Dear Members,
Your Board of Directors are pleased to present their Board Report
together with the Audited Financial Statements of theCompanyforthefinancial
Financial Summary
Particulars |
Financial year ended March 31, 2024 |
Financial year ended March 31, 2023 |
Total Revenue |
1,444.67 |
1,616.57 |
Profit before Interest, |
230.24 |
256.28 |
Depreciation & Tax |
|
|
Less: Interest |
1.62 |
1.19 |
Less: Depreciation |
51.47 |
54.39 |
Profit before tax |
177.14 |
200.70 |
Less: Tax Expenses |
45.79 |
52.02 |
Net Profit after tax |
131.35 |
148.68 |
Earnings per share of face value of Rs. 10 each -Basic |
7.88 |
8.92 |
Earnings per share of face value of Rs. 10 each -Diluted |
7.85 |
8.89 |
Performance of the Company
During the year under review both the domestic and global economies
faced a mix of challenges and opportunities, shaped by various geopolitical and
socio-economic factors. Though the domestic economy continues to show resilience, the
global economies continue to be looming under the recessionary pressures. its long-term
vision of doubling its market share in Given the ongoing uncertainties, your Company had
to maintain a balanced approach by strategically managing both price and volume; thereby
resulting in a modest growth of 2% in volumes for the year but for a price drop of over
12%. The de-growth in revenues of around 11% from Rs. 1,611 Crores in FY 2022-23 to Rs.
1,437 Crores in FY 2023-24; was both in domestic as well as in the international markets.
Your Company remains committed to its ethical business strategy, ensuring that all
customers receive top-quality products and services promptly.
Domestic Market
Your Company recorded a Net Domestic turnover of Rs. 965 Crores for the
year under review. Our deep engagement with customers and our supply reliability continue
to hold us in good stead in the domestic market. China being the largest manufacturer and
market for rubber chemicals accounts for about 80% of world's rubber chemical
production and consumes about 35% of the rubber chemicals, resulting in exportable
surplus. The subdued demand in international markets, including China itself, has resulted
in surge in supply from China thereby exerting pressure on volume and price dynamics both
in the domestic and international markets. India, being the third largest market for
rubber chemicals and in absence of any trade barriers, is exposed to continual aggressive
dumping in finished goods as well as its penultimate intermediates
Exports
Despite the challenging environment, it is worthwhile to note that our
continuous efforts to bolster our export business has started yielding positive traction.
We have almost clocked a double-digit volume growth on an annual basis in exports despite
the current circumstances. It is important to highlight that though the latex part of our
exports business has remained flat in Malaysia, our non-latex products business has
developed on a positive trajectory.
On the revenue front we recorded a turnover of Rs. 473 Crores as
against Rs. 491 Crores thereby registering a drop of 4%. Global customers continue to
value the strengths and capabilities of your Company. The capacities on hand, will enable
your Company to leverage growth opportunities to fulfil global space.
We believe that the +1 strategy with a One-stop shop offering continues
to be an important differentiator for NOCIL when our customers look for security of supply
chain from a medium to long term perspective.
Operations
The production of all products was aligned with the large marketing
conditions prevalent due to the slowdown during a large part of the year.
On the inputs front for most part of the year, the raw material largely
derived its price trends from crude/benzene. We continue to build stronger association
with local supplier/ developing new suppliers to help secure volumes with cost advantages
and lower lead time. Operation excellence measures resulted in an overall reduction of
utilities costs during the year.
Projects
There are a few ongoing capital expenditures regarding environmental
aspects as well as some de-bottlenecking initiatives taken by your Company. We have
capitalised such initiatives of Rs. 27.62 Crores during the financial year 2023-24 and
expect to complete few other projects in the next financial year.
With an aim to achieve its long-term objective, your Company has
announced a capex program towards enhancement of its capacity for an amount not exceeding
Rs. 250 Crores duly approved by the Board.
This capex is in-line with your Company's overall objective of
establishing NOCIL as a strong global rubber chemicals partner to the rubber industry.
The funding for this project is largely through internal accruals.
Finance Rating
During the year under review, the Company judiciously utilised
it's resources and consequently, generated cash profits for the whole year and in
effect was not required to utilise any fund based working capital facilities for most part
of the year. The Company has therefore remained debt free.
The Credit Ratings Agencies CARE and CRISIL Limited have reaffirmed
CRISIL AA for long term Bank Facilities (Term loan as well as Fund Based facilities) and
CARE A1+ (A One plus) and CRISIL A1+ (stable) rating for short term Non-Fund Bank
facilities, respectively.
Insurance
The Company has taken all the necessary steps to insure its properties
and insurable interests, as deemed appropriate and as required under the various
legislative enactments.
There were no major incidents or accidents to warrant
Insurance claims during the year under review.
Dividend Policy
In terms of Regulation 43A of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and
Disclosure Requirements), Regulations, 2015 as amended, the Board of Directors have duly
approved and adopted a Dividend Distribution Policy attached as Annexure "G".
The said Policy is also available on the Company's website, the weblink of
which is as under: https://www.nocil.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/
Dividend-Distribution-Policy-2018.pdf
Dividend Pay-out
The Board of Directors at their meeting held on May 29, 2024
recommended a dividend of Rs. 3 per Equity share of the face value of Rs. 10/- each to be
paid to those shareholders whose names appear in the Register of Members of the Company or
in the records of Depositories as beneficial owners of Equity Shares as on July 26, 2024.
This is subject to approval of the shareholders at the forthcoming 62nd Annual General
Meeting convened on August 08, 2024. The cash outflowon account of dividend (if approved)
will involve a sum of
Rs. 49.99 Crores (Previous year Rs. 49.99 Crores) which will be
utilised from the Free Reserves prevailing as on the date of the 62nd Annual
General Meeting.
