Neuland Laboratories Limited
Report on the Audit of the standalone financial statements
Opinion
We have audited the accompanying standalone financial statements of Neuland Laboratories Limited (the "Company"), which comprise the Balance Sheet as at March 31, 2024, the Statement of Profit and Loss including Other Comprehensive Income, the Statement of Changes in Equity and Statement of Cash Flows for the year then ended and notes to the standalone financial statements, including material accounting policy information 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 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 March 31, 2024 and its profit including other comprehensive income, changes in equity and its cash flows 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 Act. Our responsibilities under those Standards are further described in the Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the 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 ("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 thereunder, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements and the Code of Ethics. We believe that the audit evidence obtained by us is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
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 for the year ended March 31, 2024. 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 matter described below to be the key audit matter to be communicated in our report:
Impairment of Goodwill (Refer Note 37 of standalone financial statements):
The goodwill balance as of March 31, 2024, of H 27,946.10 lakhs is pertaining to merger of Neuland Health Sciences Private Limited ("NHSPL") and Neuland Pharma Research Private Limited ("NPRPL") with the Company with appointed date of April 01, 2016.
As at March 31, 2024, Goodwill represents 15.26% of the Company's total assets and 21.89% of the Company's total shareholder's equity. The Company has tested goodwill for impairment on an annual basis as required by "IND AS 36 -Impairment of Asset". In determining the fair value / value in use of business reporting units, the Company has applied judgment in estimating future revenues, operating profit margins, long-term growth rate and discount rates.
Due to significance of the above matter and involvement of the significant management judgement in estimation of fair value / value in use, the assessment of recoverability of carrying value of goodwill is considered as key audit matter.
How the Key Audit Matter was addressed in our audit:
Our audit procedures in respect of this area included, but are not limited to, following:
1. Obtained an understanding from the management of the Company with respect to process followed and assessed the design, implementation and tested the operating effectiveness of internal controls over impairment testing related to goodwill;
2. Assessed the Company's internal controls over preparation of annual budgets and future forecasts for the business as a whole and the approach followed for annual impairment test and key assumptions applied;
3. Evaluated the reasonableness of the assumptions used and appropriateness of the valuation methodology applied and tested the discount rate and terminal growth rates used in the forecast including comparison to economic data, industry report, data from competitors and historic performances wherever appropriate to compare and corroborate;
4. Assessed reasonableness and appropriateness of the future revenue and margin projections, the historical accuracy of the Group's estimates and its ability to produce accurate long-term forecasts;
5. Compared the reasonableness of future operating cash flow forecasts with the business plan and budgets approved by the Board; and tested the mathematical accuracy of management's calculations;
6. Assessed the adequacy and appropriateness of the disclosures made in the Standalone Financial Statements in compliance with the requirements of applicable Indian Accounting Standards and applicable financial reporting framework.
Information Other than the standalone financial statements and Auditor's Report Thereon
The Company's Board of Directors is responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Management report, Chairman's statement, Director's report, Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting etc. but does not include the standalone financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The Management report, Chairman's statement, Director's report, Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting etc. is expected to be made available to us after the date of this auditor's report.
Our opinion on the standalone financial statements does not cover the other information and we will 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 identified above when it becomes available and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the standalone financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.
When we read the Management report, Chairman's statement, Director's report, Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting etc., if we conclude that there is a material misstatement therein, we are required to communicate the matter to those charged with governance under SA 720 'The Auditor's responsibilities Relating to Other Information'.
Responsibilities of Management and Board of Directors for the Standalone financial statements
The Company's Management and 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, financial performance, changes in equity
and cash flows of the Company in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in India, including the Accounting Standards specified under section 133 of the Act. This responsibility also includes maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Act for safeguarding of 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 statement 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, the Board of Directors are 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 the Board of Directors either intends to liquidate the Company or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.
The Management and Board of Directors are also responsible for overseeing the Company's financial reporting process.
Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the 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.
We give in "Annexure A" a detailed description of Auditor's responsibilities for Audit of the Standalone financial statements.
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 "Annexure B" a statement on the matters specified in paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Order, to the extent applicable.
2. As required by Section 143(3) of the Act, 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 except for the matters stated in the paragraph 2(h)(vi) below on reporting under Rule 11(g).
(c) The Balance Sheet, the Statement of Profit and Loss including other comprehensive income, the Statement of Changes in Equity and the Statement of Cash Flow 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 Accounting Standards specified under Section 133 of the Act.
(e) On the basis of the written representations received from the directors as on March 31, 2024, taken on record by the Board of Directors, none of the directors are disqualified as on March 31, 2024, from being appointed as a director in terms of Section 164 (2) of the Act.
(f) With respect to the adequacy of the internal financial controls with reference to standalone financial statements of the Company and the operating effectiveness of such controls, refer to our separate Report in "Annexure C".
(g) The reservation relating to the maintenance of accounts and other matters connected therewith are as stated in paragraph 2(b) above on reporting under Section 143(3)(b) and paragraph 2(h)(vi) below on reporting under Rule 11(g).
(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 on its financial position in its standalone financial statements - Refer Note 40 to the standalone financial statements.
ii. The Company did not have any long-term contracts including derivative contracts for which there were any material foreseeable losses.
iii. There has been no delay in transferring amounts, required to be transferred, to the Investor Education and Protection Fund by the Company.
iv. (1) The Management has represented that,
to the best of its knowledge and belief, no funds 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(s) or entity(ies), including foreign entities ("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.
(2) The Management has represented, that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, no funds have been received by the Company from any person(s) or entity(ies), including foreign entities (Funding Parties), with the understanding, whether recorded in writing or otherwise, as on the date of this audit report, that the Company shall, 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.
(3) Based on the audit procedures performed that have been considered reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances, and according to the information and explanations provided to us by the Management in this regard 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 (1) and (2) above, contain any material mis-statement.
v. The final dividend paid by the Company during the year, in respect of the same declared for the previous year, is in accordance with section 123 of the Companies Act 2013 to the extent it applies to payment of dividend.
The Board of Directors of the Company have proposed final dividend for the year which is subject to the approval of the members at the ensuing Annual General Meeting. The dividend declared is in accordance with section 123 of the Act to the extent it applies to declaration of dividend. (Refer Statement of Changes in Equity in the standalone financial statements).
vi. Based on our examination, the Company has used an accounting software for maintaining its books of account which has a feature of recording the audit trail (edit log) facility, however, the audit trail feature was not enabled for all the relevant transactions. Further, the audit trail (edit log) facility was not enabled at the database level.
The audit trail facility, which was enabled, as reported above, has been operated throughout the year and during the course of our examination, we did not come across any instance of the audit trail being tampered with.
3. In our opinion, according to information, explanations given to us, the remuneration paid / provided by the Company to its directors is within the limits laid prescribed under Section 197 of the Act and the rules thereunder.
For M S K A & Associates Chartered Accountants
ICAI Firm Registration No. 105047W
Prakash Chandra Bhutada
Partner
Place: Hyderabad, India Membership No. 404621
Date: May 10, 2024 UDIN: 24404621BKFSKB1276
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