Press Release Forum Projects Private Limited

Press Release

Forum Projects Private Limited March 18, 2021 Ratings Amount Rating Action Type of facility Ratings1 (Rs. Crore) CARE BB+; Stable Long Term Bank Facilities 70.00 Reaffirmed (Double B Plus; Outlook: Stable) Long Term/Short Term CARE BB+; Stable/CARE A4+ 20.00 Reaffirmed Bank Facilities (Double B Plus; Outlook: Stable/ A Four Plus) 90.00 Total (Rs. Ninety Crore Only) Details of instruments/facilities in Annexure-1; for classification of instruments/facilities please refer to Annexure-3 Detailed Rationale and Key Rating Drivers The rating assigned to the bank facilities of Forum Projects Private Limited (FPPL) continue to remain constrained by slow traction in the sales for the project- ‘Atmosphere’ along with delay in receipt of committed stage payment from the customers resulting in tight liquidity position. It also factors in the proposed cost and time overrun for the on-going projects, risk of non-renewal of lease agreements after the lock-in period, leveraged capital structure marked by moderate debt protection matrix and risk inherent to real estate sector. The rating however continues to derive strength from the experienced promoters with established brand image of the group in the real estate sector, favorable location of the projects with major regulatory approvals in place, achievement of financial closure with timely infusion of funds by the promoters and presence of escrow account with the lenders.

Rating Sensitivities Positive factors  Successful completion of the on-going projects with significant pickup in the sales momentum such that construction cost and debt obligation are covered adequately. Negative factors Sustained slowdown in the sales of balance inventory coupled with further delay in receipt of stage payments from the sold units/ spaces Further delay/deferment in achievement of COD for the Galleria Mall Project i.e. beyond June, 2021 Detailed Description of key rating drivers Key Rating Weaknesses Slow traction in the sales for the Project - ‘Atmosphere’ along with delay in receipt of committed stage payment from the customers High end luxury residential project - ‘Atmosphere’ was launched in Jun-2011 and the construction for the same has successfully completed in December, 2018 with construction work left for upper two floors in both the towers. However, around 0.90 lsf area (i.e. ~15% of total saleable area) which comprises of 15 dwelling units is yet to be sold. The movement of inventory has remained reasonably slow since inception because of higher ticket size of the dwelling units along with delay in the receipt of committed stage payment from the customers resulting in tight liquidity position. Further, Outbreak of COVID-19 and its after effects has also impacted the demand for high ticket real estate dwelling units. Nevertheless, slow but steady improvement in the overall economic environment coupled with partial occupancy certificate which has already been received, the management senses acceleration in the sales in the coming months. Risk of non-renewal of lease agreements after the lock-in period The Galleria Mall is a retail cum commercial complex, wherein the company has already sold around 2.30 lsf till Dec’20 (1.74 lsf till Aug’20) and has successfully entered into lease agreements with prospective tenants for around 1.41 lsf; collectively aggregating to around 99% of the total saleable/leasable area. However, there exists a risk of non-renewal of rent agreements and/or renegotiations of lease rental post expiry of the lock-in period. Nevertheless, given the past track record of the group in Mall management coupled with reputed brands (anchor stores occupying around 75% of total leasable area provides comfort to some extent.

Moderate risk associated with timely completion of project marked by extension of COD Construction activities were shut down from March 24, 2020 till May 31, 2021 attributable to country-wide lockdown due to COVID-19 outbreak. Thus, the company had requested to its lenders/concerned authorities for extension of COD of the projects and the same has already been approved. Consequently, there has been time as well as cost overrun in the both on-going projects.

