Mar 31, 2022
We are pleased to present your Company''s Thirty Third Annual Report, together with the Audited Statement of Accounts, for the year ended March 31, 2022.
1. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND STATE OF AFFAIRS- Financial Results
The Company has adopted the Indian Accounting Standards (Ind-AS) with effect from April 1, 2017 (transition date being April 1, 2016) pursuant to the notification issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs dated February 16, 2015, regarding the Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015.
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015, notified under section 133 of the Act and other relevant provisions of the Act. The accounting policies have been consistently applied except where a newly issued accounting standard, if initially adopted or a revision to an existing accounting standard, requires a change in the accounting policy hitherto in use. The Management takes into cognisance all new
as well as revised accounting standards on an ongoing basis.
The Company has seven subsidiary companies, all of which are wholly owned subsidiaries. The Company discloses standalone audited financial results on a quarterly and annual basis, consolidated un-audited financial results on a quarterly basis and consolidated audited financial results on an annual basis.
Revenue from consolidated operations for the year was ''497.19 crore, as compared to ''513.53 crore in the previous year, a nominal decrease of 3%, despite worldwide disruptions caused by COVID. The Company continued its focus on strategic initiatives for new products, focused sales and the market development to help drive transformation. The overall Operational Expense for the year was ''460.97 crore, against ''385.41 crore in the previous year. The Operating Profit (EBITDA) was significantly lower at ''36.22 crore, 7% of revenue, against ''128.12 crore, 25% of revenue in the previous year. Profit after Tax for the year was at ''40.91 crore, 8% of revenue, against ''117.95 crore, 23% of revenue in the previous year.
Consolidated financial results are as below:
(Rs. In Crore) |
|||||
For the Year Ended March 31, |
2022 |
% of Revenue |
2021 |
% of Revenue |
Growth (%) |
Revenue From Operations |
497.19 |
100.00 |
513.53 |
100.00 |
(3.18) |
Expenses |
|||||
a) Employee benefit expense |
394.09 |
79.26 |
330.55 |
64.37 |
19.22 |
b) Operating and other expenses |
66.07 |
13.29 |
53.64 |
10.45 |
23.17 |
c) Finance costs (Bank charges) |
0.81 |
0.16 |
1.22 |
0.24 |
(33.20) |
Total Expenses |
460.97 |
92.71 |
385.41 |
75.05 |
19.60 |
Operating Profit (EBITDA) |
36.22 |
7.29 |
128.12 |
24.95 |
(71.73) |
Depreciation |
15.38 |
3.09 |
13.87 |
2.70 |
10.90 |
Operating Profit after Interest and Depreciation |
20.84 |
4.19 |
114.25 |
22.25 |
(81.75) |
Other Income |
34.66 |
6.97 |
39.56 |
7.70 |
(12.38) |
Profit Before Tax |
55.50 |
11.16 |
153.81 |
29.95 |
(63.91) |
Taxation |
14.59 |
2.94 |
35.86 |
6.98 |
(59.30) |
Profit After Tax |
40.91 |
8.23 |
117.95 |
22.97 |
(65.32) |
Other Comprehensive Income |
(10.79) |
(2.17) |
1.90 |
0.37 |
(667.92) |
Total Comprehensive Income for the year |
30.12 |
6.06 |
119.85 |
23.34 |
(74.87) |
Revenue from the standalone operations for the year was ''448.06 crore against ''454.36 crore in the previous year, a decrease of 1.39%. Total Operational Expense for the year was ''412.04 crore against ''333.04 crore in the previous year, an increase of 23.72%. Operating Profit (EBITDA) for the year was at ''36.02 crore, 8% of revenue, against ''121.32 crore, 26% of revenue, in the previous year. Profit after Tax for the year was at ''42.10 crore, 9% of revenue, against ''112.04 crore, 25% of revenue in the previous year.
('' In crore) |
|||||
For the Year Ended March 31, |
2022 |
% of Revenue |
2021 |
% of Revenue |
Growth % |
Revenue from Operations |
448.06 |
100.00 |
454.36 |
100.00 |
(1.39) |
Expenses |
|||||
a) Employee benefit expense |
335.88 |
74.96 |
277.47 |
61.07 |
21.05 |
b) Operating and other expenses |
75.77 |
16.91 |
54.80 |
12.06 |
38.26 |
c) Finance costs (Bank Charges) |
0.39 |
0.09 |
0.77 |
0.17 |
(49.44) |
Total Expenses |
412.04 |
91.96 |
333.04 |
73.30 |
23.72 |
Operating Profit (EBITDA) |
36.02 |
8.04 |
121.32 |
26.70 |
(70.31) |
Depreciation |
13.23 |
2.95 |
11.43 |
2.52 |
15.73 |
Operating Profit after Interest and Depreciation |
22.79 |
5.09 |
109.89 |
24.18 |
(79.26) |
Other Income |
34.07 |
7.60 |
36.63 |
8.06 |
(6.98) |
Profit Before Tax |
56.86 |
12.69 |
146.52 |
32.25 |
(61.19) |
Taxation |
14.76 |
3.29 |
34.48 |
7.59 |
(57.18) |
Profit After Tax |
42.10 |
9.40 |
112.04 |
24.66 |
(62.42) |
Other Comprehensive Income |
(11.18) |
(2.50) |
1.75 |
0.39 |
(738.86) |
Total Comprehensive Income for the year |
30.92 |
6.90 |
113.79 |
25.04 |
(72.83) |
A detailed analysis on the Company''s performance, both consolidated and standalone, is included in "Management''s Discussion and Analysis" Report, which forms part of the Annual Report.
The COVID-19 pandemic continued to be a global challenge, creating disruption across the world. The unexpected second wave hit India in April 2021. Significant number of Nucleites were also adversely affected in the second wave, including demise of some of our young colleagues despite significant efforts to save them. Your Company had set up a COVID-19 Task Force in February 2020. The goal of the Task Force was to "Ensure Safety of Nucleites and Ensure 100% Business Continuity".
The team continued to work tirelessly through 2021-22 as well to meet its goals.
This Task Force has spread awareness about the early detection, early action and extensive tracking for the safety of Nucleites and their families. The other initiatives taken are :
- A COVID Resource Center was set up that was a ready reckoner knowledge center. The COVID Resource Center has a list of doctors, Do''s and Don''ts, Training videos, Early detection and monitoring guidelines, Work from home guidelines, Presentations and a monitoring tracker.
- The Task Force worked with several doctors extensively to get the necessary guidance for the creation of training material on the prevention and management of the disease. We would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to the medical fraternity and health care workers.
- At the peak of the wave, as the Task Force needed more help, several small teams from different business verticals came forward to provide help.
- The Task Force teams worked for Nucleites and their family members to provide help, arrange medicines, emergency
facilities that were in dire shortage and other issues which needed immediate attention.
- An additional COVID insurance scheme was also put in place to ascertain the coverage of our employees who opted for it.
- Your Company also launched a free vaccination drive to ensure the safety and well-being of the associates and their families.
To keep up the true Nucleus spirit, Nucleus Day (Nuc-Day), Diwali and other celebrations were conducted virtually, with Nucleites from all locations participating enthusiastically. Contests were organized for Nucleites and their families to ensure their engagement. The social and economic challenges posed by COVID-19 have strengthened our resolve to safeguard our employees and their families.
In order to augment resources, your Directors do not propose to transfer any amount to reserves. Appropriation to retained earnings for the financial year ended March 31, 2022, as per financial statements are as under:
('' in crore) |
||
Particulars |
2022 |
2021 |
Opening balance |
600.78 |
498.92 |
Add: Profit for the year |
42.11 |
112.04 |
Less : Appropriations |
||
Interim dividend / Final dividend paid |
(17.42) |
(8.71) |
Buyback of Equity shares 2021 |
(151.11) |
- |
Transaction tax on Buyback of Equity shares 2021 |
(32.40) |
- |
Remeasurement of the defined benefit plans, net |
(8.27) |
(1.47) |
Closing balance |
433.67 |
600.78 |
6. LIQUIDITY AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Your Company continues to retain its debt-free status and maintains sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet future strategic initiatives. The Company has been conservative in its investment policy over the years, maintaining a reasonably high level of cash and cash equivalents which enable the Company to completely eliminate short and medium-term liquidity risks, and at the same time also help scale up operations at a short notice. The goal of cash management at your Company is to:
a. Use cash to provide sufficient working capital to manage business operations of the Company to be able to add value to all our stakeholders and continuously enhance the same.
b. Maintain sufficient cash as reserves that will aid the Company in capturing meaningful business opportunities, including acquisitions.
c. Invest surplus funds in low-risk bank deposits, debt/ Arbitrage schemes of mutual funds, preference shares and tax-free bonds of Public Sector Enterprises.
Cash and cash equivalents along with other bank balances including current investments at a consolidated level of ''341.94 crore, constitute 69% of the shareholders'' funds at the year end, against ''502.82 crore, 75% of the shareholders'' funds at the close of the previous year.
4. SHARE CAPITALIssued and Paid-up Share Capital
During the year, the Company extinguished 2,267,400 equity shares in January 2022 consequent to Buyback of shares. Consequently, the Paid-Up Share Capital of the Company, as on March 31, 2022, is 26,773,324 equity shares of ''10 each, as compared to 29,040,724 equity shares of ''10 each as on March 31, 2021.
Shares under Compulsory Dematerialization
The shares of the Company are under compulsory dematerialization ("Demat") category and are available for trading on both the depositories in India viz. National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) and Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL). Of the entire paid-up shares, 26,720,482 shares (99.80%) are in dematerialized form as of March 31, 2022. The International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) allotted to the Company''s shares is INE096B01018.
Your Company is listed at National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. and BSE Ltd.
Stock Exchange where Nucleus shares are listed |
Scrip Symbol /Code |
National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE) w.e.f. December 19, 2002 |
NUCLEUS |
BSE Ltd. (BSE) w.e.f. November 6, 1995 |
531209 |
The Board of Directors at their meeting held on May 17,2022 has recommended a Final Dividend for its shareholders. The Proposed Dividend is 70% (''7 per equity share of ''10 each), for FY 2021-22. The Proposed Final Dividend is subject to the approval of shareholders at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. If approved, the dividend pay-out for FY 2021-22 will be ''18.74 crore.
The Register of Members and Share Transfer Books of the Company will be closed on July 2, 2022, to July 8, 2022 (both days inclusive) for annual closing and determining the entitlement of the shareholders to the final dividend for FY 2021-22, if approved by the members at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.
The Board of Directors at their meeting held on September 24, 2021, approved, subject to the approval of regulatory authorities, shareholders, Companies Act 2013, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Buyback of Securities) Regulations, 2018, as amended (the "Buyback Regulations") and such applicable acts or rules including amendments if any, a Buyback of up to an aggregate amount not exceeding ''158.72 crore (representing 24.90% of the paid-up share capital and free reserves as on March 31, 2021) ("Maximum Offer Size") at a price not exceeding ''700/- per equity share ("Maximum Buyback Price"), from the existing equity shareholders of the Company.
The Company bought back 2,267,400 equity shares, aggregating to 7.81% of the paid-up equity through the Tender Offer route at a price of ''700 per equity share for an aggregate consideration of ''158.72 crore.
The Buyback size was 24.90% of the aggregate Paid-up equity share capital and Free Reserves of the Company as per the audited standalone accounts for the financial year ended March 31, 2021. The Buyback process was completed, and the shares were extinguished on January 27, 2022. Further details/ documents relating to the Buyback are available on our website at http://nucleussoftware.com/investors/
9. INVESTOR EDUCATION AND PROTECTION FUND (IEPF)
Pursuant to applicable provisions of the Companies Act 2013, read with IEPF Authority (Accounting, Audit, Transfer and Refund) Rules 2016 (''the Rules'') all unpaid or unclaimed dividends are required to be transferred by the Company to the IEPF established by the Central Government, after completion of seven years. Further, according to the Rules, the shares in respect of which dividend has not been paid or claimed by the members for seven consecutive years or more shall also be transferred to the Demat account created by IEPF Authority. Accordingly, the Company has transferred all unclaimed or unpaid dividends and shares to IEPF as per applicable regulations.
Your Company has not accepted any deposits covered under Chapter V of the Companies Act, 2013 and, as such, no amount of principal or interest was outstanding on the date of the Balance Sheet.
11. PARTICULARS OF CONTRACTS OR ARRANGEMENTS WITH RELATED PARTIES
The Company policy for determining ''Material Subsidiaries'' and on ''Related Party Transactions'', as approved by the Board can be accessed on the Company website link: http://www.nucleussoftware.com/investors.
Particulars of contracts or arrangements with related parties in the prescribed Form AOC-2, are provided as Annexure B to this Directors'' Report.
12. PARTICULARS OF LOANS, GUARANTEES OR INVESTMENTS
Details of Loans, Guarantees and Investments covered under the provisions of Section 186 of the Companies Act, 2013 are provided in the notes to the Financial Statements.
13. MATERIAL CHANGES AND COMMITMENTS AFFECTING FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE COMPANY BETWEEN THE END OF FINANCIAL YEAR 2022 AND DATE OF THIS REPORT
No material changes and commitments have occurred after the close of the year till the date of this Directors'' Report, which affect the financial position of the Company.
14. CHANGE IN THE NATURE OF BUSINESS
There has been no change in the nature of business of the Company.
15. MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS
As per requirements of Regulation 34 of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosures) Regulations 2015, the Management''s Discussion and Analysis of the financial condition and results of both standalone and consolidated operations have been provided separately in the Annual Report.
