The Board of Directors of SecureKloud Technologies Limited have
pleasure in presenting the Thirty Ninth (39th) Annual Report on the business
and operations for the year ended March 31, 2024 along with the Audited Financial
Statements (standalone and consolidated).
Financial Performance
The financial performance of the Company for the year ended March 31,
2024 and March 31, 2023 is summarized below:
(Rs in Lakhs)
|
Standalone |
Consolidated |
|
2023-24 |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2022-23 |
Revenue from operations |
5,023 |
5,931 |
34,032 |
45,844 |
Earnings Before Interest, Depreciation and Amortization |
886 |
531 |
(6,231) |
(7,097) |
Interest |
508 |
527 |
1,543 |
1,032 |
Depreciation and Amortization |
282 |
276 |
1,737 |
1,798 |
Profit Before Tax (PBT) before Exceptional Item |
96 |
(272) |
(9,511) |
(9,927) |
Exceptional Item |
2,833 |
- |
- |
- |
Profit Before Tax (PBT) After Exceptional Item |
(2,737) |
(272) |
(9,511) |
(9,927) |
Profit After Tax (PAT) before Minority Interest |
(2,769) |
(268) |
(9,570) |
(9,876) |
Profit After Tax (PAT) after Minority Interest |
(2,769) |
(268) |
(3,629) |
(4,859) |
Review of Operations & Performance
The Company has reported consolidated revenue from operations of INR
34,032 lakhs for the financial year 2024, a decrease of 25.77% compared to financial year
2023. This was primarily due to healthcare projects coming to an end in Financial Year
2024. Additionally, there was a drop in revenue due to loss of a major customer. The loss
before taxes had marginally come down during the financial year 2024 to INR 9,511 lakhs as
compared to INR 9,927 lakhs during the financial year 2023.
Management Discussion and Analysis
Management Discussion and Analysis as required under Schedule V of the
SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 is provided
separately as Annexure VI to this report.
Share Capital
The Company has only one class of equity shares of par value INR 5
each. The authorised share capital as on March 31, 2024 was INR 3,000 lakhs divided into
600 lakhs equity shares of INR 5 each. The paid-up share capital as on March 31, 2024 was
INR 16,70,53,025 divided into 3,34,10,605 equity shares of INR 5 each.
Transfer to Reserve
The Company has not made any transfer of amounts to General Reserve
during the year.
Material Changes affecting the Financial Position of the Company
The Management identified a significant change in circumstances arising
from the loss of a major customer within our step-down subsidiary, Devcool Inc.
Historically, this customer accounted for approximately 33% of the Company's consolidated
revenues. Based on the Impairment assessment, Management provided a one-time write-off of
INR 22.66 Crores from the value of the customer relationship and INR 9.73 Crores from
Goodwill as of March 31, 2024.
Dividend
Due to inadequacy of profits, the Board has not recommended any
dividend for the financial year 2023-24.
Public Deposits
The Company has neither accepted any deposits from the public nor
accepted any amounts which are deemed to be deposits within the meaning of Sections 73 to
76 of the Companies Act, 2013 (as amended) and the Rules made thereunder, to the extent
applicable.
Pursuant to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) notification
amending the Companies (Acceptance of Deposits) Rules, 2014, the Company has filed with
the Registrar of Companies (ROC) the requisite forms for outstanding receipt of money/loan
by the Company, which is not considered as deposits.
Transfer of Unclaimed Dividend to Investor Education and Protection
Fund
There was no amount required to be transferred to Investor Education
and Protection Fund during the year. Particulars of Loans, Guarantees or Investments
The Company has given Corporate guarantee on behalf of its subsidiary,
SecureKloud Technologies Inc and step- down subsidiary, Healthcare Triangle Inc for
facilitating business needs. The outstanding amount as on March 31, 2024 is as below:
(Rs in Lakhs)
Name of the subsidiary |
Outstanding Value of loan |
SecureKloud Technologies Inc |
1,476 |
Healthcare Triangle Inc and Devcool Inc |
1,080 |
Total |
2,556 |
Value of guarantee |
4,250 |
Loans, guarantees and investments covered under Section 186 of the
Companies Act, 2013 and Regulation 34(3) and Schedule V of the SEBI (Listing Obligations
and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 form part of the notes to the financial
statements provided in this Annual Report.
Disclosure under Rule 8(5)(xii) of the Companies (Accounts) Rules,2014
There was no instance of one-time settlement with any bank or financial
institution.