Dividend in case of non-KYC compliant Folios:
Shareholders may kindly note that pursuant to SEBI Circular
SEBI/HO/MIRSD/MIRSD-PoD-1/P/CIR/2023/37 dated March 16, 2023 effective April 01, 2024,
dividend payments shall be withheld in case of shares held in physical mode where any of
the KYC details viz PAN, choice of Nomination, Contact ratings details, Mobile
number, Bank detailsas CARE AA (Double A) (Stable) and Specimen signatures are not
updated as on the record date for payment of dividend viz July 26, 2024. Further, pursuant
to SEBI Circular- SEBI/HO/MIRSD/MIRSD-PoD-1/P/ CIR/2023/37 dated March 16, 2023, an
intimation in this regard has been sent to the shareholders holding shares in physical
mode on May 31, 2024 about the need for updation of KYC details. Shareholders are
requested to update the KYC details by submitting the relevant ISR forms duly filled in
along with self-attested supporting proofs. The forms can be downloaded from the websites
of the Company and the RTA.
Transfer of Unpaid Dividend and corresponding Equity Shares to the
Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF)
Pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, read
with the IEPF Authority (Accounting, Audit, Transfer and Refund) Rules, 2016 ("the
IEPF Rules"), all unpaid or unclaimed dividends are required to be transferred by the
Company to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF); established by the
Government of India, after completion of seven (7) years from the date it became due for
payment. Further, according to the IEPF Rules, the shares on which dividend has not been
paid or claimed by the shareholders for seven consecutive years or more shall also be
transferred to the demat account of the IEPF Authority.
The total amount lying in the Unclaimed Dividend Account of the Company
as on March 31, 2024 in respect of the last seven years from FY 2016-17 to FY 2022-23 is
Rs. 3.73 Crores. During the year under review, all unclaimed / unpaid dividend up to FY
2015-16 amounting to Rs. 0.43 Crores have been transferred to the Investor Education and
Protection Fund and unclaimed / un-encashed dividend for the FY 2016-17 paid on July 27,
2017, are due for transfer to IEPF on September 02, 2024. As per the IEPF Rules, as
amended, the due date for transfer of Equity Shares in respect of Dividend pertaining to
the Financial Year 2015-16 was September 02, 2023. The Company had intimated the concerned
Shareholders (individually) and also published requisite notices in the newspapers
intimating the shareholders about the impending transfer and the procedure for claiming
the same.
In compliance with the Amended Rules, during the year, the Company has
transferred 1,78,484 Equity shares to the designated demat account opened by IEPF
Authority with NSDL through Punjab National Bank, owned by those shareholders holding
shares both in dematerialised form as well as physical form, who had not encashed their
Dividend for a period of 7 years or more beginning from the Financial Year 2015-16. The
shares held in demat/physical mode were transferred during September 2023.
The Company has also uploaded the details of the shareholders whose
shares were liable to be transferred to IEPF on its website viz., www.nocil.com.
The nodal officer for the purpose of Compliances relating to IEPF is
Mr. Amit K. Vyas, Assistant Vice-President (Legal) & Company Secretary of the Company.
The details of the same are mentioned on the website of the Company. The web link is as
under. https://www.nocil.com/information-for-shareholders/#unlclaimed_dividend
Fixed Deposits
Your Company does not accept deposits from public, and hence there are
no outstanding/unclaimed deposits as of
March 31, 2024.
Health, Safety and Environment (HSE)
HSE has always been a core value of the Company and a top priority in
all its manufacturing and all other business activities leading towards long term
sustainability of the Company.
Safety is paramount when dealing with hazardous chemicals and
processes. We encourage a high level of awareness of safety issues among our employees,
including contract employees, and strive for continuous improvement. Employees are trained
in safe practices to be followed at the workplace. High emphasis is placed on laid down
policies, systems, and procedures. Reporting of Near Miss Incidents' and
its investigation and unique practice of Safety Attitude Encouragement'
(SAE) rounds by the Operations team helped build a very strong safety culture across the
organisation over the years. With a view to improve the safety culture, measurable Key
Performance Indicators (KPIs), Leading Indicators and Lagging Indicators are reviewed in
monthly Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Review Meetings which are chaired by
Managing Director of the Company. No reportable incident is recorded during the year.
We are one of the leading members of Local and District
Crisis Group and have earned reputation amongst society around and
statutory authorities for prompt support during
Disaster Management events. The Company conducts scheduled mock drills
for emergency scenarios with the active involvement of its staff and occasionally, in the
presence of external stakeholders.
Process Safety Management is an essential part of risk assessment using
HAZOP / HAZAN / PSSR / LOPA
techniques. All Plant changes, modifications, new project
implementation etc undergoe risk assessment studies before implementation.
Environment protection and adherence to pollution control norms is of
high concern for your Company. Through research, innovation, and responsible manufacturing
practices, we strive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve water resources, and
reduce energy consumptions. We have a program in place for waste management using the 3Rs
Strategy (Reduce, Reuse & Recycle) techniques. Novel Effluent Treatment
techniques are employed at our state-of-the-art Dahej plant. A team of
R&D scientists are exclusively focusing on Green Chemistry
and Environmental Research.
Regular workplace monitoring is carried out for Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOC), Boiler and Process Stack emissions, Noise and Illumination levels,
Ambient Air Quality, to ensure safe and healthy work environment.
The Company was audited for Responsible Care (RC) certification
by a team of experts from the Indian Chemical Council (ICC) in the month of November 2023,
and the ICC was pleased to renew the Responsible Care certification for a
further period of three years i.e. from February 2024 to January 2027. NOCIL is one of the
only 83 companies in India that holds certification for Responsible Care'
the Global Chemical Industry's initiative, focussed on Environmental,
Health, and Safety (EHS) improvements since2018.TherenewalofitsResponsibleCarecertification
demonstrates the Company's dedication to conserving energy, preserving natural
resources, preventing pollution, and safeguarding the well-being of individuals.
A well-equipped Occupational Health Centre (OHC) at all the
manufacturing facilities carries out regular and periodic medical check-up of all
categories of employees and counselling sessions are held, individually and in groups, to
increase the health awareness amongst them. Health
Awareness programmes were conducted during the year on relevant topics
of Lifestyle Changes, Heart ailments etc.