16. REVIEW OF BUSINESS & OUTLOOK
The landscape of banking is fast evolving and with the COVID pandemic, the pace of this evolution has got accelerated. Adopting agile and right technologies at a quick pace has become the cornerstone for financial institutions (FIs) to meet demands of the increasing number of digitally savvy customers. Senior citizens, who used to insist on the non-digital banking methods a few years ago, are comfortable today with e-shopping and are better poised to make the progress to digital banking. FIs are facing challenges from new age companies that are blurring the space between finance and technology. Over the past year, your Company has helped more and more FIs meet their growing digitisation needs by providing products and services that are tailor-made to suit the new environment.
Your Company continues its journey to be a preferred partner for FIs worldwide, by empowering them with innovative services, pioneering products and above all, digital solutions that match their business needs. During the last fiscal year, your Company has grown across geographies driven by our market leading value proposition that is resonating with financial institutions across the globe. With more of our customers embarking on a digital journey, your Company is confident in its ability to deliver
value to all its customers.
In addition to new orders, many of our customers choose to upgrade our installed products to our latest GA versions. This strengthens our product philosophy to serve our customers with latest technology and functional capabilities with each release. The next decade will continue to witness growth in technology spend; primarily driven by the rise of technology natives and digital reinventors, new tech-enabled business models like ecosystems, direct-to-stakeholder channels and a rise in demand for Digital 2.0. Your Company, with its talent focussed on innovation, is aptly poised to seize opportunities that come up in the near future.
During the year, your Company continued to enhance the solutions to take advantage of market trends, most significant being the increasing digitization of financial services. We have leveraged digital capabilities like Virtual Assistants, messaging applications, augmented channel-based acquisition capability and Geo tracking to offer end to end digitization of the Loan lifecycle.
As part of our 6-monthly plan, your Company released FinnOne Neo 6.0 in July 2021 and FinnOne Neo 6.5 in January 2022. These releases now also support Bill Discounting, Cash Credit, Business Term Loan and Letter of Credit/Bank Guarantee.
Your Company also launched Payout Management System specialized in calculating payout of commission and incentive for collection agents.
As a part of the ongoing development program this year, your Company has launched the latest version of our Transaction Banking solution, FinnAxia 8.5, which enabled corporate to make informed decisions on their cash positions and banks to seamlessly provide integrated one stop secured solution to their corporate.
Supporting the increasing need for real-time operations, FinnAxia 8.5 enabled cash forecasting capabilities for banks'' corporate clients and provides enriched MIS. Global payments solution enabled bank to leverage API to serve corporate with single stop solution platform, comply with central bank regulations on LEI (legal entity identifier) to regulate high value payments. Global receivables solution enabled bank to help corporate collect FCY inward payments, comply with NPCI DDI
PGP encryption guidelines. The centralized control using virtual accounts enriched with faster reconciliation and provides an enhanced view of cash positions, hence eliminating trapped liquidity.
Dockerization capability of this launch provides capability to deploy FinnAxia application using Docker images. It will enable FinnAxia to be at par with technological advancement in application deployment.
PaySe⢠, our digital transformation solution, is the first product in India that has successfully completed the RBI Sandbox testing on retail payments. During the year, PaySe⢠signed an agreement with Manipur State Rural Livelihood Mission (MSRLM) to digitize the entire SHG (Self Help Group) ecosystem. The SHG members, groups, village organizations and cluster level federations will be able to do micro-savings, repayments and other transactions digitally using PaySe. This eventually saves a lot of time and cost for these people, who earlier used to travel all the way to the bank located far away in order to do
18. NOTABLE ACCOLADES RECEIVED DURING THE YEAR
⢠Annual Report for the Year Ended March 31, 2021, won the Platinum Award for Excellence within the Technology-Software industry and Technical Achievement Award from League of American Communication Professionals ( LACP). The Annual Report was also ranked 35th amongst the World''s Top 100 Annual Reports within the Technology-Software industry by LACP.
19. SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES
Your Company has seven subsidiaries across the globe. There are no associate companies or joint venture companies within the meaning of Section 2(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 ("Act").
The following table provides a list of all these subsidiaries as on March 31, 2022:
Name of Subsidiary |
Location |
Date of Incorporation/ Acquisition |
Percentage of Shareholding |
Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd. |
Singapore |
February 25, 1994 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Inc. |
USA |
August 5, 1997 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha |
Japan |
November 2, 2001 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Netherlands B.V. |
Netherlands |
February 3, 2006 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Ltd. |
India |
April 21, 2008 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Australia Pty. Ltd. |
Australia |
February 3, 2014 |
100% |
Nucleus Software South Africa Pty. Ltd. |
South Africa |
February 10, 2015 |
100% |
There has been no material change in the nature of the business of the subsidiaries.
The Board of Directors reviews the affairs of these subsidiaries periodically. These subsidiaries help the Company in providing front end support to customers and explore new opportunities.
A statement containing the salient features of the financial statement of our subsidiaries in the prescribed form AOC 1 is provided as Annexure A to this Directors'' Report. The statement also provides the details of performance, financial position of each of the subsidiaries.
Further, pursuant to the provisions of Section 136 of the Act, the financial statements of the Company, consolidated financial statements along with relevant documents and separate audited accounts in respect of subsidiaries, are available on the website of the Company.
a) Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd.
Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd. (NSS) is based in Singapore. It was incorporated in 1994 to expand the Company''s business in Southeast Asia. Currently, it is the central entity for Asia-Pacific excluding Japan and Australia with responsibility for business development, sales and software development services for customers in the region.
Nucleus Software Inc. (NSI) is based in New Jersey, USA. It was incorporated in 1997 for providing business presence in the Americas. NSI operates as a business development and sales hub for the region.
c) Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha
Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha (NSJKK) is based in Tokyo, Japan. It was incorporated in 2001 to expand business in the country. NSJKK operates as a business development and sales hub for Japan. Additionally, the subsidiary provides software development services, to the local customers in Japan.
d) Nucleus Software Netherlands BV
Nucleus Software Netherlands BV (NSBV) is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It was incorporated in 2006 for enlarging business presence in the European market. NSBV is a business development and sales hub for Nucleus in Europe.
Nucleus Software Ltd. (NSL) has operations in Jaipur with registered office in New Delhi. It was incorporated in 2008 for facilitating delivery to larger clients through operations in a Special Economic Zone. NSL acquired 17.41 acre of land in the Mahindra World Special Economic Zone, Jaipur and has co-developed a 250-seater facility.
f) Nucleus Software Australia Pty. Ltd.
Nucleus Software Australia Pty. Ltd. (NSA) is based in Sydney, Australia. It was incorporated in 2014 for tapping the growing business opportunities in ANZ region. NSA operates as a business development and sales hub for the region. Additionally, the subsidiary provides software development services, to the local customers in Australia.
g) Nucleus Software South Africa Pty. Ltd.
Nucleus Software South Africa Pty. Ltd. (NSSA) is based in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was incorporated in 2015 for tapping the growing business opportunities in South African region. NSSA operates as a business development and sales hub for the region.
Your Company, along with its subsidiaries, has offices at several locations across the globe. The office space and seating capacity of these offices as on March 31, 2022, is detailed below:
Area in sq. Office Location ft. |
Seating Capacity |
||
No. of Persons |
|||
India |
Noida |
208,122 |
1,677 |
Jaipur |
22,312 |
250 |
|
Pune |
9,573 |
114 |
|
Chennai |
12,286 |
134 |
|
New Delhi |
4,200 |
40 |
|
Mumbai |
3,250 |
31 |
|
Overseas |
Singapore |
4,807 |
61 |
Dubai, UAE |
1,290 |
17 |
|
Tokyo, Japan |
735 |
15 |
|
Manila, Philippines |
102 |
3 |
|
Jakarta, Indonesia |
97 |
3 |
|
London, UK |
39 |
1 |
|
Sydney, Australia |
130 |
2 |
|
New Jersey, USA |
146 |
4 |
|
Total |
267,089 |
2,352 |
Noida, New Delhi and Jaipur premises are owned by the Company and its subsidiaries.
Your Company is committed to ensure the highest level of quality for its products and services. Nucleus Quality Management System (NQMS) continues to enable outstanding value and experience to its external and internal customers. One of the key focus for this year was to improve delivery quality through various analytical dashboards, process improvement initiatives and enabling business groups plan and perform causal analysis along with preventive and corrective actions.
Quality Processes and Frameworks were further aligned and institutionalised as per the PMBoK Knowledge Areas.
Transformation program for Project Management Development across organization is initiated along with global market leader with broader yet focused approach.
A dedicated Quality Assurance team handles the process change management, implementation and its adherence across the organization. This team monitors quality and productivity improvements through regular facilitations, trainings, audits and reviews.
In FY 2021-22, your Company continued to grow and build its brand and presence through multiple marketing channels. We achieved brand visibility through thought leadership and product hegemony messages across various industry platforms. Your Company initiated and executed interactions with worldwide media like television, print, wires, online portals and exclusively sourced media opportunities in various geographies including Australia and our home country- India. Our product brands are well recognized as high-quality offerings with exceptional customer service. We are getting high quality leads from our target segments across the globe. This year, the focus and effort continue.
Communicating business benefits that our solutions offer, and decades of industry focus is vitally important. Keeping this in mind, during the year, our teams demonstrated our expertise and product offerings at key industry events, roundtables and briefings. We showcased our USPs and capabilities, virtually as well as physically in many parts of the world including UK, India, South-East Asia and the United Sates.
Some of the key industry connects of your Company during the year are furnished below:
⢠Was the Platinum Sponsor to BFSI, and FinTech Summit 2022 hosted by Dun & Bradstreet. This event brought together delegates at CXO levels from BFSI industry, senior officials from government ministries and policy makers.
⢠Presented topics like innovation in lending, data delivery architecture for BFSI, regulatory landscape and role of RegTech, accelerating digital lending with data & automation, at the "Fintech Festival Event of India" that was conducted in multiple cities across India. This event presented opportunities for global investors and global FinTech fraternity to venture into the Indian market. At this event we established our thought leadership & innovation principles.
⢠Participated in "FinTech Talents Lending 3.0", held in London, UK. The event hosted multiple talks related to future trends in lending and we observed that our view of future trends was aligned with all topics that were discussed among the industry experts.
⢠Participated in "Women in AI". This event recognizes the contribution of women in our industry. It provides wide range of opportunities to reach and support tech-savvy women and make a positive impact in India and globally.
⢠Participated in the "IBS Intelligence Payment and Lending
Conference". It comprised of diverse topics like digitization, real-time payment services, cross-border lending, unconventional models on AI & big data analytic and emergence of BNPL model.
⢠Presented at the "DnB Virtual Boardroom Session" on the topic - Leverage Technology to Fuel Productivity. This webinar had CTOs, CIOs & IT heads as participants.
⢠Presented at the webinar co-hosted with our partner Denodo on the topic of "Redefining Banking Digital Transformation with Data Virtualization". We shared our thoughts on how BFSI sector can reap benefits such as achieving digital transformation, managed risks & costs, creating tangible business value through effective data virtualization approach.
⢠Participated in "DnB Virtual Round Table" to discuss the best data practices that drive business decisions.
Though virtual and physical events are an important approach to help showcase how we help banks and financial institutions, these are not the only way we communicate our capabilities. We also share our expertise via blogs, whitepapers and articles in leading publications worldwide. In addition, we also regularly interact with industry analysts and consultants to help us stay ahead of the curve.
None of the above would have been achieved without the Nucleite family''s unending support and we look forward to surging ahead together.
In the ever-dynamic IT industry, we are certainly witnessing a much higher rate of change - both in terms of technological advancements as well as in people''s needs. The pandemic has reshaped the way we work. Being an employee-centric organization, flexible work models have been extended to our people, keeping in view the business needs and employee preferences.
The industry has been in the middle of the great resignation wave and your Company was not an exception. However, we made many advancements to make both customers and employees secure and satisfied. To continue providing the best of services to our customers, we strengthened our workforce by on-boarding over 500 people. Specific focus was set on campus hiring through our NSBT (Nucleus School of Banking Technology) unit, to invigorate the workplace with high energy and fresh perspectives. Launched in 2010, NSBT continues to focus on providing world-class training, with offerings targeted at developing professionals in the area of Banking Technology. Talent is handpicked through a rigorous selection process, targeting tier 2/3 cities as well as some top institutes to create a diverse workforce. Since its inception, more than 2,500 young minds have seamlessly blended into the Nucleus culture and have been nurtured to perform at their best. The global permanent employees of the Company, at the end of FY 2022, was 1,508.
Learning and Development.
"Lifelong learning" has been the mantra of your Company that gives us the strength to adapt to rapid changes. Your Company
encourages people to focus on their development, enhance their skills, and take charge of their growth by continued learning. Your Company offers a comprehensive package of learning and development opportunities like programs in technology, processes, functional domain, our products, and leadership training. Additionally, programs from premier institutes in India as well as those of international repute can be chosen.
Our online learning platform iLearn, powered by Skillsoft, was enriched with 10,000 courses to help people hone their business skills, technology, and leadership skills. It encourages people to make progress through "Career Aspire" journeys and key industry certifications. The leadership courses in this platform are curated by MIT Sloan Management Review. This platform provides various topics ranging from Leading Organizational Vision and Leading a culture of execution to think strategically. In addition, a leadership assessment and development program was initiated last year. The assessment design is based on Nucleus Values and Competency Framework.
Focus on leadership development for young leaders and midlevel managers continued through our flagship programs -LEAD (Leadership Engagement Action & Development) and YLP (Young Leaders Program). These programs have contributed immensely towards building the organizational culture, individual effectiveness, and leadership competencies.