1Complete definitions of the ratings assigned are available at www.careratings.com and in other CARE publications. 1 CARE Ratings Limited

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Now, the on-going projects (i.e. Footprints and Galleria Mall) are proposed to be developed at an estimated total project cost of around Rs.239 crore (revised from ~Rs.211 cr). However, more than 93% of total revised project cost (i.e. Rs.160.76 cr.) for Galleria had already been expended till December 31, 2020. Further, the project- ‘Galleria’ is nearing towards completion and is expected to become operational by June 2021 (revised from July 2020). Project Footprints is also in line with the revised project construction schedule (i.e. Dec’2021) and around 94% of total revised project cost (i.e. Rs.78.57 cr.) has already been expended till December 31, 2020. Timely completion of the projects within the revised estimated cost remains a key rating sensitivity. Leveraged capital structure Leveraged capital structure is marked by high overall gearing of 3.15 times as on March 31, 2020 as against 4.33 times as on March 31, 2019. The company has total debt of Rs.458.22 cr. as on March 31, 2020 which includes term debt of Rs.218.99 cr. from banks/NBFCs, preference share of Rs.75 cr. and unsecured loan of Rs.163.90 cr. from related parties. Risk inherent to real estate sector Kolkata real estate sector is highly fragmented and the local players provide stiff competition. The industry is capital intensive and highly cyclical. However, Kolkata premium/ sub-premium residential real estate industry is less sensitive to any economic slowdown owing to lack of entry of national level players due to dearth of investor confidence controlling supply side factors and good demand from end driven users. Further the real estate market is negatively related with the interest rate cycle. High interest rate discourages buyers from borrowing to finance real estate purchases and also increases the cost of construction for developers. The banks have already taken a cautious approach and have reduced their exposure to the sector and hence, most developers now rely on their private sources/ customer advances for the project funding. Key Rating Strengths Experienced promoters with established brand image of the group in the real estate sector Promoters of FPPL are in the business of real estate development for over five decades in the Eastern India having base in Kolkata, West Bengal. Over the period of time they have built-up area of approximately 40.0 lakh sq. ft., with landmark projects like Forum Shopping Mall in Kolkata, Forum Mart in Bhubaneswar, Infinity and Technopolis-I buildings at Salt Lake Sector V in Kolkata. Currently, the day to day operations are looked after by Mr. Rahul Saraf, Managing Director, having more than two decades of experience in the Real Estate Industry. Favorable location of the projects equipped with modern amenities The project ‘Atmosphere’ and ‘Footprints’ are located in one of the prime locations of Kolkata (i.e. EM Bypass and Ballygunge) and will cater to the premium/ ultra-premium residential real estate market in Kolkata. Given the limited supply of premium residential projects in the area, supply demand fundamentals may outweigh depressed macro- economic environment. The ongoing residential projects are equipped with modern facilities/ amenities which includes clubhouse with gymnasium, indoor games, banquet hall, swimming pool etc. The upcoming ‘Galleria Mall’ is first of its kind in Rourkela, with no other big malls in the city. Due to presence of residential townships and colleges in the close vicinity, the mall is expected to garner good response post its proposed opening in Q2FY22 (revised from Q2FY21). Major regulatory approvals already in place The company has received all the major approvals from the appropriate authority(s) which includes police department, airport authority, urban land ceiling, height clearance, microwave, water, electricity, fire & emergency, environmental clearance. All projects have been registered under their respective Real Estate Regulation Act barring ‘Galleria’ Project at Rourkela whose registration is under process. Further, the company has also received partial completion certificate for the Project-‘Atmosphere’ from Kolkata Municipal Corporation dated January 03, 2019. Achievement of financial closure for on-going projects and timely fund infusion by the promoters FPPL has an ongoing residential (i.e. Footprints based at Kolkata, West Bengal) and a commercial project (i.e. Galleria based at Rourkela, Odisha) proposed to be developed at a total project cost of around Rs.239 crore (revised from ~Rs.211 cr.). The total project cost of Rs.239 cr. is being financed through promoter contribution of Rs.95 crore, customer advances of Rs.67 cr. and debt of ~Rs.77 crore. The financial closure for the debt portion has already been achieved. These projects are in advance stages of completion and till December, 2020, FPPL has expended around Rs.224 crore which is financed through promoter’s contribution of Rs.75 crore, customer advance of ~Rs.79 crore and debt to the tune of ~Rs.70 crore. Presence of escrow account with the lenders There is escrow mechanism for all the projects under which the company shall open, establish and maintain the escrow account with the Account Bank acceptable to lender. The said account shall be maintained and operated by the borrower during the entire tenure of the facility and shall not be closed without the prior written approval of the lender. All the scheduled receivables, payments related to the projects are to be routed through the said account and thereafter the monies shall be utilized firstly towards due interest and secondly towards the principal repayment of facilities. Further, the amount repaid through escrow account as mandatory pre-payments will be adjusted towards the quarterly instalments as payable in the forward order of maturity i.e. on FIFO basis.