Total Quality Management (TQM)
NOCIL continues to focus on Total Quality Management (TQM) practices to
improve competitiveness in the business and is one of the prime enablers for growth. By
implementing TQM, the Company gets improved access to global markets, higher customer
retention levels, less time required to develop new innovations, and a reputation as a
quality firm. TQM is an integral part of the business from sourcing of inputs to meeting
the customer's needs. The Company has established management systems and processes in
line with global business standards at each step and built on continual improvement
recommendations emanating from various audits by customers and certifying agencies.
Your Company is certified for ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management
System), ISO 14001: 2015 (Environment Management System), ISO 45001: 2018 (Occupational
Health & Safety Management System), IATF 16949:2016 (Automotive Quality Management
System) and ISO 50001:
2018 (Energy Management System).
Quality Assurance and Marketing Technical Service laboratories at Navi
Mumbai are accredited as per ISO 17025:2017 which increases customer confidence in our
test certificates. The Company has implemented sustainability frameworks to reduce GHG
emissions and mitigate wasteful spending while streamlining processes to be more
efficient. The
Company has disclosed climate change data on CDP
(Carbon Disclosure Project) platform to build trust through
transparency and respond to rising environmental concerns among the public and has also
signed a near term commitment with SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative)
with the objective to systematically chalk out a roadmap
& actions to reduce overall emissions and to prevent the worst
impact of climate change.
Sustainability Initiatives: - Integration of Environmental, Social
& Governance (ESG) principles into the Company's Operations
In its pursuit of attaining Sustainability Goals, the
Company is successfully integrating ESG parameters in its operations.
This strategic approach aims to leverage any potential opportunities
stemming from enhanced environmental management, improved social performance, and
strengthened governance principles. The Company's ESG Charter' is
formulated to assist the Board and Management in their oversight responsibilities,
concerning critical issues. These include Climate change crisis, protection of Human
Rights, DE&I, Occupational Health & Safety, and other ESG aspects that are
relevant and material to the Company. Furthermore, the Company is fully aware It alsoof
the environmental ramification recognises the importance of social and governance factors
in building a sustainable and effective investment strategy. Moreover, the Company remains
dedicated to maximising the value for all stakeholders by incorporating strategies that
attach prime importance to environmental
Sustainability, while concurrently upholding Human Rights and
Governance parameters. In sync with this approach, the Company's ESG programme
considers Sustainability as one of its strongest pillars and also encompasses broader
Social and Corporate Governance aspects for greater good. By adopting and implementing a
strong and meaningful ESG programme, the Company has been able to establish clear
environmental goals aimed at reducing its carbon footprint, determining sourcing
strategies, and laying a foundation for waste reduction initiatives. From the social
impact lens, the Company strives to create a meaningful diversity programme, enhance
employee well-being, and leave a lasting impact on the community. A strong governance
foundation coupled with firmly rooted business ethics has enabled the Company to enhance
stakeholder transparency and protect privacy.
The Business Responsibility & Sustainability Report (BRSR)
In compliance with SEBI circular SEBI/HO/CFD/CMD-2/P/ CIR/2021/562
dated May 10, 2021, the Company came out with its first BRSR for the FY 2022-23
The BRSR seeks disclosures from listed entities on their performance
against the Nine (9) Principles of the National Guidelines on Responsible
Business Conduct' (NGBRCs) and reporting under each principle is divided into
essential and leadership indicators. The BRSR is intended towards having quantitative and
standardised disclosures on ESG parameters to enable comparability across Companies,
sectors.
The BRSR format was further amended by SEBI Circular
SEBI/HO/CFD/CFD-SEC-2/P/CIR/2023/122 dated July 12, 2023 vide which the report is now
termed as BRSR Core
which is a sub set of the BRSR consisting of a set of
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) /metrics under the Nine
(9) ESG attributes . The Company forms part of the list of the top one
thousand (1000) Companies based on market capitalisation (as on March 31, 2024) and is
mandatorily required to prepare a BRSR Core as a part of the Annual
Report for the FY 2023-24.
The Company has accordingly prepared the Business Responsibility
& Sustainability Report Core as a separate section which forms part of the Annual
Report 2023-24. As a proactive measure towards its Sustainability measures, the BRSR Core
of the Company has been subjected to a Limited Assurance' by TUV-SUD.
An Independent Assurance Statement furnished by TUV-SUD is also annexed to the BRSR
Core.
The Company's efforts to achieve best Sustainability Standards
have been recognised by the following prestigious awards:
(i) The Company's Sustainability Report 2022-23 won the coveted
LACP Award (PLATINUM) Best Report in Chemicals sector. This is a global level
recognition accorded to NOCIL's Sustainability Report by the League of American
Communications Professionals LLC (LACP) which has conferred the coveted LACP Award
(PLATINUM) for being the Best Sustainability Report in the Chemicals sector.
(ii) The Company also bagged 3 awards for Best Sustainability
Initiatives in 2023 at the 2nd India Sustainability Conclave and Awards
2023 on
November 02, 2023 under the aegis of Transformance Business
(iii) The Company was selected as a winner at the India
Risk Management Awards at CNBC-TV18 India Risk Management Awards Season
10 (category
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT -
Mid-Cap)This prestigious award recognises the exceptional achievements
of the organisation in the field of Regulatory Compliance Management (as a part of its
Risk Mgt initiatives).
Research & Development
The Research & Development (R&D) Centre of your Company, works
with a vision to develop products and innovate process technologies in rubber chemical
manufacture with a focus on customer's current & emerging requirements and to
create a sustainable future. The strategic objective of the R&D Centre of the Company
is to develop and create a one-stop solution for all rubber chemicals by broadening the
product range and to fulfil Plus One strategy. The R&D Centre of NOCIL is dedicated
towards your Company's motto The Ethics of Excellence' without
compromising on product quality, consistency, and customer satisfaction. The R&D
Centre of NOCIL focuses on the principles of Green Chemistry, Green Engineering,
Sustainability, Carbon Neutrality, 3Rs Strategy (Reduce, Reuse & Recycle),
4.0 to develop environmentally safe, greener, and cost-effective manufacturing processes
and products. Your Company R &D Centre has state-of-the-art facilities for research in
Rubber Chemicals & their application in Rubber articles and a team that includes
experienced R&D scientists, chemists, engineers/technologists, taking relentless
effort to excel in the development of newer technologies to improve the manufacturing
processes. They aim to fulfil the Company's vision to be a global, customer-focused,
and innovative organisation in the field of rubber chemicals. The R&D Centre of your
company is recognised by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR),
Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt of India.