For strengthening the 3 P''s: Project, Program, and Portfolio Management capabilities, your Company launched a program for our leaders in association with QAI Global, which comes with 35 years of Thought Leadership in these areas globally.
Your Company is proud of its performance-based culture, driven by focused goal setting, clear job description and career development opportunities for all. As we move ahead, the HR roadmap will also focus on refining the goal setting process aligned to the OKR model of setting objectives and key results.
Your Company believes that good and effective Corporate Governance is critical to achieve corporate vision and mission of the organization on a sustainable basis; it is more of an organizational culture than a mere adherence to rules and regulations.
Your Company has established and maintained a strong ethical environment, overseen by a committed and competent Board of Directors. The Company''s practices and policies reflect the true spirit of Corporate Governance initiatives.
The required disclosures of Schedule V part II are mentioned in "Corporate Governance Report" which forms part of the Annual Report.
Your Company is complying with all mandatory requirements of Corporate Governance as stipulated as per Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015. The compliance status is provided in the Corporate Governance section of the Annual Report. A certificate issued by the Statutory Auditors of the Company under Regulation 34 of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015,
In accordance with the provisions of Companies Act 2013 and the Article of Association of the Company, Mr. Anurag Mantri, Executive Director and Dr. Ritika Dusad, Executive Director, whose office are liable to retire, shall retire at the ensuing AGM and being eligible, these Directors seek reappointment. Based on performance evaluation and the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration/ Compensation committee, the Board has recommended their reappointment.
26. BOARD EVALUATION
The Board of Directors carried out an annual evaluation of its own performance and performance of the Chairman, Board committees and individual directors pursuant to the provisions of the Companies Act 2013 and the Corporate Governance requirements under Regulation 25 (4) of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015.
The Board, along with the Nomination and Remuneration/ Compensation Committee, developed and adopted the criteria and framework for the evaluation of each of the Directors and of the Board and its Committees.
The evaluation was then conducted as per the approved process (explained in detail in the Report on Corporate Governance of the Annual report.)
The performance of the committees was evaluated by the Board after seeking inputs from the committee members on the basis of criteria such as the composition of committees, effectiveness of committee meetings, etc. The above criteria are broadly based on the Guidance Note on Board Evaluation issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India on January 5, 2017. The Chairman of the Committee also had interactions with each of the Directors and sought their feed-back and suggestions on the overall Board Effectiveness and Directors performance.
In addition, pursuant to the provisions of Schedule IV to the Companies Act, 2013 the Independent Directors reviewed the performance of the Non-Independent Directors and of the Board as a whole, performance of the Chairman of the Board taking into account the views of all the Directors, and the quality, quantity and timeliness of flow of information between the Company management and the Board and its sufficiency for the Board to effectively perform its duties.
The Chairman placed the Evaluation Summary before the committee members. The same was discussed in detail, and the members recorded their satisfaction.
27. COMPANY''S POLICY ON DIRECTORS'' APPOINTMENT AND REMUNERATION
The primary responsibility of the Nomination and Remuneration/ Compensation Committee (NRC) is to identify and nominate suitable candidates for Board membership. The Committee also formulate policies relating to the remuneration of Directors, Key Managerial Personnel and other senior employees of the Company.
The Committee, while evaluating potential candidates for Board membership, considers a variety of personal attributes,
confirming compliance of the conditions of Corporate Governance, is provided as Annexure C to this Directors'' Report. The auditors'' certificate for fiscal year 2022 does not contain any qualifications, reservations or adverse remark.
25. DIRECTORS AND KEY MANAGERIAL PERSONNEL (KMP)
Mr. S. M. Acharya, Mr. Prithvi Haldea, Prof. Trilochan Sastry, Mrs. Elaine Mathias and Mrs. Yasmin Javeri Krishan are Independent Directors as per the Companies Act, 2013, not liable to retire by rotation, to hold office for five consecutive years. They have submitted a declaration that each of them meets the criteria of independence as provided in Section 149(6) of the Act and there has been no change in the circumstances which may affect their status as Independent Director during the year.
Mr. Prithvi Haldea and Prof. Trilochan Sastry were reappointed as Independent Directors w.e.f. July 26, 2019, for a term of 5 years which will expire July 25, 2024.
Mrs. Elaine Mathias was reappointed as an Independent Director w.e.f. September 20, 2019, for a term of 5 years which will expire September 19, 2024.
Mrs. Yasmin Javeri Krishan was appointed as Independent Director w.e.f. July 30, 2020, for a period of 5 years. Her present term expires on July 29, 2025.
Mr. S. M. Acharya was reappointed as Independent Director of the Company w.e.f March 19, 2021, for a term of 5 years which will expire March 18, 2026.
Mr. Ravi Pratap Singh was reappointed as Whole Time Director w.e.f. July 26, 2019, for a period of 5 years. His present term expires on July 25, 2024.
Mr. Parag Bhise was appointed as Whole Time Director w.e.f July 31, 2020, for a period of 5 years. His present term expires on July 30, 2025.
Dr. Ritika Dusad was appointed as Whole Time Director w.e.f. August 7, 2020, for a period of 5 years. Her present term will expire on August 6, 2025
Mr. Anurag Mantri was appointed as Whole Time Director w.e.f December 19, 2020, for a period of 5 years. His present term expires on December 18, 2025.
Mr. Vishnu R. Dusad was reappointed as Managing Director w.e.f. January 1, 2022, for a period of 5 years. His present term expires on December 31, 2026.
During the year, the Non-Executive Directors of the Company had no pecuniary relationship or transactions with the Company, other than sitting fees, commission, and reimbursement of expenses incurred by them for the purpose of attending meetings of the Company.
Pursuant to provisions of Section 203 of the Companies Act, 2013, Mr. Vishnu R. Dusad, Managing Director, Mr. Parag Bhise, CEO, Mr. Anurag Mantri, Chief Financial Officer and Ms. Poonam Bhasin, Company Secretary are the Key Managerial Personnel of the Company as on date of the report.
including experience, intellect, foresight, judgment and transparency, and match these with the requirements set out by the Board. The basic responsibilities of NRC with regard to Directors'' appointment are as follows:
⢠Recommending desirable changes in Board size, composition, Committee structure and processes, and other aspects of the Board''s functioning.
⢠Formulating criteria for determining qualifications, positive attributes and Independence of a Director
⢠Conducting search and recommending new Board members in light of resignation of current members or a planned expansion of the Board.
⢠Identifying persons who are qualified to become Directors and who may be appointed in senior management in accordance with the criteria laid down and recommend to the Board their appointment and removal.
The policy of the Company for "Policy for Constitution of Board" is provided as Annexure D and "Policy of Remuneration for Directors, Key Managerial Personnel and other Employees" is provided as Annexure E to this Directors'' Report. These Policies are also available on the Company website link: http://www.nucleussoftware.com/investors.
28. DECLARATION BY INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
The Company has received declarations from all the Independent Directors that they meet the criteria of independence as laid down under Section 149(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 and Regulation 25 of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015.
29. FAMILIARISATION PROGRAMME FOR INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR''S
The details of programmes for familiarisation of Independent Directors with the Company, their roles, rights, responsibilities in the Company, nature of the industry in which the Company operates, business model of the Company and related matters can be accessed on the Company website link: http://www. nucleussoftware.com/investors.
30. MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board met 12 times during the year. The details are provided in the Report on Corporate Governance, a part of the Annual Report.
During the year, the Board of Directors of the Company has formed a Risk Management Committee. to frame, implement and monitor the risk management plan for the Company. The Committee is responsible for monitoring and reviewing the risk management plan and ensuring its effectiveness
There are seven Committees of the Board as on March 31, 2022, as follows:
⢠Audit Committee
⢠Nomination and Remuneration/Compensation Committee
⢠Stakeholder Relationship Committee
⢠Corporate Social Responsibility Committee
⢠Culture Committee
⢠Risk Management Committee
⢠Buy Back Committee
Details of all the Committees along with their charters, composition and meetings held during the year, are provided in the Report on Corporate Governance, a part of the Annual Report.
The Company has a well-established whistle blower policy as part of vigil mechanism for observing the conduct of Directors and employees and report concerns about unethical behaviour, actual or suspected fraud or violation of the Company''s Code of conduct or ethics policy. This mechanism also provides for adequate safeguards against victimization of Director(s)/ employee(s) who avail of the mechanism and also provides for direct access to the Chairman of the Audit Committee in exceptional cases.
33. SIGNIFICANT AND MATERIAL ORDERS
No significant or material orders were passed by the Regulators or Courts or Tribunals which impact the going concern status and Company''s operations in future.
34. REPORTING OF FRAUDS BY AUDITORS
During the year under review, neither the Statutory Auditors nor the Secretarial Auditors has reported to the Audit Committee, under Sec 143(12) of the Companies Act, 2013, any instances of fraud committed against the Company by its officers or employees.
The Company has developed and implemented a ''Risk Management Policy'' that includes identification of elements of risk, which in the opinion of the Board may threaten the existence of the Company. Risk Management Report forms a part of the Annual Report.
36. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO SHAREHOLDERS
Detailed information to the shareholders is provided in the Shareholders'' Referencer, a part of the Annual Report.
37. AUDITORS Statutory Auditors
M/s BSR & Associates LLP, Chartered Accountants were appointed as the Statutory Auditors of the Company from the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Company held on July 8, 2016, until the conclusion of Annual General Meeting of the Company held in Calendar year 2021.
The Board of Directors at their meeting held on June 3, 2021, at the recommendation of Audit Committee members approved re-appointment of M/s BSR & Associates, LLP, Chartered Accountants as statutory auditors of the Company for a further term of one year. This term was subsequently amended for a period of 5 years, by shareholders'' resolution approved vide Postal Ballot on January 13, 2022.
As per Company Policy for Rotation of Statutory Auditors, the auditors shall have a maximum tenure of 6 years. Based on Company''s Policy for Rotation of Auditors, M/s BSR & Associates, LLP, chartered accountants, vide their letter dated 12 May 2022 tendered their resignation as Statutory Auditors of the Company with effect from conclusion of the Board meeting on May 17, 2022, wherein the results for the quarter and financial statements for year ended 31 March 2022 were approved.
The Board of Directors on the recommendation of Audit
Committee, at its meeting held on May 17, 2022, has recommended the appointment of M/s ASA & Associates LLP (Firm Registration Number - 009571N/N500006) as the Statutory Auditors of the Company in place of M/s BSR & Associates LLP. The Board has recommended this appointment, for the approval of shareholders at the ensuing Annual General Meeting. The said appointment is pursuant to applicable provisions of the Companies Act 2013 and the SEBI Listing Regulations, 2015. M/s ASA & Associates LLP, Chartered Accountants (Registration no. 009571N/N500006) vide their consent letter dated May 14, 2022, have confirmed their eligibility for appointment.
As per the Companies Act 2013, Secretarial Audit by a practicing Company Secretary has become mandatory for prescribed companies, and they are required to annex the Secretarial Audit report with their Board Report in the Annual Report.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 204 of the Companies Act, 2013 and The Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, the Board appointed, M/s PI and Associates, Practising Company Secretaries to undertake the Secretarial Audit of the Company. Secretarial Audit Report in the prescribed Form MR 3 is provided as Annexure F to this Directors'' Report. The Secretarial Auditors'' Report does not contain any qualification, reservation or adverse remark.
The Company voluntarily adheres to the various Secretarial Standards issued by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India.
38. INTERNAL FINANCIAL CONTROLS
Your Company has in place adequate internal financial controls with reference to the financial statements.
M/s BSR & Associates, LLP, the statutory auditors of the Company, has audited the financial statements included in the annual report and has issued an attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Section 143 of Companies Act 2013).
39. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
Inclusive growth and sustainable development are strong pillars of your Company''s responsible corporate citizenship and are a part of the core values and driving force for many of its initiatives. Your Company believes that responsible investments in this regard will generate long term value for all the stakeholders.
In accordance with requirements of The Companies Act 2013, the Company has a Corporate Social Responsibility Committee comprising of a majority of Independent Directors and chaired by an Independent Director, Mrs. Yasmin Javeri Krishan, Prof. Trilochan Sastry, Mr. S. M. Acharya, Mr. Parag Bhise and Dr. Ritika Dusad are the other members.
The CSR Policy may be accessed on the Company website link: http://www.nucleussoftware.com/investors.
Your Company had set up Nucleus Software Foundation (NSF), a Trust for the purposes of undertaking CSR activities of the Company, in 2014 as a Section 25 Company with the mission: "Empowering underprivileged with essence of education and thereby better livelihood and better life".
This year your Company''s CSR arm continued with the strategy followed during last year. Online methodologies of teaching started last year formed the mainstay during difficult times and later direct forms of teaching was utilised when it became possible to reach out to them.
The main focus remained Education i.e., prevention of learning loss in early childhood education. The second wave of COVID was the worst part of this pandemic and lead to immense trauma to families and especially young students. Since our partners had permissions to reach out to families, they visited families and kept a check on children and assisted them in keeping a basic touch with education by motivating and mentoring them, our online quizzes and workbooks helped them in keeping some educational activities alive even in very difficult times.
NSF took initiatives to teach in village areas of Barola, Sadarpur and Navada (Noida, Uttar Pradesh). NSF facilitators searched for children who had no support to continue their education and taught them at their homes and at convenient open areas. In this manner the team was able to prevent learning losses of around 760 students.
NSF continued the support to an NGO school "Samriddhi" managed by Sandeepon music and educational trust (located in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh). They continued online support to their students through online means during days when center-based teaching was not allowed, and they later started calling children at staggered timings and started assisting them through strategic handholding, online teaching and homework assignments which was checked at the center.
