Thirunavukkarasu, Managing Partner who has over two decades of experience in this line of business. Arasu Auto (Thanjavur) has around 15 branches for two wheelers across Thanjavur and is the sole dealer for Bajaj Auto Limited in this region.

Non-cooperation by the issuer/borrower:

Acuité has been requesting for data, information and undertakings from the rated entity for conducting surveillance & review of the rating. However, the issuer/borrower failed to submit such information before the due date.
Acuité believes that information risk is a critical component in such ratings, and non-cooperation by the issuer along with unwillingness to provide information could be a sign of potential deterioration in its overall credit quality.
This rating is, therefore, being flagged as “Issuer not-cooperating”, in line with prevailing SEBI regulations and Acuité’s policies.

Limitation regarding information availability:

The rating is based on information available from sources other than the issuer/borrower (in the absence of information provided by the issuer/borrower). Acuité endeavored to gather information about the entity/industry from the public domain. Therefore, Acuité cautions lenders and investors regarding the use of such information, on which the indicative credit rating is based.

Rating Sensitivity

No information provided by the issuer / available for Acuite to comment upon.

All Covenants

Not Applicable.

Liquidity Position

No information provided by the issuer / available for Acuite to comment upon.

Outlook

Not Applicable.

Other Factors affecting Rating

Not Applicable.

Key Financials

Particulars	Unit	FY 18 (Provisional)	FY 17 (Actual)
Operating Income	Rs. Cr.	27.91	31.50
PAT	Rs. Cr.	0.43	0.61
PAT Margin	(%)	1.53	1.93
Total Debt/Tangible Net Worth	Times	0.58	0.49
PBDIT/Interest	Times	1.41	1.56

Status of non-cooperation with previous CRA

Not Applicable.

Any other information

Acuité is yet to receive the latest No Default Statement (NDS) from the rated entity, despite repeated requests and follow-ups.

Applicable Criteria

• Trading Entities: https://www.acuite.in/view-rating-criteria-61.htm
• Default Recognition: https://www.acuite.in/view-rating-criteria-52.htm
• Application Of Financial Ratios And Adjustments: https://www.acuite.in/view-rating-criteria-53.htm

Note on Complexity Levels of the Rated Instrument

In order to inform the investors about complexity of instruments, Acuité has categorized such instruments in three levels: Simple, Complex and Highly Complex. Acuite’ s categorisation of the instruments across the three categories is based on factors like variability of the returns to the investors, uncertainty in cash flow patterns, number of counterparties and general understanding of the instrument by the market. It has to be understood that complexity is different from credit risk and even an instrument categorized as 'Simple' can carry high levels of risk. For more details, please refer Rating Criteria “Complexity Level Of Financial Instruments” on www.acuite.in.

Rating History

Date	Name of Instruments/Facilities	Term	Amount (Rs. Cr)	Rating/Outlook
20 Jul 2022	Cash Credit	Long Term	7.00	ACUITE B+ ( Issuer not co-operating*)
20 Jul 2022	Bank Guarantee	Short Term	0.75	ACUITE A4 ( Issuer not co-operating*)
21 Apr 2021	Cash Credit	Long Term	7.00	ACUITE B+ (Issuer not co-operating*)
21 Apr 2021	Bank Guarantee	Short Term	0.75	ACUITE A4 (Issuer not co-operating*)
23 Jan 2020	Bank Guarantee	Short Term	0.75	ACUITE A4 (Issuer not co-operating*)
23 Jan 2020	Cash Credit	Long Term	7.00	ACUITE B+ (Issuer not co-operating*)

Annexure - Details of instruments rated

Lender’s Name	ISIN	Facilities	Date Of Issuance	Coupon Rate	Maturity Date	Quantum (Rs. Cr.)	Complexity Level	Rating
Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Limited	Not Applicable	Bank Guarantee/Letter of Guarantee	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	0.75	Simple	ACUITE A4 \| Reaffirmed \| Issuer not co-operating*
Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Limited	Not Applicable	Cash Credit	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	7.00	Simple	ACUITE B+ \| Reaffirmed \| Issuer not co-operating*

Contacts

Analytical Details	Contact Details
Mohit Jain Senior Vice President - Rating Operations Tel: 022–49294017 mohit.jain@acuite.in Abhishek Singh Analyst - Rating Operations Tel: 022-49294065 abhishek.s@acuite.in	Contact details exclusively for investors and lenders Mob: +91 8591310146 Email ID: analyticalsupport@acuite.in Tel: 022-49294011 rating.desk@acuite.in

About Acuité Ratings & Research

Acuité is a full-service Credit Rating Agency registered with the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The company received RBI Accreditation as an External Credit Assessment Institution (ECAI) for Bank Loan Ratings under BASEL-II norms in the year 2012. Acuité has assigned ratings to various securities, debt instruments and bank facilities of entities spread across the country and across a wide cross section of industries. It has its Registered and Head Office in Kanjurmarg, Mumbai.

Disclaimer: An Acuité rating does not constitute an audit of the rated entity and should not be treated as a recommendation or opinion that is intended to substitute for a financial adviser's or investor's independent assessment of whether to buy, sell or hold any security. Ratings assigned by Acuité are based on the data and information provided by the issuer and obtained from other reliable sources. Although reasonable care has been taken to ensure that the data and information is true, Acuité, in particular, makes no representation or warranty, expressed or implied with respect to the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of the information relied upon. Acuité is not responsible for any errors or omissions and especially states that it has no financial liability whatsoever for any direct, indirect or consequential loss of any kind, arising from the use of its ratings. Ratings assigned by Acuité are subject to a process of surveillance which may lead to a revision in ratings as and when the circumstances so warrant. Please visit our website (www.acuite.in) for the latest information on any instrument rated by Acuité. Please visit https://www.acuite.in/faqs.htm to refer FAQs on Credit Rating.