The R&D team of your Company is actively involved in collaborative
research work to explore newer research domains with India's premier research and
academic institutes such as the Indian Institute of Technology- Risk Management Madras;
the Institute of Chemical Technology- Mumbai and the University of Mumbai.
The focus of the R&D Centre of NOCIL is on the following areas:
Continual assessments of new-generation technologies, evaluate their
adaptability for product and process, perform improvements in the current manufacturing
processes to enhance productivity, production capacity, improve product quality, process
economics, and reduce the carbon and water footprint of manufacturing processes and
products.
Develop improved, sustainable & patented process technologies for
existing products and intermediates and also new generation Rubber Chemicals to broaden
the product portfolio.
Development of niche intermediates, customised and sustainable products
by exploring innovative technologies and renewable resources to fulfil the requirements of
customers and business the requirement of China sustainability.
Development of cleaner, cost-effective and innovative manufacturing
processes, and environmental technologies in line with the current and future
sustainability needs and implementation of the
3Rs Strategy (Reduce, Reuse & Recycle) in product and
process improvements.
Support the technologies for debottlenecking of plants and those in the
stage of expansion to reduce manufacturing costs, improve atom economy, and improve
overall productivity.
Relentless and continuous efforts of the R&D Centre of
NOCIL to improve in the above-mentioned areas have resulted in
reduction of raw material usage and carbon and water footprint, an increase in product
capacity, new products, and the development of improved cleaner and safer process
technologies. Our R&D initiatives have helped to continually improve and ensure
long-term business sustainability in rubber chemicals and explore new business segments
and portfolios.
Risk Assessment and Management
TheCompanyhasawell-in place, as a part of its good Corporate Governance
practices and considers Risk Management to be fundamental to good management practice and
a significant aspect of Corporate Governance. Effective management of Risk has enabled the
Company to minimise the adverse effects of such risks encountered from time to time
thereby ensuring that the achievement of the Company's strategic and operational
objectives is not significantly altered. The purpose is to identify and review past events
/ incidents and implement changes to prevent or reduce future undesirable incidents. Your
Company aims to use Risk Management to take better informed decisions and improve the
performance thereby achieving its strategic and operational objectives. To address any
risk factors that may arise on account of the regulatory changes/amendments as applicable
to the
Company are being followed and monitored closely. The Company has
adopted a Risk Management Policy (the Policy) and formed a Risk Management Committee (the
Committee) in accordance with the provisions of the Act and Regulation
21 of the SEBI (LODR) Regulations, 2015. In terms of the Policy, the Committee reviews on
a periodic basis the Risks relating to Enterprise Risk Management (ERP)
Sustainability, Business Continuity Process Technology updates, Competitor
Action Plans, Cyber/I/T related Risks, Forex risks, Legal &
Statutory Compliances, Human Capital and Succession Planning,Exploration
of diversification opportunities in related areas of strength from time to time to ensure
that business vulnerabilities are not dependent on a single segment, Investment
Proposals under implementation and to take corrective action wherever necessary to
minimise time and/or cost overruns.
The Company has also appointed a Chief Risk Officer (CRO)
who is a dedicated functionary conversant with the intricacies of business operations and
the associated risks for ensuring control and monitoring of the implementation of the
Policy. The CRO does not simultaneously hold or lead any specialised full-fledged function
which would result in conflict with his role as CRO. The composition of the Risk audit
observations Management Committee (RMC), its terms of reference and number of Committee
meetings held during the year are given in the Corporate Governance Report. Group/Function
Heads who are accountable for the allocated risks are invited to the Committee
meetings for presentations wherein they highlight the measures taken towards handling the
risks. The Board also reviews on a quarterly basis a Risk Assessment Statement
which captures the overall assessment, control assessment and responsibility with a rating
on a scale of 1 to 5, in respect of Handling of Hazardous materials, Regulatory
compliance, Power outages, Volatility of availability and Process of raw materials,
Equipment failure, Risk of flooding of Plants issues that can impair the financial during
Monsoon, Patent infringement, Adverse changes in Global /National economic and
political scenarios, Logistic disruptions, Frauds, Inadequate I.T support, Non amicable
labour relations etc
The Risk Management Policy has been uploaded on the Company's
website. The link for accessing the said Policy is given here below:
https://www.nocil.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ NOCIL-RISK-MANAGEMENT-POLICY.pdf
Internal Control Systems and their Adequacy
Adequate internal controls, systems, and checks are in place and are
commensurate with the size of the Company and the nature of its business. The Management
exercises financial control on the Company's operations through a well-defined budget
monitoring process and specifying standard operating procedures. Your Company has
appointed an external professional agency M/s. Aneja Associates, Chartered Accountants, to
conduct the internal audit, and the findings and recommendations of the Internal Auditors
are placed before the Audit Committee of your Board periodically. The Internal Auditors
monitor and evaluate the efficacy and adequacy of internal controls in the Company, its
compliance with operating systems, accounting procedures and policies at all locations of
the Company. Based on the report of internal auditors, the Management undertakes
corrective action in the respective areas and thereby further strengthens the controls.
Significant and corrective actions thereon are presented to the Audit
Committee of the Board. The Audit Committee of the Board ensures that
necessary corrective actions suggested are put in place. In addition, during the year
under report, the Audit Committee and the Board have specifically reviewed the
Internal Financial Controls with reference to the Financial
Statements and process prevalent in the Company. On a case-to-case
basis, the Board also engages the services of professional experts in the said field, to
ensure that adequate financial controls and systems are in place. At the end of a period,
the Managing Director, and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) give a declaration in the
prescribed format to certify that the financial statements prepared are accurate and
complete in all aspects and that there are no significant of the Company.
