To the Members,
Your directors have pleasure in presenting the 44th Annual
Report along with the Audited Financial Statements of the Company for the financial year
ended March 31, 2024.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (STANDALONE):
Particulars |
FY2023-24 |
FY2022-23 |
Total income |
3,151.82 |
2,010.03 |
Finance cost |
955.10 |
595.28 |
Net ?ncome |
2,196.72 |
1,414.75 |
Operating expenses |
807.36 |
803.05 |
Pre-prov?s?on?ng operating profit |
1,389.36 |
611.70 |
Net loss on derecognition of financial instruments |
- |
10.87 |
Impairment on financial instruments |
72.02 |
(144.53) |
Profit before exceptional ?tems and tax |
1,317.34 |
745.36 |
Exceptional items |
1,221.20 |
21.21 |
Profit before tax |
2,538.54 |
766.57 |
Profit after tax |
2,055.96 |
584.94 |
Reta?ned earn?ngs as at the beg?nn?ng of the year |
383.59 |
(55.37) |
Profit after tax |
2,055.96 |
584.94 |
Other comprehensive income on defined benefit plan |
0.61 |
1.62 |
Reta?ned earn?ngs before appropr?at?ons |
2,440.16 |
531.19 |
Appropriations: |
|
|
Transfer to reserve fund under Regulation 45-IC of Reserve
Bank of India Act, 1934 |
(411.20) |
(117.00) |
Dividend paid |
(307.41) |
(30.60) |
Retained earnings as at the end of the year |
1,721.55 |
383.59 |
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND STATE OF THE COMPANY'S AFFAIRS:
Total Income increased to H3,151.82 Crore in FY 202324 from H2,010.03
Crore in FY 2022-23.
Net Income on a standalone basis increased to H2,196.72 Crore in FY
2023-24 from H1,414.75 Crore in FY 2022-23.
The impairment on financial instruments increased from H(144.53) Crore
in FY 2022-23 to H72.02 Crore in FY 2023-24.
The Company's Profit after tax (PAT') on a standalone
basis increased to H2,055.96 Crore in FY 2023-24 from H584.94 Crore in FY 2022-23. PAT
excluding exceptional items increased to H1,027.37 Crore in FY 2023-24 from H561.28 Crore
in FY 2022-23.
The Company's Net Interest Margin (NIM') increased to
11.2% in FY 2023-24 as compared to 10.7% in FY 2022-23.
On a standalone basis, the Capital Risk Adequacy Ratio
(CRAR') as at March 31, 2024, was 33.80% against the RBI stipulated norm of
15%.
MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS:
The Management Discussion and Analysis, as required in terms of the
Securities and Exchange Board of India
(Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015
(SEBI Listing Regulations'), forms part of this Report.
CHANGE IN NATURE OF BUSINESS:
During the year, there was no change in the nature of business of the
Company.
MATERIAL CHANGES AND COMMITMENTS AFFECTING FINANCIAL POSITION BETWEEN
THE END OF THE FINANCIAL YEAR AND DATE OF THE REPORT:
There are no material changes and commitments which affected the
financial position of your Company, which occurred between the end of the financial year
to which the financial statements relate and up to the date of this Report.
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS:
Your Company has divested its investment in Grihum Housing Finance
Limited (Formerly known as Poonawalla Housing Finance Limited) (GHFL') on July
26, 2023 (effective date') pursuant to approval of the Board of Directors,
Shareholders of the Company and requisite regulatory approvals to Perseus SG Pte. Ltd., an
entity affiliated to TPG Global LLC. Upon completion of the aforesaid divestment
transaction, GHFL ceased to be a subsidiary of the Company from
the effective date and consequently, the financial accounts have been
consolidated till July 25, 2023.
In accordance with the requirements of Regulation 34 of SEBI Listing
Regulations, your Company had prepared Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance
with Ind-AS 110 Consolidated Financial Statements' and Ind-AS 27 Separate
Financial Statements'. The Consolidated Financial Statements forms part of this
Report.
SUBSIDIARY AND JOINT VENTURE COMPANIES AND ITS PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS:
The Company has one Joint Venture Company Jaguar Advisory Services
Private Limited (JASPL') and no Subsidiary as on March 31, 2024.
GHFL
Grihum Housing Finance Limited (Formerly known as Poonawalla Housing
Finance Limited) (GHFL') Subsidiary till July 25, 2023 has total income of
H290.99 Crore and earned PAT of H31.55 Crore during the period ended July 25, 2023.
GHFL is in the business of mortgage financing in the affordable
segment. GHFL ceased to be a Subsidiary of the Company with effect from July 26, 2023, by
divestment of its entire stake to Perseus SG Pte. Ltd.
During FY 2023-24, no new Subsidiary was incorporated/acquired. The
Company's Policy for Determination of Material Subsidiaries, as adopted by the Board
of Directors is in conformity with Regulation 16 of the SEBI Listing Regulations, can be
accessed on the Company's website at https://poonawallafincorp.
com/pfca/assets/pdf/Policv-on-Material-Subsidiarv. pdf.
The audited special purpose condensed Interim Financial Statements of
GHFL for the period ended July 31, 2023 can be accessed on the Company's website at https://poonawallafincorp.com/investor-
financials.php
JASPL
JASPL, a Joint Venture with HDI Global SE is an advisory services
Company domiciled in India. JASPL is SPV of the Company. The Board of Directors and the
Shareholders of the Company has approved divestment of 11,000 equity shares constituting
48.89% of the share capital held by the Company in JASPL, the said transaction is subject
to requisite regulatory approvals. The Board has reaffirmed the proposal to divest
it's shareholding in JASPL in its
meeting held on April 29, 2024, and accordingly in line with the
requirements of Ind - AS 105 Non- current assets held for Sale, such investments
have been classified as assets held for sale.
Pursuant to Section 129(3) of the Companies Act, 2013 (the
Act') a statement in Form AOC-1 containing the salient features of the financial
statements of your Company's subsidiary forms part of this Report and hence not
repeated here for the sake of brevity.
TRANSFER TO RESERVE:
During the year, the Company is proposing to transfer H411.20 Crore to
Reserve as required under Regulation 45-IC of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
DIVIDEND:
To deliver sustainable value to its Shareholders, your Company has paid
the interim dividend of ^153.78 Crore (at the rate 100% i.e. ^2/- per share) on February
13, 2024 for the FY 2023-24.
In view of the future growth of the Company, the Board of Directors has
decided to conserve capital and therefore no final dividend was declared for FY 2023-24.
The Dividend Distribution Policy, in terms of Regulation 43A of the
SEBI Listing Regulations and as reviewed and adopted by the Board of Directors of the
Company, is available on the Company's website at https://
poonawallafincorp.com/pfca/assets/pdf/Dividend- Distribution-Policy.pdf.
DEPOSITS:
Being a non-deposit taking systemically important Non-Banking Financial
Company, your Company has not accepted any deposits from the public within the meaning of
the provisions of the Non-Banking Financial Companies Acceptance of Public Deposits
(Reserve Bank) Directions, 2016 and the provisions of the Act.
EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION SCHEMES:
Equity based compensation is an integral part of employee compensation
across sectors which enables alignment of personal goals of the employees with
organisational objectives by participating in the ownership of the Company through
share-based compensation scheme/plan. Your Company believes in rewarding its employees for
their continuous hard work, dedication, and support, which has led the Company on the
growth path.
The Employee Stock Option Schemes (ESOPs') granted to the
employees of the Company currently operate under the following Schemes:
- Employee Stock Option Plan-2007 (ESOP - 2007);
- Restricted Stock Option Plan-2014 (RSOP - 2014); and
- Employee Stock Option Plan-2021 (ESOP- 2021).
There are no changes made to the above Schemes during the year under
review.
During the year, your Company has implemented Employee Stock Option
Plan - 2024 (ESOP- 2024'), through PFL Employee Welfare Trust through secondary
acquisition which was approved by the Shareholders on February 19, 2024. The Board has
also approved Employee Stock Option - 2024 - Scheme II on April 08, 2024; the same was
approved by the Shareholders on May 13, 2024.
The aforesaid Schemes are in compliance with SEBI (Share Based Employee
Benefits and Sweat Equity) Regulations, 2021 (SEBI (SBEB&SE) Regulations,
2021'), to the extent applicable.
The Nomination and Remuneration Committee of the Board of Directors of
the Company, inter alia, administers and monitors the Schemes in accordance with the SEBI
(SBEB&SE) Regulations, 2021.
During the year, the Company has granted ESOPs to the eligible
employees of the Company, in accordance with the ESOP- 2021 as approved by the Nomination
and Remuneration Committee.
The details of the ESOPs granted and outstanding as on March 31, 2024,
along with other particulars as required by Regulation 14 of the SEBI (SBEB&SE)
Regulations, 2021 is available on the website of the Company at https://poonawallafincorp.com/
investor-governance.php. These details, along with the certif?cate from the
Secretarial Auditor of the Company, as required under Regulation 13 of the SEBI
(SBEB&SE) Regulations 2021, the ESOP Schemes have been implemented in accordance with
the Regulations, would be placed and available for inspection by the Shareholders during
the Annual General Meeting (AGM').
Grant wise details of ESOPs vested, exercised, allotted and cancelled
are also provided in the notes to the Standalone Financial Statements.
The Company has not issued any sweat equity shares or equity shares
with differential voting rights during FY 2023-24.
CHANGES IN SHARE CAPITAL:
During the year, your Company allotted 6,603,070 equity shares arising
out of the exercise of Employee Stock Options granted to eligible employees of your
Company and its Subsidiary.
After the allotment of the aforesaid equity shares, the total issued,
subscribed and paid-up share capital of the Company as of March 31, 2024, stood at
H1,549,101,324/- comprising 774,550,662 equity shares of H2/- each. The new equity shares
issued shall rank pari-passu with the existing equity shares of the Company in all
respects.
Further, PFL Employee Welfare Trust is holding 4,000,000 equity shares
of the Company as on March 31, 2024. The shareholding is disclosed as non-promotor
and non-public shareholding' in the Shareholding pattern of the Company.
FINANCE:
During the year, the Company has raised fresh secured term loans of
H4,075 Crore from banks and other financial institutions for an average tenor of 3 to 5
years. Besides public sector banks/ financial institutions incremental credit lines were
received from private banks to diversify the borrowing base. The Company also raised
Commercial Paper aggregating to H9,750 Crore and H500 Crore of Secured Non- Convertible
Debentures was raised during the year through private placement basis. The funds raised
through Commercial Papers and Non-Convertible Debentures were utilised for the purpose
specified in the respective offer documents.
CREDIT RATING:
During the year under review, the long-term ratings assigned to
Non-Convertible Debentures and bank facilities of the Company were upgraded to
CRISIL AAA/ Stable' by CRISIL Ratings Limited in April 24, 2023 based on strong
parentage, low leverage, improved asset quality, diversified funding mix and product
offerings, and a strong senior management team. The ratings assigned to Commercial Paper
were reaffirmed at CRISIL A1+'.
Further, in May 05, 2023, CRISIL had assigned ratings of CRISIL
AAA/Stable' to Subordinated Debt and CRISIL AA+/Stable' to Perpetual Debt
instruments.
In September 12, 2023, CARE Ratings reaffirmed the rating assigned to
Bank Facilities and long-term debt instruments. Ratings of long-term Bank Facilities,
Non-Convertible Debentures and Subordinated Debt were reaffirmed at CARE AAA; Stable and
the ratings of Market Linked Debentures were reaffirmed at CARE PP-MLD AAA; Stable.
Ratings of Perpetual Debt were reaffirmed at CARE AA+ Stable. The ratings assigned to
Short-Term Bank facilities and Commercial Paper were reaffirmed at CARE A1+'.
Furthermore, in January 10, 2024, Acuite Ratings and Research Limited
also upgraded the long-term rating assigned to Non-Convertible Debentures to ACUITE
AAA/ Stable'.
In March 01, 2024, Brickwork Ratings reaffirmed the ratings for the
Non-Convertible Debentures at BWR AA+/Stable' and withdrew the rating assigned
to the Innovative Perpetual Debt Instruments (IPDI) on the request of the Company.
A summary of outstanding ratings as on March 31, 2024, is presented
below:
Rating Agency |
Instrument / Facility |
Outstanding Rating |
CARE Ratings |
Non-Convertible Debentures |
AAA; Stable |
|
Long Term Bank facilities |
AAA; Stable |
|
Market Linked Debentures (MLD) |
AAA; Stable |
|
Sub Debt |
AAA; Stable |
|
Perpetual Debt |
AA+; Stable |
|
Commercial Paper/ Short Term Bank Facilities |
A1+ |
CRISIL |
Non-Convertible Debentures |
AAA / Stable |
|
Bank facilities |
AAA / Stable |
|
Sub Debt |
AAA / Stable |
|
Perpetual Debt |
AA+/Stable |
|
Commercial Paper |
A1+ |
Acuite |
Non-Convertible Debentures |
AAA / Stable |
Brickwork Ratings |
Non-Convertible Debentures |
AA+ / Stable |
|
Sub Debt |
AA+ / Stable |
AAA' rating indicates highest degree of safety regarding
timely servicing of financial obligations and lowest credit risk. AA+' rating
indicates a high degree of safety regarding timely servicing of financial obligations and
very low credit risk.
A status of ratings assigned by rating agencies and migration of
ratings during the year is provided in notes to the Standalone Financial Statements of the
Company.
PARTICULARS OF LOANS, GUARANTEE AND INVESTMENTS OUTSTANDING DURING THE
FINANCIAL YEAR:
The Company, being an NBFC registered with the RBI and engaged in the
business of giving loans in ordinary course of its business, is exempt from complying with
the provisions of section 186 of the Act with respect to loans. Accordingly, the
disclosures of the loans given as required under the aforesaid section have not been made
in this Board's Report.