At Dehradun, the NSF implementing partner remained active even during the worst days of pandemics and assisted people with basic medical awareness and government helps. They reached out to children during times when center-based studies were not allowed and gave them homework and helped them use our online resources.
When operations at centres were allowed, NSF team started reaching out to these children formally and continued the educational program in a more rigorous manner. The support to a group of students from the same catchment area was continued by NSF for their polytechnic studies. This year most of their studies was online so the team kept them motivated and pushed them to go an extra mile to keep gaining the needed skills.
At Chennai, NSF partner continued with their women empowerment program of training for tailoring and embroidery. The team trained around 100 plus women in these courses and moved them towards a path of financial independence. This program has a lot of engagement with employees of Nucleus Chennai office. NSF also assisted 23 families of a tribal village by giving them boats and nets which enabled them to do fishing and move on to a path of long-term financial independence.
NSF continued the support to the college students whom it had started supporting for their college studies at Chennai. The team also assisted in the running of 4 learning centres at 4 different villages in Chennai suburbs to prevent learning losses of young students.
The remedial program of Maths and English was launched for a large number of Adivasi children at Madhya Pradesh through NSF partner organisation "Parivaar." They were on an expansion spree to reach out to the most marginalised
children of the state, and we partnered them to increase their educational quality and take our program to these children. NSF trainers trained the Kutir (Learning Center) teachers and their coordinators, through on ground trainings and online trainings. NSF distributed 660 Kits of Maths teaching aids and 280 kits of English Teaching aids to assist in their studies. The team was able to reach out to around 30,000 students of these 13,500 were within measurable focus.
Towards the last point of the year, NSF team took the educational quality improvement program to a group of affordable school at Bhilai. The team trained 56 teachers from 25 schools there.
The brief outline of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy of the Company and the initiatives undertaken by the Company on CSR activities during the year is also set out in Annexure G of this report in the format prescribed in the Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014.
40. EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLAN (ESOP)
Currently, there is only one ESOP scheme prevalent in the Company; ESOP scheme - 2015 (instituted in 2015). As per ESOP scheme 2015, equity shares would be transferred to eligible employees on exercise of options through Nucleus Software Employee Welfare Trust, which is established to carry out activities for the benefit and welfare of its Employees by launching various Schemes in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Share Based Employee Benefits) Regulations, 2014.
Details of ESOP as per the provisions of Companies Act, 2013 and Rules made there under are as follows:
Particulars |
2015 Plan |
||
a) |
Total number of options under the Plan |
500,000 |
|
(b) |
Pricing formula |
100% of the Fair Market Price as on date of grant |
|
(c) |
Options granted during the year |
- |
|
(d) |
Options vested as of March 31, 2022 |
- |
|
(e) |
(i) |
Options exercised during the year |
- |
(ii) |
Total number of shares arising as a result of exercise of above options during the year |
||
(f) |
Options forfeited during the year |
- |
|
(g) |
Option lapsed during the year |
- |
|
(h) |
Variation of terms of options during the year |
- |
|
(i) |
Amount realized by exercise of options during the year |
- |
|
(j) |
Total number of options in force as on March 31, 2022 |
- |
During the year, no stock options were granted to any employee under the above-mentioned ESOP plan and therefore no calculations are required to be made or reported regarding difference between intrinsic value and fair market value of ESOPs granted.
41. PARTICULARS OF EMPLOYEES
The statement containing names of top ten employees in terms of remuneration drawn and the particulars of employees as required under Section 197(12) of the Act read with Rule 5(2)
and 5(3) of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, is provided in a separate annexure forming part in Annexure H of this report. Further, the report and the accounts are being sent to the Members excluding the aforesaid annexure. In terms of Section 136 of the Act, the said annexure is open for inspection and any Member interested in obtaining a copy of the same may write to the Company Secretary.
42. DIRECTOR''S RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
Pursuant to as per Section 134 (5) of the Companies Act, 2013, the Directors confirm that:
(a) in the preparation of the annual accounts for the financial year ended March 31, 2022, the applicable accounting standards had been followed along with proper explanation relating to material departures.
(b) the Directors had selected such accounting policies and applied them consistently and made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent so as to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company at the end of the financial year and of the profit and loss of the Company for that period.
(c) the Directors had taken proper and sufficient care for the maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, for safeguarding the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting fraud and other irregularities.
(d) the Directors had prepared the annual accounts on a going concern basis.
(e) the Directors, had laid down internal financial controls to be followed by the Company and that such internal financial controls are adequate and were operating effectively; and
(f) the Directors had devised proper systems to ensure compliance with the provisions of all applicable laws and that such systems were adequate and operating effectively.
Based on the framework of internal financial controls and compliance systems established and maintained by the Company, work performed by the internal, statutory and secretarial auditors, including audit of internal financial controls over financial reporting by the statutory auditors, and the reviews performed by the management, the Board is of the opinion that the Company''s internal financial controls were adequate and effective during FY 2021-22.
Extract of Annual Return of the Company is available on http://www.nucleussoftware.com/investors.
44. CONSERVATION OF ENERGY, TECHNOLOGY ABSORPTION, FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS AND OUTGO
The information on conservation of energy, technology absorption and foreign exchange earnings and outgo as stipulated under Section 134 of the Companies Act, 2013 read with the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014, is provided as Annexure I to this Directors'' Report.
45. COST RECORDS AND COST AUDIT
Maintenance of cost records and requirements of cost audit as prescribed under the provisions of section 148 (1) of the Companies Act 2013 are not applicable for the business activities carried out by the Company.
As per SEBI Listing Regulations, the Corporate Governance Report with the Auditors'' Certificate thereon, and the integrated Management Discussion and Analysis are attached, which forms part of this report.
The Company has devised proper systems to ensure compliance with the provisions of all applicable Secretarial Standards issued by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India and that such systems are adequate and operating effectively.
47. INTERNAL COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE UNDER THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF WOMEN AT WORKPLACE (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION AND REDRESSAL) ACT, 2013
Your Company values the dignity of individuals and strives to provide a safe and respectable work environment to all its employees. The Company has put in place a ''Policy against Sexual Harassment'', compliant with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 ("Sexual Harassment Act"). The Internal Committee at all the locations of the Company across India has been constituted, to consider and resolve all sexual harassment complaints as reported under the policy. The Committee also includes external member from NGOs or with relevant experience. We affirm that adequate access was provided to any complainant who wished to register a complaint under the policy. There were no complaints received, disposed and/or pending during the financial year.
48. BUSINESS RESPONSIBILITY REPORT
The Listing Regulations mandate the inclusion of the Business Responsibility Report (BRR) as part of the Annual Report for the top 1,000 listed entities based on market capitalization. In compliance with the Listing Regulations, we have integrated BRR disclosures into our Annual Report.
Your Directors would like to place on record their gratitude for the co-operation received from the Government of India, State Governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, Customs and Excise Departments, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (Ministry of Science and Technology), Software Technology Park-Noida, Software Technology Park-Chennai, Software Technology Park-Pune, Special Economic Zone authorities and other government agencies.
Your Directors would also like to thank the Company''s customers, bankers, vendors, partners and shareholders for their continued support to the Company. In specific, the Board would like to put on record its sincere appreciation of the commitment and contribution made by all employees of the Company.
Mar 31, 2019
Dear Members,
The Directors of Nucleus Software Exports Limited (NSEL) are pleased to present your Companyâs Thirtieth Annual Report, together with the Audited Statement of Accounts, for the year ended March 31, 2019.
1. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND STATE OF AFFAIRS- Financial Results
The Company has adopted the Indian Accounting Standards (Ind-AS) with effect from April 1, 2017 (transition date being April 1, 2016) pursuant to the notification issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs dated February 16, 2015 regarding the Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015.
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015, notified under Section 133 of the Act and other relevant provisions of the Act. The accounting policies have been consistently applied except where a newly issued accounting standard, if initially adopted or a revision to an existing accounting standard, requires a change in the accounting policy hitherto in use. The Management takes into cognisance all new as well as revised accounting standards on an ongoing basis.
The Company has nine subsidiary companies, all of which are wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company discloses standalone audited financial results on a quarterly and annual basis, consolidated un-audited financial results on a quarterly basis and consolidated audited financial results on an annual basis.
a) Consolidated Operations
Revenue from consolidated operations for the year was Rs. 484.03 crore, as compared to Rs. 411.81 crore in the previous year, an increase of over 17%. As the Company continued its focus on strategic initiatives for new products, focused sales, market development and hiring of senior experienced personnel to help drive transformation, the overall operational expense for the year increased to Rs. 405.29 crore, against Rs. 353.63 crore in the previous year. The Operating Profit (EBITDA) was at Rs. 78.74 crore, 16% of revenue, against Rs. 58.18 crore, 14% of revenue in the previous year. Profit after Tax for the year was at Rs. 74.54 crore, 15% of revenue, against Rs. 62.55 crore, 15% of revenue in the previous year.
Consolidated financial results are as below: (Rs. in crore)
For the Year Ended March 31, |
2019 |
% of Revenue |
2018 |
% of Revenue |
Revenue From Operations |
484.03 |
100.00 |
411.81 |
100.00 |
Expenses |
||||
a) Employee benefit expense |
313.53 |
64.77 |
276.97 |
67.26 |
b) Operating and other expenses |
91.25 |
18.85 |
76.15 |
18.49 |
c) Finance costs (Bank charges) |
0.51 |
0.11 |
0.51 |
0.12 |
Total Expenses |
405.29 |
83.73 |
353.63 |
85.87 |
Operating Profit (EBITDA) |
78.74 |
16.27 |
58.18 |
14.13 |
Depreciation & Amortization |
9.93 |
2.05 |
7.04 |
1.71 |
Operating Profit after Interest and Depreciation |
68.81 |
14.22 |
51.14 |
12.42 |
Other Income |
27.48 |
5.68 |
28.72 |
6.97 |
Profit Before Tax |
96.29 |
19.89 |
79.86 |
19.39 |
Taxation |
21.75 |
4.49 |
17.31 |
4.20 |
Profit After Tax |
74.54 |
15.40 |
62.55 |
15.19 |
Other Comprehensive Income |
0.26 |
0.05 |
(1.50) |
(0.36) |
Total Comprehensive Income for the period |
74.80 |
15.45 |
61.05 |
14.82 |
b) Standalone Operations
Revenue from the standalone operations for the year was Rs. 396.76 crore against Rs. 337.32 crore in the previous year, an increase of 18%. Total operational expense for the year was Rs. 336.52 crore against Rs. 294.94 crore in the previous year, an increase of 14%. Operating Profit (EBITDA) for the year was at Rs. 60.24 crore, 15% of revenue, against Rs. 42.38 crore, 13% of revenue, in the previous year. Profit after Tax for the year was at Rs. 75.63 crore, 19% of revenue, against Rs. 65.60 crore, 19% of revenue in the previous year.
Standalone financial results are as below: (Rs. in crore)
For the Year Ended March 31, |
2019 |
% of revenue |
2018 |
% of revenue |
Revenue from Operations |
396.76 |
100.00 |
337.32 |
100.00 |
Expenses |
||||
a) Employee benefit expense |
246.95 |
62.24 |
216.29 |
64.12 |
b) Operating and other expenses |
89.27 |
22.50 |
78.33 |
23.22 |
c ) Finance costs (Bank charges) |
0.30 |
0.08 |
0.32 |
0.09 |
Total Expenses |
336.52 |
84.82 |
294.94 |
87.44 |
Operating Profit (EBITDA) |
60.24 |
15.18 |
42.38 |
12.56 |
Depreciation |
7.01 |
1.77 |
6.47 |
1.92 |
Operating Profit after Interest and Depreciation |
53.23 |
13.42 |
35.91 |
10.65 |
Other Income |
40.29 |
10.15 |
41.77 |
12.38 |
Profit Before Tax |
93.52 |
23.57 |
77.68 |
23.03 |
Taxation |
17.89 |
4.51 |
12.08 |
3.58 |
Profit After Tax |
75.63 |
19.06 |
65.60 |
19.45 |
Other Comprehensive Income |
(0.19) |
(0.05) |
(2.83) |
(0.84) |
Total Comprehensive Income for the period |
75.44 |
19.01 |
62.77 |
18.61 |
A detailed analysis on the Companyâs performance, both consolidated and standalone, is included in âManagementâs Discussion and Analysisâ Report, which forms part of the Annual Report.
2. TRANSFER To RESERVES
In order to augment resources, your Directors do not propose to transfer any amount to reserves. Appropriation to retained earnings for the financial year ended March 31, 2019 as per financial statements are as under:
(Rs. in crore)
Retained Earnings |
Closing Balance as on March 31, 2019 |
Opening balance |
378.27 |
Profit for the period |
75.63 |
Dividend Paid |
(23.23) |
Corporate Dividend tax |
(1.92) |
Closing Balance |
428.75 |
3. SHARE CAPITAL
Issued and Paid-up Share Capital
The Paid-Up Share Capital of the Company, as on March 31, 2019, is 29,040,724 equity shares of Rs. 10 each, similar to the Paid Up Share Capital as on March 31, 2018.
Shares under Compulsory Dematerialization
The shares of the Company are under compulsory dematerialization (âDematâ) category and are available for trading on both the depositories in India viz. National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) and Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL). Of the entire paid up shares, 28,974,605 shares or 99.77%, are in dematerialized form as at March 31, 2019. The International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) allotted to the Companyâs shares is INE096B01018.
