To the Members of Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited Report on the Audit of the Standalone Financial Statements Opinion
We have audited the accompanying standalone financial statements of Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited ("the Company"), which comprise the Standalone Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2024, the Standalone Statement of Profit and Loss (including other comprehensive income), Standalone Statement of Changes in Equity and Standalone Statement of Cash Flows for the year then ended, and notes to the standalone financial statements, including a summary of material accounting policy information and other explanatory information ("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 and other accounting principles generally accepted in India, of the state of affairs of the Company as at 31 March 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 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 ("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 thereunder, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements and the ICAI's Code of Ethics. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Emphasis of Matter
1. We draw attention to note no. 52 to the accompanying Standalone Financial Statements which states that during the year ended 31 March 2024, the Company has
withdrawn an amount of Rs. 610 crores (net of related tax impact) from the additional special reserve created under section 29C of the National Housing Bank Act 1987 / the Master Direction - Non-Banking Financial Company
- Housing Finance Company (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2021 [earlier: NHB circular no. NHB (ND)/DRS/Pol-No.03/2004-05 dated August 26, 2004] towards provision of impairment on the carrying value of investments in Alternate Investments Funds (AIF) pursuant to RBI circular no. RBI/2023-24/90 DOR.STR.REC.58/21.04.048/2023-24 dated 19 December 2023.
2. We draw attention to note no. 39(3)(xxi) to the accompanying Standalone Financial Statements which states that the Company has applied to the Reserve Bank of India ("RBI") for change of its Certification of Registration to Non-Banking Financial Company-Investment and Credit Company (NBFC-ICC) consequent to the Company not meeting the Principal Business Criteria for Housing Finance Companies as laid out in para 5.3 of the Master Direction
- Non Banking Financial Company - Housing Finance Company ("NBFC-HFC") (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2021 ("Master Directions") and is awaiting approval from RBI for the conversion.
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 for the financial year ended 31 March 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. For each matter below, our description of how our audit addressed the matter is provided in that context.
We have determined the matters described below to be the key audit matters to be communicated in our report. We have fulfilled the responsibilities described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the Standalone Financial Statements section of our report, including in relation to these matters. Accordingly, our audit included the performance of procedures designed to respond to our assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the Standalone Financial Statements. The results of our audit procedures, including the procedures performed to address the matters below, provide the basis for our audit opinion on the accompanying Standalone Financial Statements.
Key audit matters
|
How our audit addressed the key audit matter
|
Impairment of financial instruments (including provision for expected credit losses) (as described in note 8 of the Standalone Financial Statements)
|
Ind AS 109 requires the Company to provide for impairment of its financial assets using the expected credit loss ('ECL') approach involving an estimation of probability of loss on the financial assets over their life, considering reasonable and supportable information about past events, current conditions and forecasts of future economic conditions which could impact the credit quality of the Company's loans and advances. In the process, a significant degree of judgement has been applied by the management in respect of following matters:
• The Company has various loan products divided into Corporate loan portfolio and Retail loan portfolio. Retail loans are grouped into different categories on the basis of homogeneity and thereby expected to demonstrate similar credit characteristics. Corporate loan portfolio is assessed on a case-to-case basis.
• Estimation of losses in respect of loans or groups of loans which had no/ minimal defaults in the past.
• Staging of loans and estimation of behavioral life.
• Management overlay for macro-economic factors and estimation of their impact on the credit quality.
• The Company has developed models that derive key assumption used within the provision calculation such as probability of default (PD).
• The company has used the LGD rates based on past experience and industry practice.
• The output of these models is then applied to the provision calculation with other information including the exposure at default (EAD).
|
• 0 ur audit procedures included considering the company's accounting policies for impairment of loan receivables and assessing compliance with the policies in terms of Ind AS 109.
• Tested the assumptions used by the Company for grouping and staging of loan portfolio into various categories and default buckets for determining the PD
• Tested the operating effectiveness of the controls for staging of loans based on their past-due status. Tested a sample of performing (stage 1) loans to assess whether any loss indicators were present requiring them to be classified under stage 2 or 3.
• Performed inquiries with the Company's management and its risk management function.
• Tested the arithmetical accuracy of computation of ECL provision performed by the company in spreadsheets.
• Compared the disclosures included in the standalone financial statements in respect of expected credit losses with the requirements of Ind AS 107 and 109.
|
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 Board's report, Management Discussion & Analysis Report and Business Responsibility & Sustainability Report but does not include the Standalone Financial Statements and our auditor's report thereon. The Board's report, Management Discussion & Analysis Report and Business Responsibility & Sustainability Report are 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 above reports, if we conclude that there is a material misstatement therein, we are required to communicate the matter to those charged with governance.
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, financial performance including other comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows of the Company in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in India, including the Indian 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 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, the 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 the Management either intends to liquidate the Company or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.
Those 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.
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 control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. Under Section 143(3) (i) of the Act, we are also responsible for expressing our opinion on whether the Company has adequate internal financial controls system with reference to standalone financial statements 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 the Management.
• 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 standalone financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the standalone financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
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.
W e 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 standalone 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 1 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.
(c) The Balance Sheet, the Statement of Profit and Loss (including Other Comprehensive Income), Statement of Changes in Equity and the Statement of Cash Flows 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 Indian Accounting Standards specified under Section 133 of the Act.
(e) On the basis of the written representations received from the directors as on 31 March 2024 taken on record by the Board of Directors, none of the directors of the Company is disqualified as on 31 March 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 2.
(g) In our opinion, the managerial remuneration paid by the Company to its directors during the year is in accordance with the provisions of Section 197 read with Schedule V of the Act.
(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, as amended 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 33(a)&(b) to the Standalone Financial Statements.
ii. The Company has made provision, as required under the applicable law or Indian Accounting Standards, for material foreseeable losses, if any, on long-term contracts including derivative contracts - Refer Note 6 and 27 to the Standalone Financial Statements.
iii. There are no amounts which were required to be transferred to the Investor Education and Protection Fund by the Company - Refer Note 38 to the Standalone Financial Statements.
iv. (a). The Management has represented that, to
the best of its knowledge and belief that, 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.
(b) 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, 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.
(c) Based on the audit procedures performed 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 subclause (i) and (ii) of Rule 11(e) contain any material misstatement.
(v) The final dividend pertaining to the financial year ended 31 March 2023 declared and paid during the year by the Company is in compliance with Section 123 of the Act.
(vi) Based on our examination which included test checks, the Company has used accounting software for maintaining its books of account for
the financial year ended 31 March 2024, which have a feature of recording audit trail (edit log) facility and the same has operated throughout the year for all relevant transactions recorded in such software. Further, during the course of our audit we did not come across any instance of audit trail feature being tampered with.
As proviso to Rule 3(1) of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014, as amended is applicable for the Company only w.e.f. 1 April 2023, therefore, reporting under Rule 11(g) of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014, as amended, on preservation of audit trail as per the statutory requirements for record retention is not applicable for financial year ended 31 March 2024.
For Arora & Choudhary Associates
Chartered Accountants Firm's Registration No. 003870N
Vijay Kumar Choudhary
Partner
Membership No.: 081843 UDIN: 24081843BKBFVC9461
Place: New Delhi Date: May 24, 2024
For S.N. Dhawan & CO LLP
Chartered Accountants
Firm's Registration No.: 000050N/ N500045
Rahul Singhal
Partner
Membership No.: 096570 UDIN: 24096570BKCTHP9905
P lace: Gurugram Date: May 24, 2024
|