Particulars of loans and investments outstanding during the financial
year are furnished in notes to the Standalone Financial Statements of the Company.
RISK MANAGEMENT:
The Risk Management Committee of the Board (RMCB'),
functions in line with the Reserve Bank of
India (Non-Banking Financial Company - Scale Based Regulation)
Directions, 2023 No. RBI/DoR/2023- 24/106 dated October 19, 2023 (RBI Scale Based
Regulation') and SEBI Listing Regulations. The RMCB met four times during the year,
its terms of reference and functioning are set out in the Corporate Governance Report. The
Company understands that risk evaluation and risk mitigation is a function of the Board of
the Company, and the Board of Directors are fully committed to develop a sound system for
identification and mitigation of applicable risks viz., systemic and non-systemic. For
detailed Risk Management procedure of the Company, please refer to the Management
Discussion & Analysis Report.
INTERNAL FINANCIAL CONTROL:
The Company has in place adequate internal financial controls with
reference to financial statements, commensurate with the size, scale, nature and
complexity of its operations and regulatory requirements. A comprehensive review of the
internal financial controls environment of the Company was undertaken during the year
which covered testing
of Process, IT and Entity level Controls ?ncludlng review of key
business processes for updating risk control, matrix, etc. The risk and control matrices
are annually reviewed, and control measures are tested and documented. Moreover, the
Company continuously upgrades its systems and undertakes review of policies, guidelines,
manuals, and authority matrix. The internal financial control is supplemented by extensive
internal audits, regular reviews by the Management and standard policies and guidelines to
ensure reliability of financial and all other records to prepare financial statements, its
reporting and other data. The Audit Committee of the Board reviews internal audit reports
given along with management responses. The Audit Committee also monitors the implemented
suggestions. The Company has, in all material respects, adequate internal financial
control over financial reporting and such controls are operating effectively. The Joint
Statutory Auditors of the Company have also certified the existence and operating
effectiveness of the internal financial controls relating to financial reporting as of
March 31, 2024.
VIGIL MECHANISM / WHISTLE BLOWER POLICY:
Pursuant to Section 177(9) of the Act and Regulation 4(2)(d)(iv) of the
SEBI Listing Regulations, the Company has in place a vigil mechanism named Breach of
Integrity and Whistle Blower/Vigil Mechanism Policy' to provide a formal mechanism to
the directors and employees to report their concerns about unethical behavior, actual or
suspected fraud or violation of the Company's Code of Conduct or Business Ethics
Policy. The Policy provides for adequate safeguards against victimisation of employees who
avail the mechanism and also provides for direct access to the Chairman of the Audit
Committee in appropriate and exceptional circumstances.
The details of the said Policy is explained in the Corporate Governance
Report and is available on the website of the Company at https://poonawallafincorp.
com/pfca/assets/pdf/Breach-of-Integrity-and- Whistle-Blower-Vigil-Mechanism-Policv.pdf
HUMAN RESOURCES:
Your Company firmly believes that employees are its greatest asset.
From orchestrating successful change management and alignment with the Company's
Vision and Mission. Human Resources (HR') has played a vital role in
purposefully shaping and promoting the Company's Culture and Values. From acquiring
talent to developing leaders the focus of the HR strategy is to enable the growth of the
Company through talent fulfilment for growth areas, capability building in emerging
technologies and building internal talent
pipeline. Your Company strives to create a conducive environment for
growth and development of its employees. Training & Development initiatives are being
taken for employees from time to time. More details can be found in the human resource
section in the Management Discussion & Analysis Report.
PREVENTION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT WORKPLACE:
The Company has zero tolerance towards sexual harassment at the
workplace and has adopted a Policy for Prevention of Sexual Harassment' to
prohibit, prevent or deter any acts of sexual harassment at workplace and to provide the
procedure for the redressal of complaints pertaining to sexual harassment, thereby
providing a safe and healthy work environment in line with the provisions of Sexual
Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Act, 2013 and
the rules made thereunder (POSH Act'). The Company has complied with the
provisions relating to the constitution of the Internal Committee under the POSH Act.
During the year under review, no case of sexual harassment was reported to the Internal
Committee (IC'). The composition of IC is in accordance with the POSH Act. To
build awareness and appreciation of this area, we have implemented an online knowledge
module leveraging our learning management system. We continue to strive harder with each
passing year to ensure we succeed in bringing the best out of our people and enable the
organisation to create value for its Shareholders and Employees.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:
The technological advancement in your Company has resulted in
multi-fold growth in the digital led business. There is a significant growth in API based
end-to-end digital lending through Mobile App, Digital DSAs & Co-lending partners.
Your Company's Information Technology guiding principles are:
(a) Offer Best-in-Class Customer Experience across channels.
(b) Ensure Robust & Scalable' Technology Infrastructure
with 24x7 availability.
(c) Increase Productivity & Profit using Digital First,
Technology-driven approach.
Your Company's Information Technology primary focus areas include
superior customer experience, technology upgrade, new products/services, innovations,
productivity/process improvements, digital acquisition, and data science/analytics.
Your Company has launched a web & mobile app with various features
such as instant personal loan, loan servicing etc. Customers can now avail an instant
personal loan in just 5 minutes by completing the end-to-end digital process. Business
processes have been re-aligned as per industry-best practices thus enabling end-to-end
automation of each process. Your Company has also launched instant personal loan on
WhatsApp.
There was a major reform in Business-model transition in the form of
API based lending where we have launched STPL (Small Ticket Personal Loan) using standard
digital lending API stack. Any Digital DSA can integrate their digital journey with our
API stack quickly.
Your Company has implemented a robust digital platform and an API
gateway with over 100+ APIs which can be used for various purposes like eKYC, PAN
validation, Digilocker, penny drop, eSigning, eStamping, IMPS, etc.
Your Company has invested in various new technologies like Digital
Experience Platform, AI based customer engagement and communications, personalisation,
Digital Collections Platform, etc. Your Company has also set up an IT Command Center for
24x7 monitoring of IT Infrastructure, Applications and Digital Services. Your Company is
also implementing Enterprise Data Lake platform, which will enable use of multiple AI
based algorithm for generating various kinds of reports, MIS, and Dashboards. Use of
analytics will enhance customer penetration through digital platform by providing various
insights at data level.
CORPORATE IMAGE BUILDING & ENGAGING TARGET AUDIENCE:
Some of the key initiatives undertaken by the Company during the year
are:
> Public Relations and Externa! Communication:
Under Public Relations your Company extensively focused on creating
awareness and positive recall for the organisation. Your Company also focused on
strengthening the brand image through various PR campaigns and exclusive media
interactions for the management.