Compliance Culture
The Company promotes a culture in which compliance with laws, the
internal Regulations and market standards is seen as an integral part of doing business.
At its core, compliance culture of the Company is guided and supported by many people to
create an environment in which everyone can say and do the right thing. The Company
believes that a successful compliance culture does not view training as a once and done
exercise, but as a continual process aimed at closing knowledge gaps and upskilling
employees.
Board and Committee Meetings
The Board met Nine (9) times during the financial year 2023-24. The
details regarding the Board meetings and Committee meetings are given separately in the
report on Corporate Governance as Annexure III to this report. The gap intervening
between two meetings of the Board is within the stipulated time frame prescribed in the
Companies Act, 2013 and SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements)
Regulations, 2015.
Committees of the Board
The details of the powers, functions, composition, and meetings of the
Committees of the Board held during the year are given in the Report in the Corporate
Governance Section forming part of the Annual Report.
Declaration by Independent Directors
The Company has received declaration of independence from the
Independent Directors under Section 149(7) of the Companies Act, 2013 and Regulation 16
(1) (b) and Regulation 25 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements)
Regulations, 2015 confirming that they meet the criteria of independence which has been
duly evaluated by the Board. Further, all the Independent Directors have confirmed that
they have registered themselves on the Independent Director's data bank maintained by
the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs as mandated by Companies (Appointment and
Qualification of Directors) Rules, 2014. The Independent Directors have complied with the
code for Independent Directors prescribed in Schedule IV to the Companies Act, 2013 and in
the opinion of the Board, the Independent Director(s) appointed during the year are
persons of integrity, expertise and experience (including the proficiency).
Familiarization Program for Independent Directors
The Company has in place a familiarization program for its Independent
Directors. The objective of the program is to familiarize Independent Directors on our
Board with the business of the Company, industry in which the Company operates, business
model, challenges etc.
The familiarization program and other disclosures as specified under
the Listing Regulations is available on the Company's website at
https://www.securekloud.com/investor/policies/3 Familiarisation-Program-for-Independent-
Directors.pdf.
Separate Meeting of Independent Directors
During the year, a separate meeting of Independent Directors was held
on January 31, 2024. The Independent Directors actively participated and provided guidance
to the Company in all its spheres.
Nomination and Remuneration Policy
The Nomination and Remuneration Policy of the Company provides for the
roles and responsibilities of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee and the criteria
for evaluation of the Board and compensation of the Directors and senior management.
Further, as per the policy, the said Committee identify potential candidates with
integrity, possessing relevant skill set, expertise and experience for becoming members of
the Board and determining the composition of the Board based on the need and requirements
of the Company from time to time to bring out diversity in the Board and also identify
persons to be recruited in the senior management of the Company and ensure the
compensation packages and other human resource practices are effective in maintaining a
competent workforce and make recommendations relating thereto. The remuneration policy is
available on the website of the Company at https://www.securekloud.com/investor/policies/8
Nomination-and-Remuneration-Policy.pdf
Subsidiary Companies
S. No |
Name of the Company |
Relationship |
% of shares held as on the date of this report |
1 |
SecureKloud Technologies Inc (USA) |
Subsidiary |
60.71% |
(a) |
Healthcare Triangle Inc |
Step-down subsidiary |
SecureKloud Technologies Inc holds 45% |
(i) |
Devcool Inc |
Step-down subsidiary |
Healthcare Triangle Inc holds 100% |
(b) |
SecureKloud Technologies Inc (Canada) |
Step-down subsidiary |
SecureKloud Technologies Inc holds 100% |
(c) |
Nexage Technologies Inc |
Step-down subsidiary |
SecureKloud Technologies Inc holds 100% |
2 |
Blockedge Technologies Inc |
Subsidiary |
100% |
3 |
Mentor Minds Solutions and Services Inc |
Subsidiary |
100% |
4 |
Healthcare Triangle Private Limited |
Subsidiary |
99.99% |
A statement under Section 129 (3) of the Companies Act, 2013 in form
AOC-1 is attached as Annexure IV to this report. Consolidated Accounts
The consolidated financial statements of the Company is prepared in
accordance with the provisions of Section 129 of Companies Act, 2013 read with Companies
(Accounts) Rules, 2014 and Regulation 33 of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure
Requirements) Regulations, 2015. The audited consolidated financial statements together
with auditor's report forms part of the Annual Report.
