The first phase of the Navi Mumbai airport will now cost Rs. 135.6 billion, which is about 50% higher than the previous project estimate.
On Saturday, airport developer GVK group announced that it had tied up with Yes Bank as lead lender for the project. Global analytical company CRISIL has assigned its A+ stable rating to the long-term bank facility of Rs. 103 billlion that Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL) has availed of. “We are in a non-disclosure agreement with Yes Bank, which does not allow us to share any of the finer details of the phase I project financing for NMIAL,” GVK said.
For arriving at the rating, CRISIL considered the business and financial risk profiles of NMIAL. In addition, CRISIL believes NMIAL, being a subsidiary of Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), will benefit from the parent’s managerial, operational, and financial strengths. Both companies will serve the common catchment of Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
“CRISIL understands MIAL will provide timely support, articulated below, to NMIAL for implementation and stabilisation of operations. The criteria for parent notch-up framework has been applied to arrive at the final rating of NMIAL,” the agency said in a rating rationale issued on July 7.
CRISIL noted that MIAL has a track record of timely completion of Terminals 1 and 2 of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA). The management support is through common board directors and senior management deputed from MIAL, which has also provided sponsor undertaking for shortfall in termination payment and cost overrun.
“Additionally, MIAL has provided corporate guarantee for equity contribution into NMIAL and shortfall in base case debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) up to four years from the start of commercial operations,” CRISIL noted.
NMIAL is critical for MIAL on account of the latter’s majority ownership, the scale of Navi Mumbai airport project, and the strategic importance of NMIAL to MIAL for growth, given the operational constraints at MIAL, it said.
Since the project is also being monitored by the State government and the Ministry of Civil Aviation for streamlining implementation issues, CRISIL believes such focus will aid the implementation of the project.
Risk exposure
The rating rationale noted that land acquisition and clearances were in advanced stages and pre-development work involving land filling and diversion of Ulwe River, which will be carried out by CIDCO, are of moderate complexity and in progress. As per the CIDCO’s estimate Phases 1 and 2 of the airport would cost around Rs. 95 billion.
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