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Liquidity: Stretched

The company had availed the moratorium till August 31, 2020 on its debt repayment obligations pursuant to COVID-19 regulatory relief package announced by the RBI. Nevertheless, the liquidity position of FPPL is expected to remain stretched during first half of FY22 mainly on account of delay in receipt of committed stage payments from the customers and the slow traction in the sale which is largely attributable to COVID19 induced stress in real estate sector. The company had therefore requested its lenders to revise/ extend the COD of Galleria Mall by 12 months and the same has also been approved by the lenders with revised COD in July 2021. Further, the company has also availed low-cost term debt under Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) to the tune of around Rs.66 crore pertaining to Atmosphere and Footprints Projects. The same has been/ would be utilized for pre/repayment of debt in Q4FY21 and FY22 and thereby save the interest cost through reduction of high cost debt. However, the company has unsold inventory of more than Rs.164 crore (approx., based on avg. sales price) which will be gradually liquidated to service the debt obligations thereby provides cushion to some extent. Industry Outlook The Real Estate sector is expecting to see a lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, economic recovery and departure of pandemic would remain crucial for sentiments to improve. Further, despite the reforms introduced by the government of India toward the Real Estate sector, the complete recovery is still expected to take a year as negative consumer sentiments and macro headwinds continue to persist. Besides this, New project launches in the industry are to be impacted during the ongoing financial year as developers focus on completion of under-construction properties and clearing their existing inventories. Moreover, restricted lending by banks and other financial institutions will also deter developers from announcing new projects.

Analytical Approach: Standalone Applicable Criteria Criteria on assigning ‘Outlook’ and ‘credit watch’ to Credit Ratings CARE’s Policy on Default Recognition Financial ratios – Non-Financial Sector Liquidity analysis of non-financial sector Criteria for short term instruments Rating Methodology- Real Estate Sector

About the Company Incorporated in 1982, Forum Projects Private Limited (FPPL) is a part of the Forum Group, promoted by Late Mr. S. M. Shroff. The group is primarily engaged in the business of real estate development and caters to both the commercial and residential segments in Eastern India. The group has successfully undertaken construction of several projects in Eastern India, with a total built-up area of approximately 40.0 lakh sq. ft., with landmark projects like Forum Shopping Mall in Kolkata, Forum Mart in Bhubaneshwar, Infinity and Technopolis-I buildings at Salt Lake Sector V in Kolkata. The day to day affairs of the company are looked after by Mr. Rahul Saraf (son of Late Mr. S.M. Shroff) having experience of over two decades in the Real Estate Industry and is supported by a team of experienced professionals having wide knowledge and expertise. Brief Financials (Rs. crore) FY19 (A) FY20 (A) Total operating income 4.69 8.76 PBILDT 3.07 4.74 PAT 0.46 0.56 Overall gearing (times) 4.33 3.15 Interest coverage (times) NM NM A: Audited, NM: Not Meaningful Status of non-cooperation with previous CRA: Not Applicable Any other information: Not Applicable Rating History for last three years: Please refer Annexure-2 Complexity level of various instruments rated for this company: Annexure-3