4. Listing
Your Company is listed at National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. and BSE Ltd.
Stock Exchange where Nucleus shares are listed |
Scrip Symbol /Code |
National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE) w.e.f. December 19, 2002 |
NUCLEUS |
BSE Ltd. (BSE) w.e.f. November 6, 1995 |
531209 |
5. LIQUIDITY AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Your Company continues to retain its debt-free status and maintains sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet future strategic initiatives. The Company has been conservative in its investment policy over the years, maintaining a reasonably high level of cash and cash equivalents which enable the Company to completely eliminate short and medium-term liquidity risks, and at the same time also help scale up operations at a short notice. The goal of cash management at Nucleus is to:
a. Use cash to provide sufficient working capital to manage business operations of the Company to be able to add value to all our stakeholders and continuously enhance the same.
b. Maintain sufficient cash as reserves that will aid the Company in capturing meaningful business opportunities, including acquisitions.
c. Invest surplus funds in low-risk bank deposits, debt schemes of mutual funds, preference shares and tax free secured bonds of Public Sector Enterprises.
Cash and cash equivalents including current investments at a consolidated level of Rs. 259.00 crore, constitute 51% of the shareholdersâ funds at the year end, against Rs. 214.97 crore, 47% of the shareholdersâ funds at the close of the previous year. In addition, the Company holds tax-free bonds issued by public sector enterprises at amortised cost of Rs. 87.37 crore against Rs. 87.13 crore in the previous year, long-term fixed maturity plans of mutual funds at amortised cost of Rs. 64.06 crore against Rs. 59.75 crore last year, Preference shares of Rs. 56.94 crore against Rs. 46.90 crore last year, mutual funds at FVTPL ( fair value through profit and loss) of Rs. 31.30 crore against Rs. 38.89 crore in the previous year and Investment in equity shares of a listed company (at FVOCI) at Rs. 8.70 crore against Rs. 8.64 crore in the previous year.
6. DiViDEND
The Dividend Policy of your Company prescribes a dividend pay-out in the range of 15-30% of the profits available for distribution, subject to:
a) Provisions of The Companies Act, 2013 and other applicable laws, and
b) Cash flows of the Company
We are pleased to state that for the 19th consecutive year, your Company has recommended a Dividend for its shareholders. The Proposed Dividend this year is 90% (Rs. 9.00 per equity share of Rs. 10 each) as compared to last year Dividend of 80% (Rs. 8.00 per equity share of Rs. 10 each). The Proposed Dividend is subject to the approval of shareholders at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. If approved, the total dividend pay out will be Rs. 26.14 crore, against pay out of Rs. 23.23 crore in the previous year.
The Register of Members and Share Transfer Register shall remain closed during the period July 2, 2019 to July 8, 2019 (both days inclusive) for the purpose of Annual General Meeting and payment of Dividend. The Dividend, if approved at the Annual General Meeting, will be payable to such members whose names appear on the Register of Members of the Company and as beneficial owners in the records of National Securities Depositories Ltd. and Central Depository Services ( India) Ltd., at close of business hours as on July 1, 2019.
7. INVESTOR EDUCATION AND PROTECTION FUND (IEPF)
Pursuant to applicable provisions of the Companies Act 2013, read with IEPF Authority (Accounting, Audit, Transfer and Refund) Rules 2016 (âthe Rulesâ) all unpaid or unclaimed dividends are required to be transferred by the Company to the IEPF established by the Central Government, after completion of seven years. Further, according to the Rules, the shares in respect of which dividend has not been paid or claimed by the members for seven consecutive years or more shall also be transferred to the Demat account created by IEPF Authority. Accordingly, the Company has transferred all unclaimed or unpaid dividends and shares to IEPF as per applicable regulations.
8. DEPOSITS FROM PUBLIC
Your Company has not accepted any deposits covered under Chapter V of the Companies Act, 2013 and, as such, no amount of principal or interest was outstanding on the date of the Balance Sheet.
9. PARTICULARS OF CONTRACTS OR ARRANGEMENTS WITH RELATED PARSES
The Company policy for determining âMaterial Subsidiariesâ and on âRelated Party Transactionsâ, as approved by the Board can be accessed on the Company website link: http://www.nucleussoftware.com/investors.
Particulars of contracts or arrangements with related parties in the prescribed Form AOC-2, are provided as Annexure A to this Directorsâ Report.
10. PARTICULARS OF LOANS, GUARANTEES OR INVESTMENTS
Details of Loans, Guarantees and Investments covered under the provisions of Section 186 of the Companies Act, 2013 are provided in the notes to the Financial Statements.
11. MATERIAL CHANGES AND COMMITMENTS AFFECTING FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE COMPANY BETWEEN THE END OF FINANCIAL YEAR 2019 AND DATE OF THIS REPORT
No material changes and commitments have occurred after the close of the year till the date of this Directorsâ Report, which affect the financial position of the Company.
12. CHANGE IN THE NATURE OF BUSINESS
There has been no change in the nature of business of the Company.
13. MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS
As per requirements of Regulation 34 of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosures) Regulations 2015, the Managementâs Discussion and Analysis of the financial condition and results of both standalone and consolidated operations have been provided separately in the Annual Report.
14. REVIEW OF BUSINESS & OUTLOOK
Your Company continues its journey as a preferred partner for banking and financial organizations worldwide, helping them to succeed by providing pioneering products, innovative services and above all solutions to their business needs. Our software powers the operations of more than 150 customers in 50 countries, supporting retail banking, corporate banking, cash management, internet banking, automotive finance and other business areas. During the year, your Company won 28 orders including 01 in Africa, 01 in South East Asia, 06 in Middle East and 20 in India; including 19 new customers added from various geographies. We will continue to focus on our key markets, including India, South East Asia, the Middle East and Africa, as well as our growing markets in Australia and Europe.
Continuing the relentless focus on customer success, your Company launched a range of innovative solutions during the year.
Overall, Indian IT companies had a satisfactory year in terms of financial performance, driven by factors such as digitisation and non-linear growth models. Indian IT firms continue to move up the value chain by providing more end-to-end solutions and engaging more closely with the clients.
According to Gartner, the global enterprise IT spending in the banking and securities market grew by 5.1% in 2018 and is projected to grow by 4% in 2019. Gartner also reports that banks remain steadfast as they continue to prioritize digitization through business optimization and transformation. By 2020 Gartner expects the sector to spend USD 626 billion on IT.
Digital transformation is the Number One priority for the bank CIOs, according to Gartnerâs 2019 CIO Agenda survey. From a technology perspective, the CIOs are expecting artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital transformation and cloud technologies to be game changers. They also expect to increase their spending in business intelligence, cyber security, digital business initiatives and core system improvement / transformation projects. Forrester Research predicts that banks will again focus on innovation at the back office - driven by the need to improve margins in key business areas. It also predicts that many banks will find that their place in some ecosystems has been supplanted by disruptors - for example PayPal and Stripe in the provision of services for small businesses.
Since the rise of FinTech, the world of lending has been abuzz with the power of âdigitalâ - FinTechs positioned themselves as offering âdigital onlyâ and âneo-digitalâ experiences, while traditional lenders focused on adding a digital flavor to their services. Transformation, disruption and revolution have all been associated with digital. Clients are welcoming these developments, expecting that their lending experiences will change for the better.
15. NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES
During the year, your Company has continued to enhance its solutions to take advantage of the market trends, such as increasing digitalization of financial services. We have leveraged India Stack further to offer end-to-end digitalization of Loan Lifecycle.
Your Company launched a sourcing channel application - mFin that offers specialized solution for microfinance loan application processing. The mFin app provides on-the-go capabilities to acquire microfinance customers for Joint Liability Groups as well as Self Help Groups. mFin empowers the sales team to be efficient in data capturing, planning customer visits and in making credit decisions. This channel capability has been fully extended to the core application processing platform FinnOne NeoTM CAS.
As a part of the ongoing development program, your Company also launched FinnAxiaTM 6.0. FinnAxia 6.0 comes with advanced supply chain finance and trade finance solutions which will enable banks to capture this massive opportunity and help them gain and retain their position as the banker-of-choice for the new customer segments. The supply chain supports the 4-corner model (two-bank interoperable), 3-corner model (single-bank closed) and the point model of financing. The 4-corner model facilitates the on-boarding process of buyers and sellers and gives trade banks an extended global reach based on interbank relationships.
The trade finance solution in FinnAxia 6.0 was launched with new features such as standby letters of credit - which mitigates risks in the exports business; shipping guarantees -which provides benefits to the buyer with faster possession of goods and improved cash flow; and multi-currency import and export loans - which assist with funding trade transactions at important points throughout the trading cycle of a company; thus enabling seamless cross border trade.
The new solution also includes a slew of updates in the front-end, ensuring enhanced usability and smoother operations. Security has been enhanced with the provision of login fingerprinting. The solution also enables banks to provide frictionless realtime payments and new payment distribution channels (mobile wallets) for their customers.
With FinnAxia 6.0, banks can thus help their new customers not only fulfil their growth aspirations but also build a better relationship with their supply chain partners.
During the year, PaySe⢠payment solutions have been expanded in both functionality and reach making it truly an offline and online payment solution. PaySe offline payment solutions were deployed in rural India and are going to be a key infrastructure in making digital villages. PaySe is moving in the direction of partnering with financial institutions to make micro credit on tap a reality. PaySe online payment solutions gives a migration path to our rural customers who are having smart phones, have mobile literacy and are capable of using mobile apps. PaySe enables merchant payments, mobile recharges, bill payments, ordering for your daily needs, split bills, scratch cards management etc.
The Government of India has launched a massive program to move the country from a cash- based economy to a digital economy and PaySe, it is envisioned , will play an important role as it is primarily focusing on the rural and semi urban economy.
16. NOTABLE ACCOLADES RECEIVED DURING THE YEAR
- Nucleus Software is ranked second in âCorporate Governance and Sustainability Vision Awards 2019â as held by Indian Chamber of Commerce, for the Best Practices followed in the Industry.
- Annual Report of the Company for FY 17-18 won a Gold award for excellence within the Industry - Technology-Software and a ranking of # 33 amongst the top 100 Annual Reports worldwide by League of American Communications Professionals LLC (LACP) .
- Nucleus Software won the âBest Lending Technology Implementationâ award at the BFSI Leadership Awards 2018.
17. SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES
Your Company has nine subsidiaries across the globe. There are no associate companies or joint venture companies within the meaning of Section 2(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 (âActâ).
The following table provides a list of all these subsidiaries as on March 31, 2019:
Name of Subsidiary |
Location |
Date of Incorporation/ Acquisition |
Percentage of Shareholding |
Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd. |
Singapore |
February 25, 1994 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Inc. |
USA |
August 5, 1997 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha |
Japan |
November 2, 2001 |
100% |
VirStra i- Technology Services Ltd. |
India |
May 6, 2004 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Netherlands B.V. |
Netherlands |
February 3, 2006 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Ltd. |
India |
April 21, 2008 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Australia Pty. Ltd. |
Australia |
February 3, 2014 |
100% |
Nucleus Software South Africa Pty. Ltd. |
South Africa |
February 10, 2015 |
100% |
Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd. |
India |
March 17, 2016 |
100% |
There has been no material change in the nature of the business of the subsidiaries.
During the year, your Company acquired the remaining 4% shareholding of Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (96% shareholding was acquired in March 2016) and it is now a wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company.
The Board of Directors reviews the affairs of these subsidiaries periodically. These subsidiaries help the Company in providing front end support to customers and explore new opportunities.
A statement containing the salient features of the financial statement of our subsidiaries in the prescribed form AOC 1 is provided as Annexure B to this Directorsâ Report. The statement also provides the details of performance, financial position of each of the subsidiaries.
Further, pursuant to the provisions of Section 136 of the Act, the financial statements of the Company, consolidated financial statements along with relevant documents and separate audited accounts in respect of subsidiaries, are available on the website of the Company.
a) Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd.
Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd. (NSS) is based in Singapore. It was incorporated in 1994 to expand the Companyâs business in South East Asia. Currently, it is the central entity for Asia-Pacific excluding Japan and Australia with responsibility for business development, sales and software development services for customers in the region.
b) Nucleus Software Inc.
Nucleus Software Inc. (NSI) is based in New Jersey, USA. It was incorporated in 1997 for providing business presence in the Americas. NSI operates as a business development and sales hub for the region.
c) Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha
Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha (NSJKK) is based in Tokyo, Japan. It was incorporated in 2001 to expand business in the country. NSJKK operates as a business development and sales hub for Japan. Additionally the subsidiary provides software development services, to the local customers in Japan.
d) VirStra i- Technology Services Ltd.
VirStra i- Technology Services Ltd. is based in Pune, India. It was incorporated in 2004 to provide software development services, targeted at the Japanese market.
e) Nucleus Software Netherlands BV
Nucleus Software Netherlands BV (NSBV) is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It was incorporated in 2006 for enlarging business presence in the European market. NSBV is a business development and sales hub for Nucleus in Europe.
f) Nucleus Software Ltd.
Nucleus Software Ltd. (NSL) has operations in Jaipur with registered office in New Delhi. It was incorporated in 2008 for facilitating delivery to larger clients through operations in a Special Economic Zone. NSL acquired 17.41 acre of land in the Mahindra World Special Economic Zone, Jaipur and has co-developed a 250-seater facility. NSEL had setup SEZ unit in this 250 seator facility in August, 2011 which is under Exit Process as on the date of this Report.
g) Nucleus Software Australia Pty. Ltd.