Conservation of Energy
The Company is a Software Company and hence the operations of the
Company are not energy intensive. The Company employs energy efficient computers and
office equipment. The Company is conscious about environment protection and energy
conservation and strives to evolve new technologies to see to that, the infrastructure is
more energy efficient.
Various practices have been implemented, such as adjusting AC
temperature settings, monitoring AC systems based on occupancy, seasonal adjustments to AC
temperatures, and shutting down unused lights and equipment on respective floors, all of
which are rigorously monitored and enforced. Also implementing regular checks to power
down monitors and machinery during non-operational hours and weekends to reduce IT
equipment power consumption.
Technology Absorption
The Company has always adopted the latest trends and best practices to
build capability in new and emerging technologies. To encourage a culture of innovation in
solving industry challenges, the Company strived to strengthen our collaboration with
healthcare and life sciences enterprises and have institutionalized programs that
encourage employees to contribute ideas. The Company has used technology to improve the
work experience of the resources and ensure efficient delivery to the customers by
migrating critical applications to the cloud and ensuring adequate business continuity.
The Company's operations do not require significant import of technology.
Particulars |
2023-24 |
Earnings in foreign exchange |
3,540.30 |
Foreign exchange outflow |
- |
Internal Finacial Controls
The Company has formulated a framework on internal financial controls
and laid down policies and procedures commensurate with the size and nature of its
operations pertaining to financial reporting. In accordance with Rule 8 (5) (viii) of
Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014, the Company has adequate internal control systems to
monitor business processes, financial reporting and compliance with applicable Regulations
and they are operating effectively. The systems are periodically reviewed by the Audit
Committee of the Board, for identification of deficiencies and necessary time bound
actions are taken to improve efficiency at all the levels. The Committee also reviews the
observations forming part of internal auditors' report, key issues and areas of
improvement, significant processes and accounting policies.
Disclosure as required under Section 22 of Sexual Harassment of Women
at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013
The Company has formulated a policy on prevention of sexual harassment
at workplace and has put in place a redressal mechanism for resolving complaints received
with respect to sexual harassment and discriminatory employment practices for all genders.
The Company has constituted Internal Complaints Committee which is responsible for
redressal of complaints related to sexual harassment.
Further disclosure under Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace
(Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 has been provided in detail under the
Corporate Governance report.
Directors and Key Managerial Personnel
As on date of this report, the Board comprises of Six Directors, out of
which Three are Independent Directors and the Chairman of the Board is an Executive
Director. The details of each member of the Board as on the date of this report forms part
of Corporate Governance report.
Mr. Suresh Venkatachari has been appointed as the Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of the Company with effect from February 07, 2024.
During the Financial Year, Mr. Thyagarajan R resigned from the position
of Whole-time Director and Chief Financial Officer as a part of internal restructuring and
Mr. Ramachandran S took charge as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company with effect
from February 07, 2024.
Further during the Financial Year, Mr. V. Balasubramanian stepped down
from the position of Chairperson with effect from February 07, 2024 and resigned from the
position of Independent Director with effect from March 31, 2024.
The following are the Key Managerial Personnel (KMP's) of the
Company as on March 31, 2024
Mr.Suresh Venkatachari1 , Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer
Mr.Ramachandran S2, and Chief Financial Officer
Mr.Srinivas Mahankali, Whole-time Director & Chief Business
Officer
Ms.Roshini Selvakumar, Company Secretary & Compliance
Officer
Changes after March 31, 2024, until the date of this Report
Ms. Roshini Selvakumar, Company Secretary and Compliance Officer
resigned from her position with effect from May 09, 2024.
Ms. Jayashree Vasudevan has been appointed as the Company
Secretary and Compliance Officer of the Company with effect from May 13, 2024.
ECIR against Promoters unequivocally quashed by the Madras High Court
Madras High Court has unequivocally quashed the money laundering case
filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Mr. Suresh Venkatachari and Mr. R S
Ramani, promoters of the Company. The same was upheld by the Supreme Court of India. The
Supreme Court rejected the appeal filed by the Enforcement Directorate, affirming the
Madras High Court's judgment and conclusively endorsing the quashing of the predicate
offence of the ECIR. The order underscores the fact that SecureKloud is in no way
connected to the money laundering charges levelled against the promoters.
Particulars of Employees
The percentage increase in remuneration, ratio of remuneration of each
Director and key managerial personnel to the median of employees' remuneration as
required under Section 197 (12) of the Companies Act, 2013, read with rule 5 of the
Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, form part of
Annexure II (a) to this report.
