We have audited the accompanying Standalone Financial Statements of IFCI Limited (“the Company”), which comprises the Balance Sheet as at March 31, 2024, the Statement of Profit and Loss (including Other Comprehensive Income), the Statement of Cash Flows and the Statement of Changes in Equity for the year ended on that date and Notes to the standalone Financial Statements, including a summary of material Accounting Policies and other explanatory information (hereinafter referred to as the “Standalone Financial Statements”).
In our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the aforesaid standalone financial statements give the information required by the Companies Act 2013 (“the Act”) in the manner so required and give a true and fair view in conformity with the Indian Accounting Standards prescribed under Section 133 of the Act read with the Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules,2015 as amended, (“Ind AS”) and other accounting principles generally accepted in India, of the state of affairs of the Company as at 31st March, 2024, and its profit, total comprehensive income, its cash flows and the changes in equity for the year ended on that date.
Basis for Opinion
We conducted our audit of the standalone financial statements in accordance with the Standards on Auditing (SAs) specified under Section 143(10) of the Companies Act, 2013 (“the Act”). Our responsibilities under those Standards are further described in “Auditors Responsibilities for the Audit of Standalone Financial Statements” section of our report. We are independent of the Company in accordance with the Code of Ethics issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (“the ICAI”) together with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the standalone financial statements under the provisions of the Act and the Rules made thereunder, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements and the ICAIs Code of Ethics. We believe that the audit evidences obtained by us is sufficient and appropriate to provide a reasonable basis for our audit opinion on the Standalone Financial Statements.
Emphasis of Matter:
1. We draw attention to Note No. 39 of the financial statements regarding change in accounting policy towards recognition of interest income on Stage 3 assets w.e.f. 01.04.2021. Accordingly, the interest income for the FY 2021-2022 and FY 2022-2023 has increased by ' 248.03 Crores and ' 209.50 Crores respectively.
2. We draw attention to Note No. 40, where the valuation of the investments in subsidiary companies has been considered on the basis of financial statements for the period ended 31st December 2023.
3. We draw attention to Note No. 54 where the Capital Risk Adequacy Ratio (CRAR) stands at (-)48.35 % as on 31.03.2024, below the RBI stipulated guideline vide circular dated 31st May, 2018 (RBI/2017-18/181 DNBR (PD) CC.No.092/03.10.001/2017-18).
4. In a certain case, it was observed that one party has appointed the company as its advisor/consultant for assisting and preparation of their proposal under SDF (Sugar Development Fund) scheme of Government of India (GOI). However, company is also acting as nodal agency/agent of government for independently carrying out various due diligence procedures on application received by nodal ministry under SDF Scheme. Notwithstanding express approval from GOI, the action of assisting/coaching an applicant into preparation of documents/
project reports on commercial terms, and simultaneously conducting due diligence on behalf of GOI, severely undermines the creditability of the proposals appraised by the company, and comprises the independent position of the company.
5. The company has informed us vide letter dt. 01.11.2022 received from nodal ministry that case specific data for SDF (Sugar Development Fund) Scheme may not be shared with auditors. Accordingly, same is not reviewed by us.
6. The company has informed us that as per communication received from nodal ministry towards PLI (Production Linked Incentive) schemes, files and documents shall not be made available to the auditors, hence we have not reviewed the same.
Our Opinion is not modified in respect of these matters.
Key Audit Matters
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgment, were of most significance in our audit of the standalone financial statements of the current period. These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the standalone financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters. We have determined the matters described below to be the key audit matters to be communicated in our report.
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S.
No.
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Key Audit Matters
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How our matter was addressed in the audit
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1.
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Impairment of Loan Assets -
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Our Audit Procedure
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Expected Credit Loss (ECL1
[Refer Note No. 53 to the Standalone Financial Statements read with accounting policy No. 6(b)]
The most significant areas where we identified greater levels of management judgment are:
• ECL model-Impairment loss measurement requires use of statistical models to estimate the Probabilities of Default (PD), Loss Given Default (LGD) and Exposure at Default (EAD). These models are key driver to measure ECL.