Nucleus Software Australia Pty. Ltd. (NSA) is based in Sydney, Australia. It was incorporated in 2014 for tapping the growing business opportunities in ANZ region. NSA operates as a business development and sales hub for the region. Additionally, the subsidiary provides software development services, to the local customers in Australia.
h) Nucleus Software South Africa Pty. Ltd.
Nucleus Software South Africa Pty. Ltd. (NSSA) is based in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was incorporated in 2015 for tapping the growing business opportunities in South African region. NSSA operates as a business development and sales hub for the region.
i) Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd, has operations in Chennai, with registered office at Delhi. It has very good experience in logistics domain and expertise in developing mobile applications.
Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd. became subsidiary of your Company on March 17, 2016.
18. SCHEME OF AMALGAMATE
The Board of Directors at its meeting held on March 1, 2019, considered and approved a scheme of amalgamation pursuant to Sections 230 to 232 read with Section 234 and other relevant provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, of wholly owned subsidiaries, Virstra I Technology Services Ltd. and Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd. into and with Parent Company Nucleus Software Exports Ltd. The Scheme of Amalgamation is subject to necessary statutory and regulatory approvals under applicable laws, including approval of the National Company Law Tribunal. The Scheme of Aamalgamation will, inter alia, enable optimisation of legal entity structure through rationalization of number of subsidiaries, integration of business operations leading to operational synergies, provide your Company a seamless access to the assets of the subsidiaries and also result in reduction of the multiplicity of legal and regulatory compliances.
19. INFRASTRUCTURE
Your Company, along with its subsidiaries, has offices at several locations across the globe. The office space and seating capacity of these offices as on March 31, 2019 is detailed below:
Office Location |
Area in sq. ft. |
Seating Capacity |
- No. of Persons |
||
india |
||
Noida |
208,122 |
1,677 |
Jaipur |
22,312 |
250 |
Pune |
9,573 |
114 |
Chennai |
12,286 |
134 |
New Delhi |
4,200 |
40 |
Mumbai |
3,250 |
31 |
overseas |
||
Singapore |
4,807 |
61 |
Dubai, UAE |
1,290 |
17 |
Tokyo, Japan |
735 |
15 |
Manila, Philippines |
102 |
3 |
Jakarta, Indonesia |
97 |
3 |
London, UK |
226 |
2 |
Sydney, Australia |
130 |
2 |
California, USA |
100 |
1 |
New Jersey, USA |
146 |
4 |
267,376 |
2,354 |
Noida, New Delhi and Jaipur premises are owned by the Company and its subsidiaries.
20. QUALITY PROCESSES
Your Company is committed to ensure the highest level of quality of its products and services. The key focus for the year under report was to synchronize, standardize and quantify the quality processes with the transformational journey of the organisation. Process improvement initiatives were centred on âProcess Optimizationâ. The FinnEdge implementation methodology has emerged as standard implementation methodology for New Products. Extension to FinnEdge i.e. Rapid got introduced and implemented in a few projects that helped the implementation of solution in quick time for first time customers. FinnEdge covers various aspects of the project from âValue Creation to Value Realizationâ and from âProject Discoveryâ to âProject Implementationâ to âProject Upgradeâ.
To improve and measure Product Quality, Integrated Defect Management System was introduced. It enabled easy and standardised defect management and tracking processes along with measuring SLAâs of customer reported issues.
A dedicated Quality Assurance team handles the process change management, implementation and its adherence across the organization. This team monitors quality and productivity improvements through audits and dashboard reporting.
21. BRAND VISIBILITY
In FY 2019, your Company continued to grow its marketing operations and activities in support of its strategic aspirations.
During the year, the Company moved forward on its agenda of growth into new markets around the world by establishing brand awareness and generating demand from focused target segments. Your Company is continually investing in marketing, with the below objectives:
- Ensure that your Company is known for providing high quality, innovative lending and transaction banking solutions to the target markets.
- Establish your Company as an Industry Thought Leader.
- Equip the sales team fully with all the material and tools required to sell the product or service the Company offers.
Industry Interactions
During the year, NSEL participated in number of leading Industry fora globally to showcase itâs expertise and product offerings. Such key forums include:
Continuing our strategic focus on Australia, NSEL sponsored the 10th annual Australian Mortgage Innovation Summit 2019 where it presented itâs views on âTransforming Lending for Tomorrow - Going beyond Digitalâ. Throughout the year, NSEL also hosted a number of roundtable sessions with industry leaders across a range of business segments.
In South East Asia (SEA), NSEL participated in the 8th Innovation and New Technology in Cash Management event hosted by GFMI - Global Financial Markets Intelligence. It conducted an exclusive Masterclass workshop focused on the topic âChasing Digital - A Digitization Playbook for Wholesale bankingâ.
In the Middle East, the NSEL team showcased its digital lending solutions at the Middle East Banking Innovation Summit 2018, (MEBIS) and addressed the session on âTransforming Financial Services Beyond Digitalâ. NSEL presented itâs views on the evolving nature of technology at the GCC Smart Government & Smart Cities conference -a global platform dedicated to shaping the future of government in Dubai.
NSEL sponsored the 61st RBAP Charter Anniversary Symposium 2018 in the Philippines and showcased expertise on how the unique combination of advanced lending technology and cloud can help rural banks in the Philippines in providing end-to-end digitized loan services, making better credit decisions faster, quickly scaling operations and ensuring faster compliance to regulatory requirements.
NSEL demonstrated how banks in Malaysia can leverage technologies such as artificial intelligence and analytics in payments to enable added security, speed and convenience for their corporate customers at the IDC Financial Insightsâ FinTech Innovation Summit 2018 in Malaysia. NSEL was invited to present to the board of one of Malaysiaâs largest banks, as part of their board-level initiative, to investigate the future of technology in banking.
In Indonesia, NSEL presented itâs views on the topic -âArtificial Intelligence for Risk Mitigation in an era of Faster Paymentsâ at the Asian Banker Future of Finance Summit.
In Africa, NSEL participated in The New Age Banking Summit (NABS 2018) in Lagos, Nigeria. NSEL also participated in the Seamless East Africa 2018 and showcased expertise on how itâs solutions can help banks become the digital corporate bank of tomorrow - today.
In India, we demonstrated how our market leading solution, FinnOne Neo Cloud, is helping NBFCs and HFCs drive innovation in lending by enabling faster launch of personalized products, customer centric loan services, making better credit decisions faster and on-demand scalability at the 5th NBFC100 Tech Summit in Mumbai. We also attended the 5th Microfinance & NBFCs Exhibition (MiNE 2018) in Kolkata and demonstrated how the use of advanced technology can help reduce time to market, make better credit decisions faster, scale up quickly and incorporate data driven insights easily.
NSEL hosted an online, interactive roundtable webinar on âDriving Innovation in lending with cloudâ inassociation with Dun & Bradstreet. NSEL attended the 3rd NBFC100 Tech Summit in Delhi, and organized an industry roundtable, for banks & NBFCs, on âLending with Analytics & AI: Profitable, Smarter & Customer-orientedâ in Mumbai in association with Dun & Bradstreet.
Digital Presence & Visibility
Your Company continued to build its presence in the traditional media as well as on social media channels. Media activities continued with interactions with worldwide media including television, print, wires and online portals and source exclusive media opportunities in various geographies such as Australia, Africa, the Middle East and India. Social media has been a focus area, covering a wide range of brand activities and our successes. Your Company used social media primarily for activities involving thought leadership blogs, articles, press releases, customer video testimonials and other business content marketing purposes.
22. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Your Company is determined to accelerate its growth story by corresponding to the changing needs of diverse workgroup by fostering an engaging work environment, to constantly build up the unique capabilities and skills of the people. The global employee strength of the Company, at the end of FY 2019, was 2,054.
During the year, there were many new launches of organization-wide initiatives to ensure that the high-performance and dedicated workforce worked unitedly towards excellence, like:
1. Delivering Business Excellence - Frequent connect sessions with associates largely targeting the high potential areas
a. Gathering insights about the workplace, culture & opportunities offered & sharing them with the business for preventive action
b. Acting as strategic business partner by regularly sharing HR metrics in the form of dashboard and meeting for actions on a monthly and quarterly basis
c. Launch & closure of Trust Survey
d. Closure of actions of last year Trust Survey
e. Gearing up for making it âOne of the Great Places to Work forâ
2. Employee Assist - Conceptualize & execute suitable interventions to keep associates motivated with a key objective of âEnhancing Employee Experienceâ
a. Revamping referral program to attract talent from the industry
b. Aligning the annual performance management process (NucEDGE18) to the industry standards
c. Launch of day care in Nucleus Software premises
d. Coffee sessions with Senior Leadership
e. Launch of Skillsoftâs e-learning modules organization wide, as a platform to improve technology skills and soft skills
f. Focus on leadership development via:
i. Leadership Engagement Action & Development (LEAD) and Young Leadersâ Program (YLP)
ii. IIM/MDI residential programs
g. MIT online design thinking and system architecture programs
h. CYMORG, a business simulation tool for top leaders to hone their decision making skills
- nanobytes launched organization wide : gamified short learning capsules focusing on specific competencies for individuals and teams
- initiatives towards values understanding
Your Companyâs focus lies in creating a performance-based culture, driven by focused growth and clear career development plan for each employee. The HR roadmap will also focus on âCollaboration & Accelerationâ to stimulate our strategic growth through employee empowerment to make it a great place to work for.
23. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The Directors at NSEL believe that good and effective Corporate Governance is basic to achieve corporate vision and mission of the organization; it is more that organizational culture rather than a steadfast adherence to rules and regulations that propels organisations like NSEL to greatness. Corporate Governance is about optimizing all the stakeholdersâ value legally, ethically and sustainably. Law alone cannot bring changes and transformation and voluntary compliance both in form and in spirit plays an important role in developing good Corporate Governance.
Your Company has established and maintained a strong ethical environment, overseen by Board of Directors, where 5 out of 8 Directors are Independent. The Companyâs practices and policies reflect the true spirit of Corporate Governance initiatives.
Your Company is in compliance of all mandatory requirements of Corporate Governance as stipulated as per Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015. Compliance status is provided in the Corporate Governance section of the Annual Report. A certificate issued by the Statutory Auditors of the Company under Regulation 34 of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015, confirming compliance of the conditions of Corporate Governance, is provided as Annexure C to this Directorsâ Report. The auditorsâ certificate for fiscal 2019 does not contain any qualifications, reservations or adverse remark.
A detailed report on Corporate Governance for the year forms part of the Annual Report.
24. DIRECTORS AND KEY MANAGERIAL PERSONNEL (KMP)
In accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2013 and the Articles of Association of the Company, Ms. Ritika Dusad, Non Executive Director retires by rotation at the ensuing Annual General Meeting and being eligible has offered herself for re-appointment.
Mr. S M Acharya, Mr. Prithvi Haldea, Prof. Trilochan Sastry, and Mrs. Elaine Mathias are Independent Directors as per the Companies Act, 2013, not liable to retire by rotation, to hold office for five consecutive years. They have submitted a declaration that each of them meets the criteria of independence as provided in Section 149(6) of the Act and there has been no change in the circumstances which may affect their status as Independent Director during the year.
Mr. Prithvi Haldea and Prof. Trilochan Sastry were appointed as Independent Directors of the Company to hold office for five consecutive years for a term up to July 25, 2019, not liable to retire by rotation. Mrs. Elaine Mathias was appointed as Independent Director of the Company to hold office for five consecutive years for a term up to September 19, 2019, not liable to retire by rotation. The Board of Directors at their meeting held on April 23, 2019 at the recommendation of Nomination and Remuneration/Compensation Committee, recommended reappointment of Mr. Prithvi Haldea, Prof. Trilochan Sastry and Mrs. Elaine Mathias as Independent Directors for another term of five years, subject to approval of shareholders in the forthcoming Annual General meeting.
During the year, the tenure of Mr. N. Subramaniam as an Independent Director of the Company came to an end on March 31, 2019. Mr. N. Subramaniam conveyed his desire not to seek re-appointment as an Independent Director of Company for the second term. The Board members thanked Mr. N. Subramaniam for his immense contribution and guidance, and in framing a strategic roadmap of the Company during his tenure.
Mr. R. P. Singh was appointed as a Whole-time Director of the Company, by the Board of Directors for a period of 5 years, on July 26, 2014. His current term of appointment as a Whole time Director is expiring on July 25, 2019. Further, the Board of Directors on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration/Compensation Committee appointed Mr. R. P. Singh, Whole-time Director as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company i.e. April 1, 2018.
The Board members, at their meeting held on April 23, 2019, on the recommendation of Nomination and Remuneration/ Compensation Committee, have approved the re-appointment of Mr. R P Singh as a Whole-Time Director for another term of five years, subject to approval of shareholders in the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.
Mr. Vishnu R. Dusad was reappointed as Managing Director w.e.f. January 1, 2017 for a period of 5 years. His present term expires on December 31, 2021.
During the year, the Non-Executive Directors of the Company had no pecuniary relationship or transactions with the Company, other than sitting fees, commission, and reimbursement of expenses incurred by them for the purpose of attending meetings of the Company.
Pursuant to provisions of Section 203 of the Companies Act, 2013, Mr. Vishnu R. Dusad, Managing Director, Mr. R. P. Singh, CEO, Mr. Ashish Nanda, Chief Financial Officer and Ms. Poonam Bhasin, Company Secretary are the Key Managerial Personnel of the Company as on date of the report.
25. BOARD EVALUATION
The Board of Directors carried out an annual evaluation of its own performance and performance of the Chairman, Board committees and individual directors pursuant to the provisions of the Companies Act 2013 and the Corporate Governance requirements under Regulation 25 (4) of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015.