Through specific communication and through emails, letters, texts or
otherwise your Company has reached out to its stakeholders and informed them about the
constant progress and growth of the organisation. Your Company focused on
getting the best visibility for the organisation and made sure that
there is an overall positive sentiment for the organisation. Leading media houses
including newspapers, electronic media as well as online media covered the journey of your
Company. All the leading media houses and print publications positively covered various
business announcements and financial results. During some of the strategic media stories
your Company successfully presented its vision as well as future plans which further
fueled the growth journey. Your Company is successfully positioned as one of the fastest
growing NBFCs with digital-first approach with continuous focus on USPs as well as growth
story and business and performance achievements. Your Company also did extensive media
outreach and PR for special days or season specific customer campaigns such as
Father's Day campaign to promote its business Loan product, Credit Films to create
awareness on the importance of choosing the right lender if you have good credit score,
Film on personal loan around the Raksha Bandhan theme to enable the dreams of its
customers. These campaigns and films gave positive recall and good visibility both in
print and digital media.
Apart from press releases on various occasions your Company also did
strategic media interviews with the senior management to create visibility and awareness
about the leadership. Through these media interviews your Company focused on leadership
and its flawless execution while growing the business. Your Company also focused on
regional media as aspirations are growing in tier-2 and tier-3 markets and reaching out to
them. Your Company also did media stories and received coverage in various regional
language newspapers and websites. A healthy mix of English and regional media coverage has
positioned your Company as a force to reckon within NBFC space.
a. Leadership profiling at various leading publications
With strategic communication and media reach out your Company covered
large format interviews for its senior management with leading publications like
Moneycontrol, Financial Express, Economic Times, Hindu Business Line, ET Now, CNBC TV18,
etc. This gave your Company good media visibility and helped to position our leadership as
an industry thought leader.
b. Digital PR campaigns and content placements
Your Company is building the brand digitally through strategic content
placements in the form of authored articles, press releases as well as opinion pieces. So
far, successfully featured content on various leading digital publications like
Moneycontrol, LiveMint, Hindustan Times, ETBFSI, Indian Express, Forbes Advisors, etc.
c. Do It Tibara Cricket World Cup Anthem
As part of brand building and creating awareness for the Company during
the most anticipated and highly viewed sporting event in the country, your Company made
Cricket Anthem Do It Tibara', a theme song dedicated to Indian cricket team.
This song was a tribute to Indian cricket and an appeal from the cricket loving nation to
the Indian team to win the 50 overs world cup third time after 1983 & 2011. This song
created a positive and top of the mind recall for your Company and created good visibility
for the brand. This song got more than 6 million views after posting it on the
Company's official YouTube channel. It also became a viral sensation on social media
and more than 2000 influencers posted this song or used it in making reels for social
media platforms. This song was talk of the town during the entire world cup and was
trending with #DoItTibara on X (formerly Twitter) whenever India was playing its match.
Apart from social media influencers, various leading A&M Media (Advertising &
Marketing) organically covered the Do It Tibara' Cricket song in their stories
around how brands/ organisations are enjoying the cricket fever. Leading News channel
network Republic Media also aired the cricketing song on their news channel during their
prime time shows in between the breaks and their Editor-in- Chief Mr. Arnab Goswami also
spoke about the song's popularity and relevance to the cricket fever in India during
telecast.
> Employer Branding:
a. Brand management activities on social media including LinkedIn
Successfully positioned your Company as employer of choice through
various interventions. Your Company has been regularly posting on Company's official
social media handles about key milestones,
important awards, and recognitions as well as various employee
engagement activities. Some of the LinkedIn posts on important days and festivals helped
garner good engagement as well as followers for the organisation's LinkedIn profile.
Your Company has also actively started posting about the joining of new team members under
our Embark' initiative.
b. Awards & Recognitions for employer branding
The Company not only applied and was recognised in key employer
branding platforms like Great Place to Work', but also built visibility in
various forums through communication channels and leadership visibility. Your Company also
received other recognitions such as India's Best Workplace in Health in Health
& Wellness 2023' by Great Place to Work, Healthy Workplace 2023' by
Arogya World and The Most Preferred Workplace 2022-23' by Team Marksmen in the
premier edition of the survey etc.
> Branding and Internal Communication:
Prompt and effective communication about the Company and all its
functions. All the important announcements and information about key initiatives, Company
results, senior management communication, new products, projects, Company and functional
awards, branch updates, employee reward & recognition etc. are designed and
disseminated from the internal communications desk to enhance employee engagement and
collaboration to work towards achieving our common goals. End to end branding for all
stakeholders like customers, channel partners, digital aggregators & employees across
all available touchpoints like, Corporate Office and Branch Network, DSA Premises, Events,
Sales activations & Media.
> Events and Awards:
a. Partnership with various events
Collaborated with leading media houses for their marquee events like:
Sakal Schoolympics- A flagship event by Sakal Media to promote
sporting culture.
TV9 Network's What India Thinks Today Conclave- Your
Company was the title sponsor for this event which created good visibility for brand PFL
and its leadership.
Soldierathon Marathon- Partnership with Fitistan for first of
its kind Marathon with soldiers of Indian Army where your Company's employees took
part in this marathon.
Saluting the Heroes- Flagship event with Pune Mirror to
recognize the efforts of Pune Police.
News18 Storyboard's DNPA summit and conclave- A forum to
bring all the representatives from digital media publication association under one roof
and honor their work in shaping digital India.
Sushasan Mahotsav 2024- Event from Rambahu Mhalgi Prabodhini to
celebrate the models of good governance from public as well as private institutions and
industry bodies.
b. Awards and Recognitions
Your Company received accolades in the
following field during the year under review:
Great Place to Work Certification
Healthy Workplace by Arogya World
ETNow Best BFSI Brand 2024
ET Brand Equity Trendies Award for DO It Tibara Influencer
Marketing
Gold Award for Best Video Campaign at the IAMAI's 14th
India Digital Awards
Best Use of Influencers and Social Media for Do It
Tibara'- At DIGIES: Digital Conference and Awards
ET Future Ready Organisations from Economic Times
Quantic Media - Best Customer Experience NBFC
Marksmen Daily- Most Preferred Workplace 2023-24
Elets Media- Excellence in Compliance and Legal Management
Compliance and Legal Team of the year - UBS Forums
Fastest Growing NBFC of the year by Elets Media
Best Social Welfare Initiative of the Year- Indian Social Impact
Awards 2024
Risk Management Team of the year- Golden Peacock Award
Rising Corporate Legal & Compliance Team of the Year- At Lex
Falcon Global Awards India 2024
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Your Company has a comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR') Policy outlining programmes, projects and activities that your Company
undertakes to create a significant positive impact on disadvantaged section of the society
especially in rural India. All these programmes fall within the purview of Section 135
read with Schedule VII of the Act and the Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility
Policy) Rules, 2014 (CSR Rules'). Your Company has undertaken socially
impactful CSR Projects during the year under review. Your Company has partnered with
implementing agencies to implement projects in the CSR focus area viz., Education, Women
Empowerment, Financial Literacy and Healthcare.
During the year under review your Company was humbled to receive CSR
awards for its contribution to society.
During the FY 2023-24, your Company was required to spend H2.33 Crore
under CSR as enumerated in Section 135(5) of the Act. Your Company has spent an amount of
H2.33 Crore on CSR activities. The Annual Report on CSR activities is annexed herewith and
marked as an Annexure-1. Further, in terms of the amended CSR Rules, the Chief
Financial Officer has certified that the funds disbursed have been utilised for the
purpose and in the manner approved by the CSR Committee and the Board of Directors of your
Company.