A statement as required under Rule 5 (2) & (3) of the Companies
(Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, is annexed to this
Report as Annexure II (b).
Report on Corporate Governance
Pursuant to Regulation 34 (3) and Schedule V of SEBI (Listing
Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 the Corporate Governance report
forms an integral part and has been enclosed as Annexure III to this report.
A Certificate from M/s. SPNP & Associates, a firm of Company
Secretaries in practice, confirming the compliance with the conditions of Corporate
Governance as stipulated under the said Regulations is attached as Annexure III to this
the Corporate Governance Report.
Auditors Statutory Audit
M/s. K. Gopal Rao & Co., Chartered Accountants (Firm Registration
No.000956S) was appointed as the Statutory Auditors of the Company for a period of five
years from the conclusion of the 35th AGM of the Company held on September 30,
2020 till the conclusion of the 40th AGM to be held in 2025. In accordance with
Sections 139 and 141 of the Companies Act, 2013 and relevant Rules prescribed there under,
the Company has received certificate from the statutory auditors to the effect that have
confirmed they are eligible to continue as auditor and they have not incurred any
disqualification after their appointment. The auditors have also confirmed that they have
subjected themselves to the peer review process of Institute of Chartered Accountants of
India (ICAI) and holds a valid certificate issued by the peer review Board of the ICAI.
The Auditors' Report for Financial Year ended March 31, 2024 does
not contain any qualification, reservation, or adverse remark, other than the following
for which the management's response is also incorporated:
Observation |
Management's Response |
Going Concern: The Company's continued operating losses
raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. |
The Company is working on detailed plans to raise fresh
equity capital and reduce costs to cut operating losses, to make the operations
profitable. |
The report is enclosed with the financial statements in this Annual
Report.
Secretarial Audit
Pursuant to provisions of Section 204 of Companies Act, 2013 read with
rule 9 of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules,
2014, the Company engaged the services of M/s. SPNP & Associates, Practicing Company
Secretaries to undertake the secretarial audit of the Company for the year ended March 31,
2024.
The secretarial audit report is enclosed as Annexure I to this report.
Observation |
Management's Response |
The transactions entered between SecureKloud Technologies Inc
and Healthcare Triangle Inc for the financial year 2022-23, exceeded the limits for which
omnibus approval was obtained from the Audit Committee. Thus, the Audit Committee ratified
the transaction at its meeting held on May 29, 2023, and shareholders' approval for
the same was sought only at the 38th Annual General Meeting held on September
26, 2023. |
During the financial year 2022-23, prior approval of the
Audit Committee for the transactions between SecureKloud Technologies Limited and
Healthcare Triangle Inc was duly sought; however, the total value of transactions exceeded
the value for which omnibus approval was sought at the beginning of the year. Hence, the
Audit Committee ratified the transaction at its meeting held on May 29, 2023 and
shareholders' approval for the same was also sought at the 38th Annual
General Meeting held on September 26, 2023. |
The Audit Committee had ratified and approved the guarantee
extended during the financial year 2022-23, under Section 186, on behalf of Healthcare
Triangle Inc and Devcool Inc at it's meeting held on August 10, 2023. |
The Company had obtained shareholder's approval for providing
Corporate Guarantee to SecurekloudTechnologies Inc., subsidiary vide postal ballot dated
February 20, 2015. Subsequently, the Corporate Guarantee was amended to include Healthcare
Triangle Inc. & Devcool Inc. Therefore, company sought approval from Audit Committee
dated August 10, 2023 and shareholders' approval for the same was obtained at the 38th
Annual General Meeting. |
The Audit Committee had ratified the related party
transaction with Healthcare Triangle Inc (Corporate guarantee) entered during the
Financial Year 2022-23 only at its meeting held on August 10, 2023. The Shareholders
approval for the same was subsequently sought at the 38th Annual General
Meeting held on September 26, 2023. |
|
Internal A udit
M/s. K V Sudhakar, Chartered Accountants, are the Internal Auditors of
the Company. The Audit Committee determines the scope of internal Audit in line with
regulatory and business requirements.
Cost Records and Cost Audit
Maintenance of cost records and requirements of cost audit as
prescribed under the provisions of Section 148(1) of the Companies Act, 2013 are not
applicable for the business activities carried out by the Company.
Reporting of Fraud
No instance of fraud committed against the Company by its officers or
employees has been reported by either Statutory Auditor or by Secretarial Auditor during
the year under review.