• Individually assessed classification of various Stages- the carrying value of loans and advances to borrowers may be materially misstated if individual impairments are not appropriately identified and estimated.
The effect of these matters is that, as part of our risk assessment, we determined that the value of ECL has a high degree of estimation uncertainty, with a potential range of reasonable outcomes greater than our materiality for the financial statements as a whole.
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includes:
We have obtained an understanding of the guidelines as specified in Ind AS 109 “Financial Instruments”, various regulatory updates and the Company's internal instructions and procedures in respect of the expected credit loss and adopted the following audit procedures:
1. Evaluation and understanding of the key internal control mechanisms with respect to the loan assets, assessment of the loan impairment including assessment of relevant data quality, and review of the real data entered.
2. Verification/review of documentations, operations/performance of Loan asset accounts, on test check basis of the large and stressed loan assets, to ascertain any overdue, unsatisfactory conduct or weakness in any loan asset account.
3. Review of the reports of the internal audit and any other audit/inspection mechanisms to ascertain the loan assets having any adverse indication/ comments, and review of
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S.
No.
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Key Audit Matters
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How our matter was addressed in the audit
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In the event of any improper application of assumptions, the carrying value of loan assets could be materially misstated either individually or collectively. In view of the significance of the amount of loan assets in the standalone Financial Statements, the impairment of loan assets thereon has been considered as Key Audit Matter in our audit.
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the control mechanisms of the Company to ensure the proper classification of such loan assets and expected credit loss thereof.
4. The accuracy of critical data elements input into the system used for computation of PD and LGD.
5. The completeness and accuracy of data flows from source systems into the ECL calculation.
6. Independent assessment of all Loan assets based on IRACP norms of RBI.
Our results:
We considered the credit impairment charge and provision recognized and the related disclosures to be acceptable & satisfactory.
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2.
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Valuation of financial
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Our Audit Procedure includes:
We involved our team to review the managements underlying assumptions in estimating the fair valuation arrived at for those financial derivative contracts and the possible outcome of the underlying contracts accruing any profit or loss to the company.
Our team also considered general market practices and other underlying assumptions in arriving at such fair valuation of the financial derivative contracts as outstanding/pending for settlement as on March 31, 2024.
Assessing whether the financial statement disclosures appropriately reflect the Companys exposure to derivatives valuation risks with reference to the requirements of the prevailing accounting standards and Reserve Bank of India Guidelines.
Our results:
We did not find any material misstatement in measuring derivative contracts at fair value and the related disclosures to be acceptable & satisfactory.
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instruments at Fair Value
[Refer Note No. 52 to the Standalone Financial Statements read with accounting policy No. 6(b)] Company enters into derivative contracts in accordance with RBI guidelines to manage its currency and interest rate risk. These derivative contracts are categorized at FVTPL and certain derivative contracts are designated under cash flow hedge (Hedge Accounting).
We consider the valuation of the derivative financial instruments and hedge accounting as a key audit matter due to its material exposure and the fact that the inappropriate application of these requirements could lead to a material effect on the income statement.
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S.
No.
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Key Audit Matters
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How our matter was addressed in the audit
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3.
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Valuation of investments in
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Our Audit Procedure
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Subsidiaries and Associates
Due to the materiality of the investment in the context of the parent Company’s financial statements and the market risk related with recoverability of investments, this was considered to be the area of focus during the course of Company’s audits Hence, it was considered as a key Audit matter in our Report.
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includes:
Review of financial statements of all subsidiaries and associates.
Our results:
We did not find any material risk in recoverability of the investments and the valuation of the investments has been done on fair value.
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4.