The Board, along with the Nomination and Remuneration/ Compensation Committee, developed and adopted the criteria and framework for the evaluation of each of the Directors and of the Board and its Committees.
The evaluation was then conducted as per the approved process (explained in detail in the Report on Corporate Governance of the Annual report). The Chairman of the Committee also had interactions with each of the Directors and sought their feed-back and suggestions on the overall Board Effectiveness and Directors performance.
In addition, pursuant to the provisions of Schedule IV to the Companies Act, 2013 the Independent Directors reviewed the performance of the Non-Independent Directors and of the Board as a whole, performance of the Chairman of the Board taking into account the views of all the Directors, and the quality, quantity and timeliness of flow of information between the Company management and the Board and its sufficiency for the Board to effectively perform its duties.
The Chairman placed the Evaluation Summary before the committee members. The same was discussed in detail, and the members recorded their satisfaction.
26. COMPANYâS POLICY ON DIRECTORSâ APPOINTMENT AND REMUNERATION
The primary responsibility of the Nomination and Remuneration/ Compensation Committee (NRC) is to identify and nominate suitable candidates for Board membership. The Committee also formulate policies relating to the remuneration of Directors, Key Managerial Personnel and other senior employees of the Company.
The Committee, while evaluating potential candidates for Board membership, considers a variety of personal attributes, including experience, intellect, foresight, judgment and transparency, and match these with the requirements set out by the Board. The basic responsibilities of NRC with regard to Directorsâ appointment are as follows:
- Recommending desirable changes in Board size, composition, Committee structure and processes, and other aspects of the Boardâs functioning;
- Formulating criteria for determining qualifications, positive attributes and Independence of a Director
- Conducting search and recommending new Board members in light of resignation of current members or a planned expansion of the Board;
- Identifying persons who are qualified to become Directors and who may be appointed in senior management in accordance with the criteria laid down, and recommend to the Board their appointment and removal.
The policy of the Company for âSelection of Directorsâ is provided as Annexure D and âPolicy of Remuneration for Directors, Key Managerial Personnel and other Employeesâ is provided as Annexure E to this Directorsâ Report. These Policies are also available on the Company website link: http://www. nucleussoftware.com/investors.
27. DECLARATION BY INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
The Company has received declarations from all the Independent Directors that they meet the criteria of independence as laid down under Section 149(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 and Regulation 25 of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015.
28. FAMILIARISATION PROGRAMME FOR INDEPENDENT DIRECTORâS
The details of programmes for familiarisation of Independent Directors with the Company, their roles, rights, responsibilities in the Company, nature of the industry in which the Company operates, business model of the Company and related matters can be accessed on the Company website link : http://www. nucleussoftware.com/investors.
29. MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board met 8 times during the year. The details are provided in the Report on Corporate Governance, a part of the Annual Report.
30. COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD
There are four Committees of the Board as on March 31, 2019, as follows:
- Audit Committee
- Nomination and Remuneration/Compensation Committee
- Stakeholder Relationship Committee
- Corporate Social Responsibility Committee
Details of all the Committees along with their charters, composition and meetings held during the year, are provided in the Report on Corporate Governance, a part of the Annual Report.
The Composition of Board Committees as on March 31, 2019 is as follows:
Audit Committee |
Nomination & Remuneration / Compensation Committee |
Stakeholder Relationship Committee |
Corporate Social Responsibility Committee |
|
Mr. S M Acharya |
V |
V |
||
Mr. Vishnu R Dusad |
V |
V |
||
Mr. Prithvi Haldea |
V |
V |
V |
V |
Mrs. Elaine Mathias |
V |
V |
||
Prof. Trilochan Sastry |
V |
V |
V |
V |
Mr. N. Subramaniam* |
V |
* Mr. N Subramaniam, whose current term expired on March 31, 2019, had conveyed his desire not to seek re-appointment as an Independent Director of the Company for the second term. Accordingly Mr. N Subramaniam ceased to be Director of the Company w.e.f. April 1, 2019.
31. VIGILANCE MECHANISM
The Company has a well-established whistle blower policy as part of itâs prevalent oversight mechanism for observing the conduct of Directors and employees and report concerns about unethical behaviour, actual or suspected fraud or violation of the Companyâs Code of conduct or ethics policy. This mechanism also provides for adequate safeguards against victimization of Director(s)/employee(s) who avail of the mechanism and also provides for direct access to the Chairman of the Audit Committee in exceptional cases.
32. SIGNIFICANT AND MATERIAL ORDERS
No significant or material orders were passed by the Regulators or Courts or Tribunals which impact the going concern status and Companyâs operations in future.
33. REPORTING OF FRAUDS BY AUDITORS
During the year under review, neither the Statutory Auditors nor the Secretarial Auditors has reported to the Audit Committee, under Sec 143(12) of the Companies Act, 2013, any instances of fraud committed against the Company by its officers or employees.
34. RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY
The Company has developed and implemented a âRisk Management Policyâ that includes identification of elements of risk, which in the opinion of the Board may threaten the existence of the Company. Risk Management Report forms a part of the Annual Report.
35. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO SHAREHOLDERS
Detailed information to the shareholders is provided in the Shareholdersâ Referencer, a part of the Annual Report.
36. AUDITORS
Statutory Auditors
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 139 of the Companies Act 2013 and the rules framed thereafter, M/s BSR and Co., LLP, Chartered Accountants, were appointed as statutory auditors of the Company from the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Company held on July 8, 2016 until the conclusion of Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in Calendar year 2021. The requirement to place the matter relating to appointment of the statutory auditors for ratification by the Members at every AGM has been done away by the Companies (Amendment) Act, 2017 with effect from May 7, 2018. Accordingly, no resolution is being proposed for ratification of appointment of Statutory Auditors at the ensuing AGM and a note in respect of same has been included in the Notice for the ensuing AGM.
Secretarial Auditor
As per the Companies Act 2013, Secretarial Audit by a practicing Company Secretary has become mandatory for prescribed companies, and they are required to annex the Secretarial Audit report with their Board Report in the Annual Report. We are pleased to inform that your Company, as a voluntary practice, has been getting Secretarial Audit done for the past several years and also reporting it in the Annual Report.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 204 of the Companies Act, 2013 and The Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, the Board appointed, M/S Sanjay Grover and Associates, Practising Company Secretaries to undertake the Secretarial Audit of the Company. Secretarial Audit Report in the prescribed Form MR 3 is provided as Annexure F to this Directorsâ Report. The Secretarial Auditorsâ Report does not contain any qualification, reservation or adverse remark.
The Company voluntarily adheres to the various Secretarial Standards issued by the Institute of Companies Secretaries of India.
37. INTERNAL FINANCIAL CONTROLS
Your Company has in place adequate internal financial controls with reference to the financial statements.
M/s BSR and Associates LLP, the statutory auditors of the Company, has audited the financial statements included in the annual report and has issued an attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Section 143 of Companies Act 2013).
38. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
Inclusive growth and sustainable development are strong pillars of your Companyâs responsible corporate citizenship and are a part of the core values and driving force for many of its initiatives. The Company believes that responsible investments in this regard will generate long term value for all the stakeholders.
In accordance with requirements of The Companies Act 2013, the Company has a Corporate Social Responsibility Committee comprising of a majority of Independent Directors and chaired by an Independent Director, Prof. Trilochan Sastry, Mr. Vishnu R Dusad, Mr. Prithvi Haldea and Mr. S. M. Acharya are the other members. The Committee framed and recommended a CSR Policy to the Board for adoption and instituted a transparent monitoring mechanism for ensuring implementation of the projects / activities to be undertaken by the Company.
The CSR Policy may be accessed on the Company website link: http://www.nucleussoftware.com/investors.
Your Company has set up Nucleus Software Foundation (NSF), a Trust for the purposes of undertaking CSR activities of the Company. This Foundation, established in 2014 as a Section 25 Company, works towards its stated mission: âEmpowering underprivileged with essence of education and thereby better livelihood and better lifeâ.
During the year, the Foundation worked towards its aim to improve the educational quality standards for the underprivileged children studying at government primary schools and NGO aided schools, through its benchmark remedial program, NSF Hybrid Learning Program.
The NSF team has designed a remedial program to bridge the gap identified by the baseline test conducted across the selected schools. The program bridges the gap of the students in the area of Math and English. The aim is to bring children closer to the learning levels appropriate for their assigned classes. The program helps in learning through the well-curated teaching learning material, practice notebooks, engaging digital content, and doing intelligent assessments. The digital content on the tab is mapped to the remedial program which we have designed based on the learning level of the student.
NSF was able to reach over 2500 students across 70 schools In Noida, Greater Noida, and Dehradun. The program was run in an intensive mode, with facilitators from our implementing partnersâ, at the selected 30 schools on a daily basis.
In the remaining schools of Greater Noida, NSF had trained the selected teachers of the respective schools to manage the program. This has resulted in an improvement in the learning levels of children in these government schools.
Besides the government schools, NSF worked extensively with an NGO learning centre in Ghaziabad where it sponsored their human resource, rental cost, and helped them in designing an effective learning program. The students of NGO use NSF Hybrid Learning Program quite extensively. NSF also conducted sports day and some other recreational activities for them.
The other CSR initiatives undertaken by the Foundation during the year were:
- Sponsored tuition and hostel fees for two students of IIT Roorkee.
- Supported the training needs of nine young kids in the Vikasnagar area of Dehradun where NSF worked in government schools.
- Skill Development and livelihood support: Provided tailoring training to the underprivileged women in Chennai.
- Assisting an NGO âAbles Charityâ at Faridabad and âSamriddhi Trustâ at Sadarpur Noida to run their bridge schools for out-of-school children.
The Annual Report on CSR activities is provided as Annexure G to this Directorsâ Report.
39. EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLAN (ESOP)
Currently, there is only one ESOP scheme prevalent in the Company; ESOP scheme - 2015 (instituted in 2015). As per ESOP scheme 2015, equity shares would be transferred to eligible employees on exercise of options through Nucleus Software Employee Welfare Trust, which is established to carry out activities for the benefit and welfare of its Employees by launching various Schemes in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Share Based Employee Benefits) Regulations, 2014.
Details of ESOP as per the provisions of Companies Act, 2013 and Rules made there under are as follows:
Particulars |
2015 Plan |
||
a) |
Total number of options under the Plan |
500,000 |
|
(b) |
Pricing formula |
100% of the Fair Market Price as on date of grant |
|
(c) |
Options granted during the year |
- |
|
(d) |
Options vested as of March 31, 2019 |
- |
|
(e) |
(i) |
Options exercised during the year |
- |
(ii) |
Total number of shares arising as a result of exercise of above options during the year |
||
(f) |
Options forfeited during the year |
- |
|
(g) |
Option lapsed during the year |
- |
|
(h) |
Variation of terms of options during the year |
- |
|
(i) |
Amount realized by exercise of options during the year |
- |
|
(j) |
Total number of options in force as on March 31, 2019 |
- |
During the year, no stock options were granted to any employee under the above-mentioned ESOP plan and therefore no calculations are required to be made or reported regarding difference between intrinsic value and fair market value of ESOPs granted.
40. PARTICULARS OF EMPLOYEES
Disclosures pertaining to remuneration and other details as required under Section 197(12) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rule 5(1) of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014 are provided in the prescribed format and annexed as Annexure H to this Directorsâ Report.
Having regard to the provisions of the first provision to Section 136(1) of the Companies Act, 2013 and as advised, the Annual Report excluding the aforesaid information is being sent to the members of the Company. The said information is available for inspection at the registered office of the Company during working hours and any member interested in obtaining such information may write to the Company Secretary and the same will be furnished on request. The full Annual Report including the aforesaid information is available on the Companyâs website.
41. DIRECTORâS RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
Pursuant to as per Section 134 (5) of the Companies Act, 2013, the Directors confirm that:
(a) in the preparation of the annual accounts for the financial year ended March 31, 2019, the applicable accounting standards had been followed along with proper explanation relating to material departures;
(b) the Directors had selected such accounting policies and applied them consistently and made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent so as to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company at the end of the financial year and of the profit and loss of the Company for that period;
(c) the Directors had taken proper and sufficient care for the maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, for safeguarding the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting fraud and other irregularities;
(d) the Directors had prepared the annual accounts on a going concern basis;
(e) the Directors, had laid down internal financial controls to be followed by the Company and that such internal financial controls are adequate and were operating effectively; and
(f) the Directors had devised proper systems to ensure compliance with the provisions of all applicable laws and that such systems were adequate and operating effectively.
Based on the framework of internal financial controls and compliance systems established and maintained by the Company, work performed by the internal, statutory and secretarial auditors, including audit of internal financial controls over financial reporting by the statutory auditors and the reviews performed by the management, the Board is of the opinion that the Companyâs internal financial controls were adequate and effective during FY 2018-19.
42. EXTRACT OF ANNUAL RETURN
Extract of Annual Return of the Company in the prescribed Form MGT-9, is provided as Annexure I to this Directorsâ Report. The same is available on http://www.nucleussoftware.com/ investors.
43. CONSERVATION OF ENERGY, TECHNOLOGY ABSORPTION, FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS AND OUTGO
The information on conservation of energy, technology absorption and foreign exchange earnings and outgo as stipulated under Section 134 of the Companies Act, 2013 read with the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014, is provided as Annexure J to this Directorsâ Report.
44. COST RECORDS AND COST AUDIT
Maintenance of cost records and requirements of cost audit as prescribed under the provisions of Section 148 (1) of the Companies Act 2013 are not applicable for the business activities carried out by the Company.