Ethical Code of Conduct and compliance with Policies thereunder
Your Company has adopted an Ethical Code of Conduct (the Code) for
ensuring the highest degree of Transparency,
Accountability, Integrity, and Social Responsibility.
Any potential or actual violation of the Code is viewed very seriously
by the Company and disciplinary action is taken thereon. The Company has formulated a Vigil
Mechanism
& Whistle Blowing Policy as part of the Ethical Code
of Conduct, which lays down a mechanism for reporting of any instances of frauds,
unethical conduct, conflict of interests, non-compliance with legal provisions, misuse of
Company's assets or funds, falsification of records/accounts, Misuse of Unpublished
Price sensitive information viz Insider Trading, Instances of discrimination or unfair
labour practices, engagement of Child labour etc.
All the employees have been sensitised on the imperative need to comply
with the said Ethical Code of Conduct by way of deployment of impactful e-learning
modules in the form of short films based on the real-life scenarios and backed by the
NOCIL s core Policies. The said e-learning modules also have an in-built
mechanism for mandatory online testing to ensure that the Code is understood and complied
in letter and spirit by all the employees. The said e-learning modules cover the Policies
on Anti-corruption/ Anti-Bribery, Vigil mechanism/Whistle blower, social media, Gift
prohibition, Conflict of interest, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and anti-
Discrimination etc)
There have been no instances of Whistle blowing during the year under
review.
This Policy has been uploaded on the website of the Company and the
link for accessing the same is given below:
https://www.nocil.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/
Vigil_Mechanism_Whistle_Blower_Policy-2.pdf
Policy on Prevention of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace
Your Company is an equal employment opportunity
Company and is committed to creating a healthy and safe working
environment that enables Employees, Agents, Contractors, Vendors and Partners to work
without fear of prejudice, gender bias and sexual harassment. The Company also believes
that all employees have the right to be treated with dignity. Sexual harassment at the
workplace or other than workplace if involving employees is a grave offence and is,
therefore, punishable. The Company has therefore adopted and implemented a Policy
on Prevention of Sexual Harassment' (POSH Policy) with the objective to
provide protection against the sexual harassment of women at workplace and for prevention
and redressal of complaints of sexual harassment and for matters connected therewith. This
Policy is subject to and in pursuance of
Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and
Redressal) Act, 2013 and the Rules framed there under. In accordance with the said Act
and the POSH Policy, the Company has formed an Internal Committee (IC) to manage
the process of enquiry and redressal of complaints. The Company is regularly conducting
training programs for all the employees (whether on regular or on contracts and whether
permanent or temporary) across its
Plants, Head office and the Regional Offices educate them about the
acceptable and non-acceptable behaviour with respect to female employees. In this regard
the Company deployed an e-learning module (devised by an external professional software
developer on POSH) which not only trained the employees, but also subjected them to online
testing to verify the level of understanding of the
Policy for ensuring compliance in letter and spirit.
During the year under review, no complaints were received under POSH.
This Policy has been uploaded on the Company's website and is accessible on the below
link: https://www.nocil.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/
Policy-on-Prevention-of-Sexual-Harrasment.pdf
Number of Board Meetings
The Board of Directors met six (6) times during the financial year
under review as per details stated in the Corporate
Governance Report.
Details of Committee Meetings Audit Committee Meeting
The members of Audit Committee met four (4) times during the financial
year under review as per the details stated in the Corporate Governance Report.
Nomination & Remuneration Committee Meeting
The members of Nomination & Remuneration Committee met three (3)
times during the financial year under review as per the details stated in the Corporate
Governance Report.
Stakeholders' Relationship and Investors' Grievance Committee
The members of Stakeholders' Relationship and Investors'
Grievance Committee met once during the financial year under review as per the details
stated in the Corporate
Governance Report.
Risk Management Committee
The members of Risk Management Committee met two (2) times during the
financial year under details stated in the Corporate Governance Report.
Corporate Social Responsibility Committee
The members of Corporate Social Responsibility Committee met three (3)
times during the financial year under review as per the details stated in the Corporate
Governance Report.
Composition of Audit Committee:
The total strength of the Audit Committee is five (5) n of Directors),
Rules, 2014 asQualificatio Directors all of whom are Independent. The norms require at
least 2/3rd of the members to be Independent Directors. The composition of the Audit
Committee is given below:
Name of Members |
Category |
Mr. D.N. Mungale Chairman |
Independent Director |
Mr. Rohit Arora |
Independent Director |
Mr. Vilas R. Gupte |
Independent Director |
Mr. P. V. Bhide |
Independent Director |
Mr. Debnarayan Bhattacharya |
Independent Director |
During the year under review, all the recommendations made by the Audit
Committee were accepted by the Board.
Board Evaluation
Pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, as
amended from time to time and Regulations 17 and 25 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and
Disclosure Requirements), Regulations, 2015, the Board has carried out an annual
performance evaluation of its own performance, of individual Directors as well as the
evaluation of the working of its Audit, Nomination & Remuneration, and other
Committees. The various criteria considered for evaluation of Whole Time / Executive
Directors included qualification, experience, knowledge, commitment, integrity,
leadership, engagement, transparency, analysis, decision making, governance etc. The Board
commended the valuable contributions and the guidance provided by each Director in
achieving the desired levels of growth. This is in addition to evaluation of
Non-Independent Directors and the Board as a whole by the Independent Directors at their
separate meeting being held every year.
Declaration by Independent Directors as per the
As required under Section 149(7) of the Companies Act, 2013, read with
Regulation 16 of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements), Regulations,
2015, the Independent Directors have placed the necessary declaration of their
independence in terms of the conditions laid down under Section 149(6) of the Companies
Act, 2013, as amended, at the Board Meeting held on Wednesday, May 29, 2024. Further,
pursuant to the Companies (Appointment and the said declaration also includes a
confirmation to the effect that the Independent Directors have included their names in the
Database maintained by the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, and they have paid the
necessary fees for the said registration.