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT:
Your Company strives to be the most trusted financial services brand
with Quality of Customer Service being one of the critical pillars for your Company. Your
Company also believes in ethics, integrity, good governance, professionalism,
transparency, and customer satisfaction. Special focus has been on the quality and
consistency of service delivery.
Below key initiatives were undertaken to enhance the Customer Service
and Experience in FY 2023-24:
> Net Promoter Score (NPS') is the leading indicator of
customer perception and brand loyalty. Your Company have been committed to gauge customer
feedback as a true reflection of its service levels. Your Company have embarked on this
journey since FY 2022-23. Valuable customer insights at each stage of their relationship
with
the Company has been the guiding factor to continuously improve and
digitize its processes and service delivery. The NPS has significantly improved to 76 for
March'24 as compared to 44 for March'23 across all moments of truth - Sales,
Onboarding, Service and Exit. Customer insights and identified opportunities of process
improvement are being addressed as a part of continuous improvements.
> To ensure a 360view of customer interaction across all key
stakeholders, a Customer Relationship Management (CRM') is being customized to
ensure visibility across all teams which also acts as a central data hub for customer
service.
> With ever changing customer needs and ability to adapt with
customer requirements and ensuring a real time customer service, self-serve channels are
being enhanced with cutting edge technology coupled with AI/ML backed self-service options
via IVR, WhatsApp & chatbot. Self-Service adoption was at ~70% of the overall QRGs
(Query, Requests and Grievances) received through physical mode.
> Leveraged WhatsApp adoption by customers onboarded on WhatsApp for
service through self- help mode.
> Segmented and proactive communication to customers for awareness
of servicing capabilities leading to increase in digital servicing.
To ensure your Company treat its customers fairly,
your Company has implemented the following:
Transparency
> Effective communications on confirmation of repayment mandate
registration.
> Ensure recorded interactions with customers for future reference
and adequate quality checks.
> Diligent and timely filing of customer credit information with
bureaus.
> Proactive issuance of NOC/ NDC (No-Objection Certif?cate/ No-Due
Certif?cate) to customers.
> Enabled virtual account number as a re- payment mode.
> Enabled payment via QR code for branch walk in customers for real
time payment updates.
> ISO level quality standards such as Daily Control Function Chart
(DCFC') & Corrective Action Preventive Action (CAPA') are being
implemented for all operational processes.
Handling Grievances effectively
> Proactive acknowledgment to customers via auto E-mail and SMS
trigger upon receipt of any complaint.
> A detailed Root Cause Analysis (RCA) carried out for each
complaint.
> All critical cases including regulatory escalation are reviewed by
Principal Nodal Officer and Chief Compliance Officer.
> Close looping feedback mechanism ensures customers are out called
at the time of closure of the Service Request for customer concurrence on the resolution
being provided and upon closure in system the same is backed by an SMS trigger for
customers' reference.
> All Partially/Wholly Rejected complaints (subject to exclusions as
per Regulatory Circular) are reviewed by the Internal Ombudsman of the Company and the
final decision is communicated to the customer within the regulatory timelines.
> Necessary governance mechanism is in place for any case of
violation of code of conduct while dealing with customer (e.g. misbehaviour during
collection follow-up).
> Regular trainings for frontline officials and agents are conducted
for upkeep of customer experience.
> Post analysis of complaint trends and gap identification,
different initiatives are taken to ensure preventive actions leading to seamless
experience.
DIRECTORS AND KEY MANAGERIAL
PERSONNEL:
a. Board Composition
The composition of the Board of Directors of the Company is governed by
the Act and Regulation 17 of the SEBI Listing Regulations and is in conformity with the
same. As on the date of this Report, the Board of Directors comprised a combination of
Nine Directors viz. Mr. Adar Cyrus Poonawalla, Chairman, Non-Executive Director, Mr. Abhay
Bhutada, Managing Director, Mr. Sunil Samdani, Executive Director, Mr. Amar Deshpande,
Non- Executive Director and Mr. Bontha Prasada Rao, Mr. Prabhakar Dalal, Mr. Sanjay Kumar,
Mr. Atul Kumar Gupta, and Ms. Kemisha Soni are Non-Executive, Independent Directors.
The Board mix provides a combination of professionalism, knowledge and
experience
required in the NBFC sector. The details of skills possessed by each
director have been provided in detail in the Corporate Governance report.
b. Change in composition of the Board during the year
During the year, the Board of Directors (Board') of the
Company had approved re-designation of Mr. Atul Kumar Gupta (DIN: 01052730) from
Non-Executive Director to Non-Executive, Independent Director of the Company, for a period
of 3 (three) years effective from August 23,
2023, thereafter the Members of the Company granted their consent by
way of Postal Ballot on September 13, 2023.
The Board had also approved the appointment of Mr. Sunil Samdani (DIN:
10301175) as Whole - time Director (Executive Director') of your Company for a
period of 5 (five) years effective from October 20, 2023, thereafter the Members of the
Company granted their consent by way of Postal Ballot on January 14, 2024.
Ms. Kemisha Soni (DIN: 06805708) was
appointed as a Non- Executive, Independent Director for a period of 3
(three) years effective from January 30, 2024, thereafter, the Members of the Company
granted their consent by way of Postal Ballot on March 07, 2024.
On March 18, 2024 and June 01, 2024 based on the recommendation of the
Nomination and Remuneration Committee, the Board has approved appointment of Mr. Arvind
Kapil (DIN: 10429289) as an Additional Director in the capacity of Managing Director &
Chief Executive Officer and a Key Managerial Personnel of the Company, for a period of 5
(five) years effective from June 10, 2024, subject to the approval of Members of the
Company. The Board has also approved early retirement of Mr. Abhay Bhutada as Managing
Director of the Company effective from the close of business hours on June 09,
2024, and to continue as the Non-Executive Director on the Board of
your Company with effect from June 10, 2024.
The Board of Directors on April 08, 2024 has approved re-appointment of
Mr. Prabhakar Dalal (DIN:00544948) as a Non-Executive, Independent Director for a period
of 3 (three) years effective from May 05, 2024, thereafter the Members of the Company
approved his re- appointment.