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Assessment of Information
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Our Audit Procedure
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Technology (ITl
The key financial accounting and reporting processes are highly dependent on the automated controls over the Company’s IT systems. There is a risk that improper segregation of duties or user access management controls (in relation to key financial accounting and reporting systems) may undermine our ability to place some reliance thereon in our audit.
We have considered this as key audit matter as any control lapses, validation failures, incorrect input data and wrong extraction of data may result in wrong reporting of data to the management and regulators.
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includes:
Evaluated sample of key controls operating over the information/input in relation to financial accounting and reporting systems.
Our results:
We did not find any material deficiencies as per our analysis of reports emanating from IT systems on Financial Accounting and reporting.
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Information other than the Standalone Financial Statements and Auditor’s Report Thereon
The Company’s Board of Directors and Management is responsible for the preparation of the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Company’s annual report, but does not include the standalone financial statements, consolidated financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon.
Our opinion on the standalone financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the standalone financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the standalone financial statements or our knowledge obtained during the course of our audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.
Management’s Responsibility for the Standalone Financial Statements
The Company’s Board of Directors is responsible for the matters stated in section 134(5) of the Act with respect to the preparation of these standalone financial statements that give a true and fair view of the financial position and financial performance including other comprehensive income, cash flow and changes in equity of the Company in accordance with the accounting principles generally
accepted in India, including Ind AS specified under section 133 of the Companies Act, 2013.
This responsibility also includes 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 frauds and other irregularities; selection and application of appropriate accounting policies; making judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and design, implementation and maintenance of adequate internal financial controls, that were operating effectively for ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the accounting records, relevant to the preparation and presentation of the standalone financial statements that give a true and fair view and are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the standalone financial statements, management is responsible for assessing the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless management either intends to liquidate the entity or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.
The Board of Directors are also responsible for overseeing the Company’s financial reporting process.
Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of Standalone Financial Statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the standalone financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with SAs will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these standalone financial statements.
As part of an audit in accordance with SAs, we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit. We also:
- Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the standalone financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
- Obtain an understanding of internal financial control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. Under section 143(3)(i) of the Companies Act, 2013, we are also responsible for expressing our opinion on whether the company has adequate internal financial controls system in place and the operating effectiveness of such controls.
- Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by management and Board of Directors.
- Conclude on the appropriateness of management’s use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the standalone financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based
on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the Company to cease to continue as a going concern.
- Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the standalone financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
Materiality is the magnitude of misstatements in the standalone financial statements that, individually or in aggregate, makes it probable that the economic decisions of a reasonably knowledgeable user of the standalone financial statements may be influenced. We consider quantitative materiality and qualitative factors in (i) planning the scope of our audit work and in evaluating the results of our work; and (ii) to evaluate the effect of any identified misstatements in the standalone financial statements.
We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.
We also provide those charged with governance with a statement that we have complied with relevant ethical requirements regarding independence, and to communicate with them all relationships and other matters that may reasonably be thought to bear on our independence, and where applicable, related safeguards.
From the matters communicated with those charged with governance, we determine those matters that were of most significance in the audit of the financial statements of the current period and are therefore the key audit matters. We describe these matters in our auditor’s report unless law or regulation precludes public disclosure about the matter or when, in extremely rare circumstances, we determine that a matter should not be communicated in our report because the adverse consequences of doing so would reasonably be expected to outweigh the public interest benefits of such communication.
Report on Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements
1. As required by the Companies (Auditor’s Report) Order, 2020 (‘the Order’) issued by the Central Government of India in terms of sub-section (11) of section 143 of the Act, we give in the Annexure “A” a statement on the matters specified in paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Order.
2. As required under section 143(5) of the Companies Act, 2013, we enclose herewith, as per Annexure “B”, our report for the Company on the directions and sub-directions (Part A and Part B, respectively) issued by the Comptroller & Auditor General of India.