Familiarisation Programmes for the Independent Directors
The Company provides suitable familiarisation programmes to Independent
Directors to help them familiarise with the nature of the industry in which the Company
operates and the business model of the Company in addition to regular presentation on
expansion plans and their updates, technical operations, marketing and exports and
financialstatements. In addition to the above, Directors are periodically advised about
the changes effected in the Corporate, Listing Regulations about their roles, rights, and
responsibilities as Directors of the Company. There is a regular interaction of
Directors with the Key Management Personnel (KMPs) of the Company. The
details of the familiarisation programme have been disclosed and updated from time to time
on the Company's website and its web link is: https://www.
nocil.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Familiarization-Programme-for-IDS.pdf
Directors' Responsibility Statement
To the best of their knowledge and belief and according to the
information and explanations obtained by them, your Directors make the following
statements in terms of Section 134 (3)(c) of the Companies Act, 2013:
(a) That in the preparation of the Annual Financial
Statements for the year ended March 31, 2024, the Indian Accounting
Standards (Ind AS), the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, as applicable and
guidelines issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) have been followed
along with related party transactions made by the proper explanations relating to material
departures, if any.
(b) That such accounting policies as mentioned in Note 1 forming part
of the Financial Statements have been selected and applied consistently and judgment and
estimates have been made that are reasonable and prudent to give a true and fair view of
state of affairs of the Company as of March 31, 2024.
(c) That proper and sufficient care has been taken for the maintenance
of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Companies
Act, 2013 for safeguarding the assets of the Company and for preventing
and detecting fraud and other irregularities.
(d) That the annual financial statements have been prepared on a going
concern basis.
(e) That proper internal financial controls were in place and that the
financial controls were adequate and were operating effectively.
(f) That proper systems are devised to ensure compliance with the
provisions of all applicable laws were in place and were adequate and operating
effectively. (g) That all the applicable Secretarial Standards have been complied with by
the Company during the year under review. The above assessment of the Board was further
strengthened by periodic review of internal controls by both the internal as well as the
external auditors.
Remuneration policy
The Company has amended the Remuneration Policy as per recommendation
of the Nomination and Remuneration
Committee. The weblink of the Policy is: https://www.nocil.
com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Remuneration-Policy. pdf
Related Party Transactions
All related party transactions that were entered into during the
financial year were at an arm's length basis and were in the ordinary course of
business. There are no materially significant with Promoters, Directors, and Key
Managerial Personnel, wholly owned subsidiary Company or other designated with the persons
which may have a potential conflict interest of the Company at large except as stated in
the
Financial Statements / Directors' Report.
As per the Related Party Transactions Policy, approved by the Board of
Directors of the Company, during the year under review, the Company has entered into
related party transactions based upon the omnibus approval granted by the Audit Committee.
The Audit Committee reviewed such transactions on quarterly basis for which omnibus
approval was given.
Particulars of contracts or arrangements with related parties as
referred to in Section 188(1) of the Companies Act, 2013 along with the disclosures as
mentioned in Schedule V of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements)
Regulations, 2015 in the prescribed form AOC-2 for the F.Y. 2023-24 are given in Annexure
"F".
The current Related Party transactions (RPT)policy has been uploaded on
the Company's website and the weblink of the Policy is as under:
https://www.nocil.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ Policy-on-Related-Party-Transaction.pdf
Loans, Guarantees or Investments
Particulars of loans, guarantees or investments under Section 186 of
the Companies Act, 2013, are given in the
Notes forming part of Financial Statements for the year ended March 31,
2024.
Annual Return
The Annual Return of the Company for 2023-24 in Form MGT-7 pursuant to
the provisions of the Act and Rules made thereunder, is available on the Company's
Website at https://www.nocil.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ Annual-Return-2023-24.pdf
Subsidiary Company, Associates and Joint Ventures
PIL Chemicals Limited, (PIL), a Wholly Owned Subsidiary (WOS) of your
Company has recorded a Total Income of Rs. 21.36 Crores and Profit before Tax ofRs.
4.39 Crores, for the year under review. The Board of Directors of PIL declared an Interim
Dividend of Rs. 1.80/-per share and had recommended final dividend of Rs. 1.20 /- per
share. (Previous year Dividend was Rs. 1.45/- per share). The Company does not have any
material subsidiary, however, the Company has formulated a policy for determining material
subsidiary(ies) and such policy has been disclosed on the Company's website and its
weblink is https://www.nocil.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/
Policy-on-Material-Subsidiaries.pdf Pursuant to the requirements of Regulation 34 (3) read
with Schedule V of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements),
Regulations, 2015, the details of Loans /Advances made to, and investments made in the
Subsidiary have been furnished in Notes forming part of the Accounts. A statement
containing the salient features of the financial statements of the Company's Wholly
Owned Subsidiary under the provisions of section 129(3) of the Companies Act, 2013 read
with Rule 5 of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 has been annexed in prescribed Form
AOC -1. Further, the Company does not have any joint venture or associate companies
during the year or at any time after the closure of the year and till the date of the
report.
Consolidated Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared by the Company in
accordance with the applicable Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) issued by the Ministry
of
Corporate Affairs and the same together with Auditors' Report
thereon form part of the Annual Report. The financial statements have been prepared as per
Division II
of Schedule III issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs vide its
Notification dated April 06, 2016 as amended from time to time.
Personnel
The relations, during the year, between the employees and the
Management of your Company continued to be cordial. Your Directors wish to thank all the
employees for their continued support and co-operation during the year under review.
Stock Options
In terms of your approval, read with the SEBI (Employees Stock Option
Scheme and Employees Stock Purchase Scheme) Guidelines, 1999, as amended, the details
required to be provided under the said Guidelines are set out in Annexure "C"
to this Report.
Introduction of "NOCIL Ltd- Long-term Incentive Plan
2024 (LTIP)"
As an important organisational initiative to drive long term business
deliverables, it is proposed to seek approval of the shareholders at the 62nd Annual
General Meeting for the adoption and implementation of the LTIP in form of an
Equity based compensation Plan for eligible employees of the Company.