Mr. G Jaganmohan Rao, Non-Executive, Independent Director, stepped down
from
the Board with effect from August 26, 2023. Ms. Vijayalakshmi R Iyer,
Non-Executive, Independent Director, completed her term as Independent Director of the
Company, with effect from January 30, 2024. Mr. Sajid Fazalbhoy, Non-Executive Director,
stepped down from the Board with effect from June 01, 2024. The Board of Directors of your
Company placed on record their appreciation for the contribution made by Mr. G Jaganmohan
Rao, Ms. Vijayalakshmi R Iyer and Mr. Sajid Fazalbhoy during their tenure as directors on
the Board.
c. Retirement by Rotation:
In accordance with the provisions of Section 152 of the Act read with
Articles of Association of the Company, Mr. Abhay Bhutada (DIN:03330542), Director retires
by rotation at the ensuing AGM and being eligible, offers himself for re- appointment. The
Board of Directors of your Company recommends the re-appointment of the Director liable to
retire by rotation at the ensuing AGM. Appropriate resolution seeking your approval for
the aforesaid re-appointment along with brief profile of the said director is forming part
of the Notice convening the 44th AGM of your Company.
d. Key Managerial Personnel :
In terms of Section 203 of the Act, the following are the Key
Managerial Personnel (KMPs') of the Company as on the date of this report:
1. Mr. Abhay Bhutada, Managing Director;
2. Mr. Sunil Samdani, Executive Director (with effect from October 20,
2023);
3. Mr. Sanjay Miranka, Chief Financial Officer; and
4. Mrs. Shabnum Zaman, Company Secretary.
Save and except as stated above, there are no other changes in the KMPs
during the FY 2023-24.
e. Declaration from Independent Directors:
The Company has received the necessary declaration from each
Independent Director in accordance with Section 149(7) of the Act and Regulation 16(1)(b)
and 25(8) of the SEBI Listing Regulations, that he/she meets the criteria of independence
as laid out in Section 149(6) of the Act and Regulation 16(1)(b) of the SEBI Listing
Regulations.
In terms of Regulation 25(8) of the SEBI Listing Regulations,
Independent Director
have confirmed that they are not aware of any circumstances or
situation which exists or may be reasonably anticipated that could impair or impact their
ability to discharge their duties. Based upon the declarations received from the
Independent Directors, the Board of Directors has confirmed that they meet the criteria of
independence as mentioned under Regulation 16(1)(b) of the SEBI Listing Regulations and
that they are independent of the management.
In terms of Section 150 of the Act read with Rule 6 of the Companies
(Appointment and Qualification of Directors) Rules, 2014, as amended, Independent
Directors of the Company have included their names in the data bank of Independent
Directors maintained with the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs. There has been no
change in the circumstances affecting their status as Independent Directors of the
Company.
In the opinion of the Board, the Independent Directors possess the
requisite integrity, experience, expertise, and proficiency required under applicable laws
and the policies of the Company.
During the year under review, a separate meeting of the Independent
Directors was held on January 13, 2024.
During the year under review, the Non-Executive Directors of the
Company had no pecuniary relationship or transactions with the Company, other than sitting
fees and commission, as applicable, received by them.
f. Fit and Proper Policy:
The Company adheres to the process and methodology prescribed by the
RBI in respect of the Fit & Proper' criteria as applicable to NBFCs,
signing of Deeds of Covenants which binds the directors to discharge their
responsibilities to the best of their abilities, individually and collectively in order to
be eligible for being appointed/ re- appointed as a director of the Company.
All the directors of the Company have confirmed that they satisfy the
fit and proper' criteria as prescribed in Chapter XI of RBI Scale Based
Regulation and that they are not disqualified from being appointed/continuing as directors
in terms of Section 164(2) of the Act. The prescribed declarations / undertakings given by
the directors were placed before the Nomination and Remuneration Committee and Board for
its review and noting.
g. Familiarization Programme for Independent Directors:
In compliance with the requirement of Regulation 25 of SEBI Listing
Regulations, the Company has put in place a familiarization programme for the Independent
Directors to familiarize them about the Company and their roles, rights, responsibilities
in the Company. The details of the familiarization programme along with the number of
hours spent by each of the Independent Director during the FY 2023-24 are explained in the
Corporate Governance Report. The same is also available on the website of the Company at
https://poonawallafincorp.com/ pfca/assets/pdf/PFL-Familiarization-Program- FY23-24.pdf
h. Performance Evaluation:
The Board conducted the performance evaluation of the Individual
directors, Board Committees, Board as a whole and the Chairman of the Board in accordance
with the provisions of the Act and the SEBI Listing Regulations, including the Guidance
Note on Board Evaluation issued by SEBI.
The Board evaluated the effectiveness of its functioning and that of
the Committees and of individual directors by seeking their inputs on various aspects of
Board/Committee Governance through structured questionnaire. The aspects covered in the
evaluation included the contribution to and monitoring of corporate governance practices,
participation in the long-term strategic planning and the fulfilment of directors'
obligations and fiduciary responsibilities, including but not limited to, active
participation at the Board and Committee meetings. Also, the Nomination and Remuneration
Committee has carried out an evaluation of every director's performance and reviewed
the self-evaluation submitted by the respective directors. These meetings were intended to
obtain Directors' input on effectiveness of Board/Committee processes.
The Board considered and discussed the input received from the
directors. Further, the Independent Directors at their meeting reviewed the performance
and role of Non- Independent Directors and the Board as a whole and Chairperson of the
Company and had also assessed the quality, quantity, and timeliness of flow of information
between the Company management and the Board that was necessary for the Board to perform
their duties effectively and reasonably.
i. Outcome of evaluation process:
Based on inputs received from the members, it emerged that the overall
performance evaluation of the Board, composition, and quality, understanding the business
including risks, process and procedures, oversight of financial reporting process
including internal controls and audit functions, ethics and compliances and monitoring
activities, has been found to be reasonably good. Similarly, the effectiveness of the
Board Committees has been rated high. The Committees of the Board function effectively.
Sufficient time is allotted for discussion of the agendas. Contrary views were also
encouraged and the same were viewed in the right perspective. The performance of the
Chairman of the Company has been found to be Excellent and was rated 5 within the overall
rating scale of 1 to 5. The Chairman demonstrates effective leadership qualities and
skills, provides strategic directions and guidance to the Company and addresses
recommendations/ suggestions of the Board Members including divergent views. Overall, the
Board is functioning very well in a cohesive and interactive manner. Last year the
recommendations of Independent Directors and Board on Performance Evaluation were largely
implemented.
j. Remuneration Policy:
The Board has, on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration
Committee adopted the Remuneration Policy, which inter alia includes policy for selection
and appointment of Directors, Key Managerial Personnel, Senior Management Personnel, and
their remuneration. The salient features of the Remuneration Policy are stated in the
Corporate Governance Report. The Remuneration Policy of the Company is available on the
Company's website at https:// poonawallafincorp.com/pfca/assets/pdf/PFL-
Remuneration-Policy.pdf.
k. Code of Conduct for Directors and Employees:
The Company has adopted a Code of Conduct for its directors and
employees including a Code of Conduct for Independent Directors which suitably
incorporates the duties of Independent Directors as laid down in the Act. The said Codes
can be accessed on the Company's website at https://poonawallafincorp.com/pfca/assets/pdf/
PFL-Code-of-Business-Ethics.pdf.
In terms of the SEBI Listing Regulations, all directors and Senior
Management Personnel have affirmed compliance with their respective codes. The Managing
Director has also confirmed and certified the same, which certification is provided at the
end of the Report on Corporate Governance.
DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT:
To the best of our knowledge and belief, your directors make the
following statements in terms of Section 134 (5) of the Act:
a. that in the preparation of the annual accounts for the year ended
March 31, 2024, the applicable Ind AS have been followed along with proper explanation
relating to material departures, if any;
b. t hat such accounting policies as mentioned in Notes to the annual
accounts have been selected and applied consistently and judgement and estimates have been
made that are reasonable and prudent so as to give a true and fair view of the state of
affairs of the Company as at March 31, 2024 and of the profit of the Company for the year
ended on that date;
c. that proper and sufficient care has been taken for the maintenance
of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Act for
safeguarding the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting fraud and other
irregularities;
d. that the annual accounts have been prepared on a going concern
basis;
e. that proper internal financial controls are in place and that the
financial controls are adequate and are operating effectively; and
f. that proper systems to ensure compliance with the provisions of all
applicable laws are in place and that such systems are adequate and operating effectively.
MEETINGS:
A minimum of four pre-scheduled Board meetings are held annually.
Additional Board meetings are convened by giving appropriate notice to address the
Company's specific needs. In case of business exigencies or urgency of matters,
resolutions are passed by circulation.
During the year under review, seven Board Meetings and seven Audit
Committee Meetings were convened and held, the details of which are given in the Corporate
Governance Report. The intervening gap between the meetings was within the period
prescribed under the Act and the SEBI Listing Regulations.
COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
The Committees of the Board focus on certain specific
areas and make informed decisions in line with the
delegated authority.
a. Audit Committee
The Audit Committee presently comprises of Mr. Atul Kumar Gupta who
serves as the Chairman of the Committee and Mr. Amar Deshpande, Mr. Prabhakar Dalal and
Mr. Sanjay Kumar as other members. The terms of reference for the Audit Committee have
been furnished in the Corporate Governance Report. All the recommendations made by the
Audit Committee during the year were accepted by the Board.
b. Nomination and Remuneration Committee
The Nomination and Remuneration Committee presently comprises of Mr.
Prabhakar Dalal who serves as the Chairman of the Committee and Mr. Amar Deshpande, and
Mr. Atul Kumar Gupta as other members. The terms of reference of the Nomination and
Remuneration Committee have been furnished in the Corporate Governance Report.
c. Stakeholders' Relationship Committee
The Stakeholders' Relationship Committee presently comprises of
Mr. Prabhakar Dalal who serves as the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Abhay Bhutada, Mr.
Sunil Samdani, and Mr. Sanjay Kumar as other members. The terms of reference of the
Stakeholders' Relationship Committee have been furnished in the Corporate Governance
Report.
d. Corporate Social Responsibility Committee
The Corporate Social Responsibility Committee presently comprises of
Mr. Abhay Bhutada who serves as the Chairman of the Committee and Mr. Sunil Samdani, Mr.
Amar Deshpande, Mr. Prabhakar Dalal and Ms. Kemisha Soni, as other members.
The other Committees of the Board are the Asset Liability Management
Committee, Risk Management Committee, IT Strategy Committee, Review Committee, and the
Management Committee. The details of composition, terms of reference and number of
meetings held for the respective Committees have been furnished in the Corporate
Governance Report.
CONTRACTS OR ARRANGEMENTS WITH RELATED PARTIES:
In line with the requirements of the Act and the SEBI Listing
Regulations, the Company has in place a Policy on Related Party Transactions and the same
can be accessed on the Company's website at Policy on https:// poonawallafi
ncorp.com/pfca/assets/pdf/PFL-Related- Partv-Transaction-Policv.pdf . All transactions
with Related Parties are placed before the Audit Committee for approval. All related party
transactions that were entered into during the financial year were on an arm's length
basis and in the ordinary course of business, the particulars of such transactions are
disclosed in the notes to the financial statements. Disclosures of related party
transactions of the Company with the promoter/ promoter group, which holds 10% or more
shareholding in the Company, if any, is given in note to the Standalone Financial
Statements. The nature of related party transaction require disclosure in AOC -2, the same
is attached with this Report as an Annexure-2.
SIGNIFICANT AND MATERIAL ORDERS PASSED BY THE REGULATORS OR COURTS OR
TRIBUNALS:
During the year under review there were no significant material orders
passed by the Regulators/ Courts/ Tribunals against the Company which would impact the
going concern status or its future operations.
STATUTORY AUDITORS:
Based on the recom mendation of the Audit Com mittee and the Board, the
members of the Company, at the 43rd AGM held on July 25, 2023, approved the
appointment of Kirtane & Pandit LLP, Chartered Accountants, (Firm Registration
No.105215W/W100057), as Joint Statutory Auditors of the Company, to hold office from the
conclusion of the Forty Third AGM until the conclusion of the Forty Sixth AGM of the
Company.
Pursuant to the Company's Policy on appointment of Statutory
Auditors (Policy') and the Circular No. DoS. CO.ARG/SEC.01/08.91.001/2021-22
dated April 27, 2021 issued by the RBI (RBI Circular'/ Guidelines'),
prescribing the guidelines for Appointment of Statutory Central Auditors (SCAs)/ Statutory
Auditors (Sas) of Commercial Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks (RRBs')),
Urban Co-operative Bank (UCBs') and Non-Banking Financial Companies
(NBFCs') (including Housing Financial Companies (HFCs')) and in
accordance with the requirements of Section 139 of the Act, read with Rules made
thereunder, Walker Chandiok & Co LLP, Chartered Accountants, and Kirtane & Pandit
LLP, Chartered Accountants, act as the Joint Statutory Auditors of the Company.
The terms of appointment of Walker Chandiok & Co LLP (Firm
Registration No. 001076N/N500013) as one of the Company's Joint Statutory Auditors
shall expire at the conclusion of the Forty Fourth AGM of the Company.
In view of the same, based on the recommendation of the Audit
Committee, the Board at its meeting held on April 29, 2024, recommended and approved the
appointment of M S K A & Associates, Chartered Accountants, (Firm Registration No.
105047W), as Joint Statutory Auditors of the Company, to hold office from the conclusion
of the Forty Forth AGM until the conclusion of the Forty Seventh AGM of the Company,
subject to the approval of the Members at the ensuing AGM.
M S K A & Associates established in 1978, is an Indian partnership
firm registered with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and the PCAOB
(US Public Company Accountancy Oversight Board) having offices across key cities in India.
The Firm provides a range of services which include Audit & Assurance, Taxation and
Accounting Advisory. The Firm's Audit and Assurance practice has significant
experience in auditing financial services clients including large NBFCs and Banks.
As required under Regulation 33(1)(d) of the SEBI Listing Regulations,
the Joint Statutory Auditors have confirmed that they have subjected themselves to the
peer review process of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI')
and that they hold a valid certif?cate issued by the Peer Review Board of ICAI.
The Standalone and the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company
have been prepared in accordance with Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) notified under
Section 133 of the Act. The notes on financial statements referred to in the
Auditors' Report are self-explanatory and do not call for any further comments. The
Auditors' Report does not contain any qualification, reservation, adverse remark, or
disclaimer.
SECRETARIAL AUDITORS:
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 204 of the Act and the Companies
(Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, the Board of Directors
of the Company has appointed SIUT & Co LLP, Company Secretaries (Firm Registration No.