Secretarial Standards
The Company has complied with the applicable secretarial standards (SS
1) on meetings of Board of Directors and (SS 2) on general meeting issued by the Institute
of Company Secretaries of India as per Section 118(10) of the Companies Act, 2013.
Extract of Annual Return
In accordance with Sections 134(3)(a) and 92(3) of the Companies Act,
2013 the draft annual return in form MGT- 7 is placed on the website at
https://www.securekloud.com/investor/annual-report/2023-2024/Draft-MGT7.pdf
Related Party Transactions
The Board of Directors has adopted a policy on Related Party
Transactions. The objective is to ensure proper approval, disclosure and reporting of
transactions as applicable, between the Company and any of its related parties. All
contracts or arrangements with related parties, entered into or modified during the
financial year were at arm's length basis and in the ordinary course of the
Company's business. Transactions with related parties, as per requirements of Indian
Accounting Standard 24 are disclosed in the note no. 36 and 34 of the notes forming part
of the standalone and consolidated financial statements respectively in the Annual Report.
The Company's policy on related party transactions, as adopted by your Board, can be
accessed on the Company's website at https://www.securekloud.com/investor/policies/7
Policy-on-Related-Party-Transactions.pdf
Particulars of contracts or arrangements with related parties referred
to in Section 188(1) along with the justification for entering into such contracts or
arrangements in Form AOC-2 is enclosed herewith as Annexure -V, forming part of this
report.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
The Board of Directors has approved a code of conduct and ethics in
terms of Schedule V of Companies Act, 2013 and SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure
Requirements) Regulation, 2015. All the Board members and the Senior Management Personnel
have confirmed compliance with the code for the year ended March 31, 2024. The Annual
Report contains a declaration to this effect signed by the Chairman & CEO.
Details of Significant and Material orders passed by the Regulators or
Courts or Tribunals
The list of orders passed by the regulatory authorities has been
captured under a separate Section in the Corporate Governance report.
Risk Management
The Company implemented a risk management framework and has in place a
mechanism to inform the Board members about risk management and minimization procedures
and periodical review to ensure that risks are controlled by the framework.
Evaluation of Board's Performance
The performance of the Board was evaluated after seeking inputs from
all the Directors. The Board has carried out an evaluation of its own performance,
Committees as a whole, Independent and Non-Independent Directors and that of its Directors
individually. The manner in which the evaluation has been carried out is explained in the
Corporate Governance report. Detailed note on the composition of the Board and its
Committees are provided in the Corporate Governance report.
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code
During the year, there was no application made or any proceeding
pending under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, hence the requirement to disclose
the details of application made or proceeding pending at the end of financial year is not
applicable.
Corporate Social Responsibility
In the absence of adequate profits for the year an obligation towards
CSR as mandated by Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 does not arise.
Software Technology Park
During the year under review, the Company has been registered under the
Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) Scheme. The STP Scheme is a 100% export-oriented
scheme for the development and export of computer software, including export of
professional services using communication links or physical media. As a unique scheme, it
focuses on one sector, i.e. computer software.
Director's Responsibility Statement
In terms of Section 134 (5) of the Companies Act, 2013, the Board of
Directors, to the best of their knowledge and ability, confirm:
i. That in the preparation of the annual accounts for the financial
year ended March 31, 2024, the applicable accounting standards had been followed along
with proper explanation relating to material departures.
ii. The Directors have selected such accounting policies and applied
them consistently and made judgments and estimates that were reasonable and prudent so as
to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company at the end of the
financial year March 31, 2024, and of the profit or loss of the Company for the year under
review.
iii. The Directors have taken proper and sufficient care for the
maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of this Act
for safeguarding the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting fraud and
other irregularities.
iv. The Directors have prepared the annual accounts on a going concern
basis.
v. The Directors had laid down internal financial controls to be
followed by the Company and that such internal financial controls are adequate and were
operating effectively; and
vi. The Directors have devised proper system to ensure compliance with
the provisions of all applicable laws and that such system is adequate and operating
effectively.
Acknowledgement and Appreciation
The Directors wish to thank all the employees for their contribution,
support and continued commitment throughout the year.
The Directors take this opportunity to thank the shareholders,
financial institutions, vendors, banks, customers, suppliers and regulatory and
governmental authorities for their continued support to the Company.
|
|
For and on behalf of the Board, SecureKloud Technologies
Limited |
Place : Chennai Date : May 30, 2024 |
Suresh Venkatachari DIN: 00365522 Chairman and CEO |
Srinivas Mahankali DIN: 01884823 Whole-time Director
and CBO |