The proposed LTIP apart from being an effective tool to
recognise and reward talent is also expected to motivate and retain talent as an
Incentive. The underlying objective being to encourage employees for contribution to
corporate growth and to create an employee ownership culture. Under the proposed LTIP
it is proposed grant options aggregating to 85,00,000 shares of Rs. 10/- each in form
Employees Stock Options (ESOPs) and Performance Restricted Stock Units (PRSUs) to eligible
employees as per the discretion of the Nomination & Remuneration
Committee (NRC) to be empowered in this regard
Particulars of Employees
The information required under section 197 of the Companies Act, 2013
read with Rule 5 of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel)
Amendment Rules, 2016 in respect of employees of the
Company is provided in Annexure "E".
Appointment/Reappointment of Directors and Key Managerial Personnel
During the year under review Ms. Radhika Haribhakti (DIN - 02409519)
has been appointed as an Independent Director for a period of 5 years with effect from
August 01, 2023, and her appointment was approved by the shareholders by passing Special
resolution (through Postal Ballot) on September 22, 2023.
Mr. Ramesh Iyer (DIN - 00220759) and Mr. Sujal Shah (DIN - 00058019)
have been appointed as an Independent Directors for a period of 5 years with effect from
November 02, 2023 and their appointments have also been approved by the shareholders by
passing Special resolutions (through Postal Ballot) on December 22, 2023. Mr. Rohit Arora
(DIN - 00445753), Mr. D.N. Mungale (DIN - 00007563) and Mr. P.V. Bhide (DIN - 03304262)
cease to be Independent Directors of the Company on June 29, 2024, upon completion of
their second term. Ms. Dharmishta Raval (DIN - 02792246) would cease to be an
Independent Director of the Company on July 22, 2024, upon completion of her second
term. The Board would like to place on record its deep appreciation for the valuable
guidance and significant contributions made by Mr. Arora, Mr. PV Bhide, Mr. D.N Mungale
and Ms. Dharmishta
Raval during their tenure as Independent Directors with the
Company.
Mr. Debnarayan Bhattacharya (DIN - 00033553) was appointed as an
Independent Director for a period of
5 years w.e.f. July 30, 2019 at the 57th Annual General
Meeting of the Members of the Company held on July 30, 2019 and hence his existing first
2024. Based on the recommendations of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, the Board
of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on May 29, 2024, has appointed Mr.
Debnarayan Bhattacharya as an Additional Director (in the capacity of an Independent
Director), pursuant to Section 161 of the Companies Act, 2013 with effect from July 30,
2024. As per the provisions of said section, Mr. Debnarayan Bhattacharya officeas holds
Additional Director up to the date of the forthcoming 62nd Annual General Meeting convened
on August 08, 2024 and is required to be appointed as an Independent Director for a second
term of five (5) consecutive years w.e.f July 30, 2024 up to July 29, 2029 at the said
62nd Annual General Meeting. Mr. Debnarayan Bhattacharya has given his consent for
re-appointment for a second term of five (5) consecutive years beginning from July 30,
2024 and ending on July 29, 2029. As per Sections 149 and 152 of the Act and the Rules
framed thereunder, a person can be appointed /reappointed as an Independent Director
subject to approval of the Members by way of a Special Resolution to be passed at the next
General meeting or within a period of three months from the date of appointment, whichever
is earlier. Accordingly, approval of the Members is being sought for the re- appointment
of Mr. Debnarayan Bhattacharya as an Independent Director of the Company at the ensuing 62nd
Annual General Meeting convened on August 08, 2024. The Company has, in terms of Section
160(1) of the Act received in writing a notice from a Member, proposing his candidature
for the office of Director. Pursuant to Section 152(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 and the
Articles of the Association of the Company, Mr. Anand V.S. (DIN - 07918665) Managing
Director retires by rotation at the forthcoming 62nd Annual General Meeting. Being
eligible, he has offered himself for re-appointment. In terms of the Ordinary Resolution
passed by the shareholders at the 61st Annual General Meeting held on Monday, July 31,
2023, Mr. Anand V.S was appointed as the Managing Director for a period of five (5) years
with effect from August 01, 2023 up to July 31, 2028. Mr. Anand was made liable to
retire by rotation under section 152 of the Companies Act, 2013, subject to the condition
that if re-appointed as a Director immediately on retirement by rotation, he shall
continue to hold his office as Managing Director and such reappointment as a Director
shall not betermexpires construedJuly 29, as a break in his appointment as the
Managing Director.
Mr. Anand shall therefore serve his term in accordance with the said
approval granted by the shareholders and his contractual obligations with the Company.
There has been no other change in Key Managerial Personnel of the
Company during the year.
Statutory Auditors
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 139(1) and 139(2) of the
Companies Act, 2013, at the Annual General Meeting held on July 28, 2022, the Members had
accorded their approval for the re-appointment of M/s. Kalyaniwalla
& Mistry LLP, Chartered Accountants, Mumbai as the term of the
Statutory Auditors for the second and final
Company to examine and audit the accounts of the
Company for the Financial Years 2022-23 to 2026-27. They have confirmed
their eligibility under Section 141 of the Companies Act, 2013 and the Rules. As required
under Regulation 33(1) (d) of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements),
Regulations, 2015, the Auditors have also confirmed that they hold a valid certificate
issued by the Peer Review Board of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. The
amended provision of Section 139(1) of the Companies Act, 2013, has dispensed with the
each yearratification by the Members.
Explanations or comments on the qualification, reservation, adverse
remark, or disclaimer made by the Statutory Auditors or by Company Secretary in practice
in their report.
During the year under review, there are no qualifications, reservations
or adverse remarks or disclaimers made by the Statutory Auditors appointed under section
139 of the Companies Act, 2013. Hence, the need for explanation or comments by the Board
does not arise. The report of the Statutory Auditor forms a part of the financial
statements During the year under review, there were no material or serious instances of
fraud falling within the purview of
Section 143 (12) of the Companies Act, 2013 and Rules made there under,
by officers or employees were reported by the Statutory Auditors of the Company during the
course of the audit conducted and therefore no details are required to be disclosed under
Section 134 (3) (ca) of the Companies Act, 2013.