L2021MH011500) to conduct the Secretarial Audit for the FY 2023-24. The Secretarial Audit
Report confirms that the Company has complied with the provisions of the Act, Rules, SEBI
Listing Regulations and Guidelines and that the report does not contain any qualification,
reservation, adverse remark, or disclaimer. The Secretarial Audit Report for the financial
year ended March 31, 2024, is annexed herewith and marked as an Annexure-3.
Further, the Board of Directors at its meeting held on April 29, 2024,
has re-appointed SIUT & Co LLP as the Secretarial Auditor of the Company for FY
2024-25 and FY 2025-26.
COST AUDITORS:
Being a NBFC, maintenance of cost records and requirement of cost audit
as prescribed under the provisions of Section 148(1) of the Act are not applicable in
respect of the business activities carried out by the Company.
SECRETARIAL STANDARDS:
Your Company is in compliance with the applicable secretarial standards
issued by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India and approved by the Central
Government under Section 118(10) of the Act.
BUSINESS RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY REPORT:
In the financial sector, Environment, Social and Governance Practices
(ESG') has become a critical area of focus. Your Company has constituted ESG
Committee and adopted Environmental and Social Governance Policy & Governance
Framework. As a responsible organisation your Company takes various measures to mitigate
our impact on the environment, ensure our conduct is responsible towards our internal and
external stakeholders and invest in good governance practices. Our various efforts towards
responding to the stakeholder needs and concerns are addressed in the business
responsibility and sustainability report (BRSR'), covering the nine principles
of National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC).
The BRSR provides an avenue for disclosing an overview of the entity's
material ESG risks and opportunities, goals and targets related to sustainability and
performance against them. As per Regulation 34 of the SEBI Listing Regulations, BRSR for
FY 2023-24 forms part of this Report.
RBI GUIDELINES:
The Company continues to fulfil all the norms and standards laid down
by RBI pertaining to non- performing assets, capital adequacy, statutory liquidity assets,
etc. As against the RBI norm of 15%, the capital to risk-weighted assets ratio of the
Company was 33.80% as on March 31, 2024. In line with the RBI guidelines for asset
liability management (ALM') system for NBFCs, the Company has an Asset
Liability Management Committee, which meets quarterly to review its ALM
risks and opportunities.
The Company continues to be in compliance with the RBI Scale Based
Regulation.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE:
The Company is committed to achieving and adhering to the highest
standard of Corporate Governance. It believes in and practices good corporate governance.
The Company maintains transparency and also enhances corporate accountability. In terms of
Regulation 34 of SEBI Listing Regulations read with Schedule V, the following forms part
of this Report:
a. Declaration regarding compliance to Code of Conduct by the Board
Members and Senior Management Personnel;
b. A certif?cate from a Practicing Company Secretary that none of the
directors on the Board of the Company have been debarred or disqualified from being
appointed or continuing as directors of Companies by the Board/ Ministry of Corporate
Affairs or any such statutory authority;
c. Report on the Corporate Governance; and
d. Practicing Company Secretaries certif?cate regarding compliance of
conditions of Corporate Governance.
PARTICULARS OF CONSERVATION OF ENERGY, TECHNOLOGY ABSORPTION AND
FOREIGN EX- CHANGE EARNING AND OUTGO:
Your Company does not have any activity requiring conservation of
energy or technology absorption and foreign exchange earnings and outgo.
OTHER DISCLOSURES:
a. During the year, there was no application made or any proceeding
pending under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (31 of 2016) and any one-time
settlement with any Bank or Financial Institution during the year under review and hence
the details of difference between amount of the valuation done at the time of one time
settlement and the valuation done while taking loan from the Banks or Financial
Institutions along with the reasons thereof is not applicable.
b. The Company has not defaulted in repayment of loans from Banks and
Financial Institutions;
c. There were no delays or defaults in payment of interest/principle of
any of its debt securities;
d. Disclosures pursuant to RBI Scale Based Regulation unless provided
in the Board's
Report, form part of the notes to the Standalone Financial Statements;
e. There was no raising of funds through Preferential Allotment, Rights
Issues or Qualified Institutional Placements, etc.
ANNUAL RETURN:
Pursuant to Sections 92 and 134(3) of the Act read with Rule 12 of the
Companies (Management and Administration) Rules, 2014 as amended, the Annual Return is
available at the website of the Company at https://poonawallafincorp.com/investor-financials.
php
PARTICULARS OF EMPLOYEES AND RELATED DISCLOSURES:
The information required under Section 197(12) of the Act read with
Rule 5 of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules,
2014, is disclosed in this Report as an Annexure 4.
In terms of the proviso to Section 136(1) of the Act, the Report is
being sent to all Members, excluding the statement with respect to employees employed
throughout the year and employees employed for part of the year who were in receipt of
remuneration in excess of limits prescribed under Section 197 (12) of the Act read with
Rule 5(2) and (3) of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel)
Rules, 2014. The statement is available for inspection by any Member on request. Any
Member interested in obtaining a copy of the said statement, may write an email to the
Company Secretary at secretarial@poonawallafincorp.com
TRANSFER OF AMOUNT TO INVESTOR EDUCATION AND PROTECTION FUND:
Pursuant to Section 124(5) of the Act read with Investor Education and
Protection Fund Authority (Accounting, Audit, Transfer and Refund) Rules, 2016, (as
amended from time to time) (IEPF Rules') relevant amount, which remained unpaid
or unclaimed for a period of seven years have been transferred by the Company, from time
to time on due dates, to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF').
During the year under review, your Company has transferred H5,61,478/- (Rupees Five Lakh
Sixty One Thousand Four Hundred and Seventy Eight only) to IEPF Authority.
Pursuant to Section 124 (6) of the Act and read with Rule 6 of IEPF
Rules all the underlying shares in respect of which dividends are not claimed/ paid for
the last seven consecutive years or more are liable to get transferred to the IEPF
Authority. Accordingly, during
the year under review 49,927 equity shares of face value of H2/- each,
were transferred to IEPF Authority.
The Company has uploaded the details of unpaid and unclaimed amounts
lying with the Company and also the details of equity shares transferred to IEPF Authority
on the Company's website (www. poonawallafincorp.com), and also on the
Ministry of Corporate Affairs' website (www.mca.gov.in).
FRAUD REPORTING:
During the year under review, neither the Statutory Auditors nor the
Secretarial Auditor has reported to the Audit Committee under Section 143 (12) of Act, any
instances of fraud committed against the Company by its officers or employees, the details
of which needs to be mentioned in the Board's Report.
APPRECIATION:
Your directors would like to record their appreciation of the hard work
and commitment of the Company's employees and warmly acknowledge the unstinting
support extended by its bankers, financial institutions, shareholders, regulators and
other stakeholders in contributing to the results.
For and on behalf of the Board |
|
Abhay Bhutada |
Sunil Samdani |
Managing Director |
Executive Director |
DIN:03330542 |
DIN:10301175 |
Pune |
|
June 01, 2024 |
|