Annexure-1: Details of Instruments/Facilities Size of the Rating assigned Name of the Date of Coupon Maturity Issue along with Rating Instrument Issuance Rate Date (Rs. crore) Outlook Fund-based - LT-Term - - June, 2027 70.00 CARE BB+; Stable Loan Non-fund-based - LT/ CARE BB+; Stable / - - - 20.00 ST-Bank Guarantees CARE A4+

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Annexure-2: Rating History of last three years

Current Ratings Rating history Name of the Type Rating Date(s) & Date(s) & Date(s) & Date(s) & Sr. Amount Instrument/Bank Rating(s) Rating(s) Rating(s) Rating(s) No. Outstanding Facilities assigned in assigned in assigned in assigned in (Rs. crore) 2020-2021 2019-2020 2018-2019 2017-2018 1)CARE BB+; Stable 1)CARE CARE BB+; Fund-based - LT-Term (21-Sep-20) BBB-; Stable 1. LT 70.00 Stable - - Loan 2)CARE BBB- (04-Oct-19)

(CWN) (07-May-20) 1)CARE BB+; Stable / 1)CARE CARE BB+; CARE A4+ BBB-; Stable Non-fund-based - LT/ Stable / (21-Sep-20) 2. LT/ST 20.00 / CARE A3 - - ST-Bank Guarantees CARE A4+ 2)CARE BBB- (04-Oct-19) / CARE A3

(CWN) (07-May-20)

Annexure-3: Complexity Sr. No. Name of the Instrument Complexity Level 1. Fund-based - LT-Term Loan Simple 2. Non-fund-based - LT/ ST-Bank Guarantees Simple Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument: CARE has classified instruments rated by it on the basis of complexity. This classification is available at www.careratings.com. Investors/market intermediaries/regulators or others are welcome to write to [email protected] for any clarifications.

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Analyst Contact Group Head Name - Mr. Abhishek Khemka Group Head Contact no.-(033) 4018 1610 Group Head Email ID- [email protected]

Relationship Contact Name: Lalit Sikaria Contact no. : 033 – 4018 1607 Email ID: [email protected]

About CARE Ratings: CARE Ratings commenced operations in April 1993 and over two decades, it has established itself as one of the leading credit rating agencies in India. CARE is registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and also recognized as an External Credit Assessment Institution (ECAI) by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). CARE Ratings is proud of its rightful place in the Indian capital market built around investor confidence. CARE Ratings provides the entire spectrum of credit rating that helps the corporates to raise capital for their various requirements and assists the investors to form an informed investment decision based on the credit risk and their own risk-return expectations. Our rating and grading service offerings leverage our domain and analytical expertise backed by the methodologies congruent with the international best practices. Disclaimer CARE’s ratings are opinions on the likelihood of timely payment of the obligations under the rated instrument and are not recommendations to sanction, renew, disburse or recall the concerned bank facilities or to buy, sell or hold any security. CARE’s ratings do not convey suitability or price for the investor. CARE’s ratings do not constitute an audit on the rated entity. CARE has based its ratings/outlooks on information obtained from sources believed by it to be accurate and reliable. CARE does not, however, guarantee the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. Most entities whose bank facilities/instruments are rated by CARE have paid a credit rating fee, based on the amount and type of bank facilities/instruments. CARE or its subsidiaries/associates may also have other commercial transactions with the entity. In case of partnership/proprietary concerns, the rating /outlook assigned by CARE is, inter-alia, based on the capital deployed by the partners/proprietor and the financial strength of the firm at present. The rating/outlook may undergo change in case of withdrawal of capital or the unsecured loans brought in by the partners/proprietor in addition to the financial performance and other relevant factors. CARE is not responsible for any errors and states that it has no financial liability whatsoever to the users of CARE’s rating. Our ratings do not factor in any rating related trigger clauses as per the terms of the facility/instrument, which may involve acceleration of payments in case of rating downgrades. However, if any such clauses are introduced and if triggered, the ratings may see volatility and sharp downgrades.

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