Cost Auditors
Pursuant to Section 148 of the Companies Act, 2013 read with the
Companies (Cost Records and Audit) Rules, 2014, the Cost Audit records maintained by the
Company are required to be audited. M/s. Kishore Bhatia & Associates, Cost Auditors
have given a Certificate to the effect that the appointment, be within the prescribed
limits specified under section 141 of the Companies Act, 2013.
The Audit Committee has obtained a certificatefrom the Cost Auditors
certifying their independence and confirming their arm's length relationship with the
Company. The Cost Audit Report in respect of FY 2022-23 was filed September 27, 2023 and
the Report for the FY 2022-23 will be filed within the time limit as prescribed under the
Companies (Cost Records and Audit), Rules, 2014. Your Directors, on the recommendation of
the Audit Committee, appointed M/s Kishore Bhatia & Associates to audit the cost
accounts of the Company for the FY 2024-25 on a remuneration of Rs. 0.095 Crores As
required under the Companies Act, 2013, the remuneration payable to the Cost Auditor is
placed before the Members at their 62nd Annual General Meeting for their ratification.
Secretarial Auditor
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 204 of the Companies Act, 2013
and the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, the
Board of Directors at its meeting held on May 29, 2023 appointed M/s. Parikh &
Associates., Company Secretaries, a firmof Company Secretaries in Practice as Secretarial
. Auditor to carry out the Secretarial Audit of the Company for
FY 2023-24. The Report of the Secretarial Audit is annexed herewith as
Annexure "B."
The Secretarial Audit Report does not contain any qualifications,
reservations or adverse remarks or disclaimer.
Further, PIL Chemicals Limited, is the only wholly owned subsidiary of
the Company and is not a material unlisted subsidiary. Therefore, the provisions regarding
the Secretarial Audit as mentioned in Regulation 24A of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and
Disclosure Requirements), 2015 as amended, do not apply to PIL Chemicals Limited.
Report on Corporate Governance
As per Regulation 34 read with Schedule V (C) of SEBI (Listing
Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) if made,will Regulations, 2015, a separate
section on Report on Corporate Governance practices followed by the Company, together with
a certificate received from the Company's
Secretarial Auditor confirming compliance is attached (Refer Page
No.122).
Report on Management Discussion and Analysis
As required under Regulation 34 read with Schedule V (B) of SEBI
(Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, a report on
"Management Discussion and Analysis" is attached and forms a part of this
Report.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Your Company treats CSR as "More than an obligation, more
than a duty". As a part of the Arvind Mafatlal Group, the Company firmly
believes that discharge of Corporate Social Responsibility in itself is a feeling that the
Company belongs to the people at large and more so to the people the
Company serves. Your Company has pledged its resources in
various sectors and is striving continuously with the sole objective of creating an
environment of well-being in all spheres of life. The group has been implementing a range
of CSR activities over the last fifty years, in areas like healthcare, education,
women's upliftment in rural India and environment protection.
The Company is a proud recipient of the coveted E.T-Legal CSR
initiatives award 2023 (organised by the Economic Times LEGAL Awards 2023)
to recognise, acknowledge and cement the groundbreaking contributions of the Legal
function towards the CSR initiatives. The Company also bagged the top honours in form of 3
prestigious awards recognising its contributions towards the best "Sustainability
initiatives" for CSR during 2023 at the 2nd India
Sustainability Conclave and Awards 2023 held on November 02, 2023 under the aegis of Transformance
Business Media in the categories of: Reduction of
Poverty';
Promotion of Education for Economically Backward
sections'; and Supporting Rural Healthcare'.
In line with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 as amended from
time to time and the Rules framed there under with respect to the Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR), the Company has formulated a Policy on CSR and has also constituted
a CSR Committee to recommend and monitor expenditure on CSR. In terms of the requisite
requirements, due processes and controls have been set up by the Company to ensure that
all CSR contributions sanctioned by the CSR Committee are expended by the relevant
organisations for the purpose for which it was sanctioned. The details of CSR Expenditures
are given in the prescribed format which form part of this Report.
The same is annexed as Annexure "A."
The Company continues to actively support deserving social causes for
improvement and upliftment of various sections of the society as has been its practice for
past several years.
Other Particulars
Additional information on Conservation of energy, technology
absorption, foreign exchange earnings and outgo as required to be disclosed in terms of
section 134(3) (m) of the Companies Act, 2013, read with Rule 8 of the Companies
(Accounts) Rules 2014 is set out in Annexure "D" and forms part of this
Report.
In commitment to keep in line with the Green Initiative and going
beyond it, the Company shall be sending the Annual Report for the F.Y. 2023-24 through
electronic means to all those shareholders who have registered their e-mail ids with the
Company/RTA/Depository Participants, as per the relaxations provided by various MCA
Circulars.
General
Your Directors state that no disclosures or reporting is required in
respect of the following items as there were no transactions on these items during the
year under the review: a) nt or material orders were passed by the significa No Regulators
or Courts or Tribunals which impact the going concern status and Company's operations
in future. b) Issue of Equity Shares with differential voting rights, dividend or
otherwise as per Section 43(a)(ii) of the Companies Act, 2013. c) Issue of Shares
including Sweat Equity Shares to the employees of the Company under any scheme as per
provisions of Section 54(1)(d) of the Companies Act, 2013.
d) No instances of non-exercising of voting rights in respect of shares
purchased directly by employees under a scheme pursuant to Section 67(3) of the Companies
Act, 2013. e) There was no revision to the Financial Statements for the year under review.
Acknowledgements
Your Directors would like to acknowledge the continued support and
co-operation from its Bankers, Government
Bodies and Business Associates which have helped the
Company to sustain its growth during the year.
|
For and on behalf of the Board of
Directors |
Place: Mumbai |
Hrishikesh A. Mafatlal |
Date : May 29, 2024 |
Chairman |