3. As required by Section 143(3) of the Act, based on our audit we report that:
a) We have sought and obtained all the information and explanations which to the best of our knowledge and belief were necessary for the purposes of our audit;
b) In our opinion, proper books of account as required by law have been kept by the Company so far as it appears from our examination of those books;
c) The Balance Sheet and the Statement of Profit and Loss including other comprehensive income, the Statement of Cash Flows and Statement of changes in Equity dealt with by this Report are in agreement with the books of account;
d) In our opinion, the aforesaid standalone financial statements comply with the Ind AS specified under Section 133 of the Act.
e) As per notification number G.S.R. 463(E) dated June 5, 2015 issued by Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Section 164(2) of the Act regarding the disqualifications of Directors is not
applicable to the Company, since it is a Government Company.
f) With respect to the adequacy of the internal financial controls over financial reporting of the Company and the operating effectiveness of such controls, refer to our separate report in Annexure “C”. Our report expresses an unmodified opinion on the adequacy and operating effectiveness of the Company’s Internal Financial Control over financial reporting.
g) With respect to other matters to be included in the Auditor’s Report in accordance with the requirements of Section 197(16) of the Act, since it is a government company, the provision of section 197 of the Act is not applicable to the company as per GSR 463 (E) dated June 05, 2015, issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
h) With respect to the other matters to be included in the Auditor’s Report in accordance with Rule 11 of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014, in our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us:
i. The Company has disclosed the impact of pending litigations as at 31st March 2024 on its financial position in its standalone financial statements - Refer Note No. 35.2 to the financial statements;
ii. The Company has made appropriate adjustment in the Profit & Loss Account, as required under the applicable law and accounting standards, for material foreseeable losses, if any, on long-term contracts including derivative contracts - Refer Note No. 52 to the financial statements;
iii. There has been no delay in transferring amounts, required to be transferred, to the Investor Education and Protection Fund by the Company.
iv. a) The Management has represented to us that, to
the best of their knowledge and belief, no funds (which are material either individually or in the aggregate) have been advanced or loaned or invested (either from borrowed funds or share premium or any other sources or kind of funds) by the Company to or in any other person or entity, including foreign entity (“Intermediaries”), with the understanding, whether recorded in writing or otherwise, that the Intermediary shall, directly or indirectly lend or invest in other persons or entities identified in any manner whatsoever by or on behalf of the Company (“Ultimate Beneficiaries”) or provide any guarantee, security or the like on behalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries.
b) The Management has represented, that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, no funds (which are material either individually or in the aggregate) have been received by the Company from any person or entity, including foreign entity (“Funding Parties”), with the understanding, whether recorded in writing or otherwise, that the Company shall, whether, directly or indirectly, lend or invest in other persons or entities identified in any manner whatsoever by or on behalf of the Funding Party (“Ultimate Beneficiaries”) or provide any guarantee, security or the like on behalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries
c) Based on the audit procedures that have been considered reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances, nothing has come to our notice that has caused us to believe that the representations under sub-clause (i) and (ii) of Rule 11(e), as provided under (a) and (b) above, contain any material misstatement.
v. There has been no dividend declared or paid by the company during the year under audit.
vi. Based on our examination, which included test checks, the Company has used accounting softwares for maintaining its books of account for the financial year ended March 31, 2024 which has a feature of recording audit trail (edit log) facility and the same has operated throughout the year for all relevant transactions recorded in the softwares. Further, during the course of our audit we did not come across any instance of the audit trail being tampered with.
As proviso to Rule 3(1) of the companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 is applicable from April 1, 2023 reporting under Rule 11(g) of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014 on preservation of audit trail as per the statutory requirements for record retention is not applicable for the financial year ended March 31, 2024.
For S MANN AND COMPANY
Chartered Accountants Firm Registration No: 000075N
CA SUBHASH CHANDER MANN Partner
Membership No.: 080500 UDIN: 24080500BKFBIH6705
Place : New Delhi Date : April 30, 2024
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