45. INTERNAL COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE UNDER THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF WOMEN AT WORKPLACE (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION AND REDRESSAL) ACT, 2013
Nucleus values the dignity of individuals and strives to provide a safe and respectable work environment to all its employees. The Company has put in place a âPolicy against Sexual Harassmentâ, compliant with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (âSexual Harassment Actâ). The Internal Complaints Committee at all the locations of the Company across India has been constituted, to consider and resolve all sexual harassment complaints as reported under the policy. The Committee also includes external member from NGOs or with relevant experience. We affirm that adequate access was provided to any complainant who wished to register a complaint under the policy. There were no complaints received, disposed and/or pending during the financial year.
46. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Your Directors would like to place on record their gratitude for the co-operation received from the Government of India, State Governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, Customs and Excise Departments, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research ( Ministry of Science and Technology) ,Software Technology Park-Noida, Software Technology Park-Chennai, Software Technology Park-Pune, Special Economic Zone authorities and other government agencies.
Your Directors would also like to thank the Companyâs customers, bankers, vendors, partners and shareholders for their continued support to the Company. In specific, the Board would like to put on record its sincere appreciation of the commitment and contribution made by all employees of the Company.
For and on behalf of the Board of Directors
Sd/-
Noida S. M. Acharya
April 23, 2019 Chairman
Mar 31, 2018
Dear Members,
The are pleased to present your Companyâs Twenty Ninth Annual Report, together with the Audited Statement of Accounts, for the year ended March 31, 2018.
1. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - Financial Results
The Company has adopted Indian Accounting Standards (Ind-AS) with effect from April 1, 2017 (transition date being April 1, 2016) pursuant to the notification issued by Ministry of Corporate Affairs dated February 16, 2015 regarding the Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015. Accordingly, the financial results have been prepared in accordance with the Indian Accounting Standards (Ind-AS) as prescribed under Section 133 of the Companies Act, 2013 read with relevant rules issued thereunder. The results for the year ended March 31, 2017 have been restated to comply with Ind AS to make these comparable.
The financial statements are prepared in accordance with the Companies (Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015, notified under Section 133 of the Act and other relevant provisions of the Act. The accounting policies have been consistently applied except where a newly issued accounting standard, if initially adopted or a revision to an existing accounting standard, requires a change in the accounting policy hitherto in use. The Management takes into cognisance all new as well as revised accounting standards on an ongoing basis.
The Company has nine subsidiary companies, all of which are wholly-owned subsidiaries except Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd., in which the Company acquired a 96% stake in March 2016. The Company discloses stand-alone audited financial results on a quarterly and annual basis, consolidated un-audited financial results on a quarterly basis and consolidated audited financial results on an annual basis.
a) Consolidated Operations
Revenue from consolidated operations for the year was Rs.411.81 crore, as compared to â372.39 crore in the previous year. As the Company continued its focus on strategic initiatives for new products, focused sales and market development and hiring of senior experienced personnel to help drive transformation, the overall operational expense for the year increased to Rs.353.63 crore, against Rs.319.06 crore in the previous year. The Operating Profit (EBITDA) was at Rs.58.18 crore, 14% of revenue, against Rs.53.33 crore, 14% of revenue in the previous year. Profit after Tax for the year was at Rs.62.55 crore, 15% of revenue, against Rs.66.16 crore, 18% of revenue in the previous year.
Consolidated financial results are as below:
(Rs. in crore)
For the Year Ended March 31, |
2018 |
% of Revenue |
2017 |
% of Revenue |
Revenue From Operations |
411.81 |
100.00 |
372.39 |
100.00 |
Expenses |
||||
a) Employee benefit expense |
276.97 |
67.26 |
244.55 |
65.67 |
b) Operating and other expenses |
76.15 |
18.49 |
73.96 |
19.86 |
c )Finance costs (Bank charges) |
0.51 |
0.12 |
0.55 |
0.15 |
Total Expenses |
353.63 |
85.87 |
319.06 |
85.68 |
Operating Profit (EBITDA) |
58.18 |
14.13 |
53.33 |
14.32 |
Depreciation |
7.04 |
1.71 |
11.22 |
3.01 |
Operating Profit after Interest and Depreciation |
51.14 |
12.42 |
42.11 |
11.31 |
Other Income |
28.72 |
6.97 |
32.14 |
8.63 |
Profit Before Tax |
79.86 |
19.39 |
74.25 |
19.94 |
Taxation |
17.31 |
4.20 |
8.09 |
2.17 |
Profit After Tax |
62.55 |
15.19 |
66.16 |
17.77 |
Other Comprehensive Income |
(1.50) |
(0.36) |
5.15 |
1.38 |
Total Comprehensive Income for the period |
61.05 |
14.82 |
71.31 |
19.15 |
b) Standalone Operations
Revenue from the standalone operations for the year was Rs.337.32 crore against Rs.299.35 crore in the previous year, an increase of 13%. Total operational expense for the year was Rs.294.94 crore against Rs.264.15 crore in the previous year, an increase of 12%. Operating Profit (EBITDA) for the year was at Rs.42.38 crore, 13% of revenue, against Rs.35.20 crore, 12% of revenue, in the previous year. Profit after Tax for the year was at Rs.65.60 crore, 19% of revenue, against Rs.51.78 crore, 17% of revenue in the previous year.
Standalone financial results are as below: (Rs. in crore)
For the Year Ended March 31, |
2018 |
% of Revenue |
2017 |
% of Revenue |
Revenue from Operations |
337.32 |
100.00 |
299.35 |
100.00 |
Expenses |
||||
a) Employee benefit expense |
216.29 |
64.12 |
175.89 |
58.76 |
b) Operating and other expenses |
78.33 |
23.22 |
87.91 |
29.37 |
c )Finance costs (Bank charges) |
0.32 |
0.09 |
0.35 |
0.12 |
Total Expenses |
294.94 |
87.44 |
264.15 |
88.24 |
Operating Profit (EBITDA) |
42.38 |
12.56 |
35.20 |
11.76 |
Depreciation |
6.47 |
1.92 |
10.26 |
3.43 |
Operating Profit after Interest and Depreciation |
35.91 |
10.65 |
24.94 |
8.33 |
Other Income |
41.77 |
12.38 |
31.82 |
10.63 |
Profit Before Tax |
77.68 |
23.03 |
56.76 |
18.96 |
Taxation |
12.08 |
3.58 |
4.98 |
1.66 |
Profit After Tax |
65.60 |
19.45 |
51.78 |
17.30 |
Other Comprehensive Income |
(2.83) |
(0.84) |
6.50 |
2.17 |
Total Comprehensive Income for the period |
62.77 |
18.61 |
58.28 |
19.47 |
A detailed analysis on the Companyâs performance, both consolidated and standalone, is included in âManagementâs Discussion and Analysisâ Report, which forms part of the Annual Report.
2. TRANSFER TO RESERVES
In order to augment resources your Directors do not propose to transfer any amount to reserves. Appropriations to retained earnings for the financial year ended March 31, 2018 as per financial statements are as under:
(Rs. in crore)
Retained Earnings |
Closing Balance as on March 31, 2018 |
Opening Balance |
361.89 |
Profit for the period |
65.60 |
Utilised for Buyback of equity shares |
(32.54) |
Dividend Paid |
(16.19) |
Corporate Dividend tax |
(0.49) |
Closing Balance |
378.27 |
3. BUY BACK OF EQUITY SHARES
During the year, the Company bought back 3,343,000 equity shares through the Tender Offer route at a price of Rs.350/- per equity share for an aggregate consideration of Rs.117.00 crore.
The Buyback size was 24.83% of the aggregate Paid-Up Equity Share Capital and Free Reserves of the Company as per the audited standalone accounts for the financial year ended March 31, 2017. The Buyback process was completed and the shares were extinguished on September 14, 2017. Further details/ documents relating to the Buyback are available on our website at http://nucleussoftware.com/investors/
4. SHARE CAPITAL
Issued and Paid-Up Share Capital
During the Year, the Company extinguished 3,343,000 equity shares in September 2017 consequent to Buyback of shares. Consequently, the Paid-Up Share Capital of the Company, as on March 31, 2018, is 29,040,724 equity shares of Rs.10 each, as compared to 32,383,724 equity shares of Rs.10 each as on March 31, 2017.
Shares under Compulsory Dematerialization
The shares of the Company are under compulsory dematerialization (âDematâ) category and are available for trading on both the depositories in India viz. National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) and Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL) of the entire paid up shares, 28,960,841 shares or 99.72%, are in dematerialized form as at March 31, 2018. The International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) allotted to the Companyâs shares is INE096B01018.
5. LISTING
Your Company is listed at National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. and BSE Ltd.
Stock Exchange where Nucleus shares are listed |
Scrip Symbol /Code |
National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE) w.e.f. December 19, 2002 |
NUCLEUS |
BSE Ltd. (BSE) w.e.f. November 6, 1995 |
531209 |
6. LIQUIDITY AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Your Company continues to retain its debt-free status and maintains sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet future strategic initiatives. The Company has been conservative in its investment policy over the years, maintaining a reasonably high level of cash and cash equivalents which enable the Company to completely eliminate short and medium-term liquidity risks, and at the same time also help scale up operations at a short notice. The goal of cash management at Nucleus is to:
a. Use cash to provide sufficient working capital to manage business operations of the Company to be able to add value to all our stakeholders and continuously enhance the same.
b. Maintain sufficient cash as reserves that will aid the Company in capturing meaningful business opportunities, including acquisitions.
c. Invest surplus funds in low-risk bank deposits, debt schemes of mutual funds, preference shares and tax free secured bonds of Public Sector Enterprises.
Cash and cash equivalents including current investments at a consolidated level of Rs.214.97 crore, constitute 47% of the shareholdersâ funds at the year end, against Rs.300.36 crore, 56% of the shareholdersâ funds at the close of the previous year. In addition, the Company holds tax-free bonds issued by public sector enterprises at amortised cost of Rs.87.13 crore against Rs.81.55 crore in the previous year, long-term fixed maturity plans of mutual funds at amortised cost of Rs.59.75 crore against Rs.19.83 crore last year, preference shares at amortised cost of Rs.46.90 crore against Rs.51.49 crore last year, debentures of â Nil against Rs.5.14 crore in the previous year and Investment in equity shares of a listed company (at FVOCI) at Rs.8.64 crore against Rs.10.60 crore in the previous year.
7. DIVIDEND
The Dividend Policy of your Company prescribes a dividend pay-out in the range of 15-30% of the profits available for distribution, subject to:
a) Provisions of The Companies Act, 2013 and other applicable laws, and
b) Cash flows of the Company
We are pleased to state that for the 18th consecutive year, your Company has recommended a Dividend . The Proposed Dividend is 80% (â8.00 per equity share of Rs.10 each) as compared to last year Dividend of 50% (Rs.5.00 per equity share of Rs.10 each). The Proposed Dividend is subject to the approval of shareholders at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. If approved, the total dividend payout will be Rs.23.23 crore, against payout of Rs.16.19 crore in the previous year.
The Register of Members and Share Transfer Register shall remain closed during the period June 26 to July 2, 2018 (both days inclusive) for the purpose of Annual General Meeting and payment of Dividend. The Dividend, if approved at the Annual General Meeting, will be payable to such members whose names appear on the Register of Members of the Company and as beneficial owners in the records of National Securities Depositories Ltd. and Central Depository Services (India) Ltd., at close of business hours as on June 25, 2018.
8. INVESTOR EDUCATION AND PROTECTION FUND (IEPF)
Pursuant to applicable provisions of the Companies Act 2013, read with IEPF Authority (Accounting, Audit, Transfer and Refund) Rules 2016 (âthe Rulesâ) all unpaid or unclaimed dividends are required to be transferred by the Company to the IEPF established by the Central Government, after completion of seven years. Further, according to the Rules, the shares in respect of which dividend has not been paid or claimed by the members for seven consecutive years or more shall also be transferred to the Demat account created by IEPF Authority. Accordingly, the Company has transferred all unclaimed or unpaid dividends and shares to IEPF as per applicable regulations.
9. DEPOSITS FROM PUBLIC
Your Company has not accepted any deposits covered under Chapter V of the Companies Act, 2013 and, as such, no amount of principal or interest was outstanding on the date of the Balance Sheet.
10. PARTICULARS OF CONTRACTS OR ARRANGEMENTS WITH RELATED PARTIES
The Company policy for determining âMaterial Subsidiariesâ and on âRelated Party Transactionsâ, as approved by the Board can be accessed on the Company website link: http://www.nucleussoftware.com/investors.
Particulars of contracts or arrangements with related parties in the prescribed Form AOC-2, are provided as Annexure A to this Directorsâ Report.
11. PARTICULARS OF LOANS, GUARANTEES OR INVESTMENTS Details of Loans, Guarantees and Investments covered under the provisions of Section 186 of the Companies Act, 2013 are provided in the notes to the Financial Statements.
12. MATERIAL CHANGES AND COMMITMENTS AFFECTING FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE COMPANY BETWEEN THE END OF FINANCIAL YEAR 2018 AND DATE OF THIS DIRECTORSâ REPORT
No material changes and commitments have occurred after the close of the year till the date of this Directorsâ Report, which affect the financial position of the Company.
13. CHANGE IN THE NATURE OF BUSINESS
There has been no change in the nature of business of the Company.
14. MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS
As per requirements of Regulation 34 of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosures) Regulations 2015, the Managementâs Discussion and Analysis of the financial condition and results of both standalone and consolidated operations have been provided separately in the Annual Report.
15. REVIEW OF BUSINESS & OUTLOOK
Your Company continues its journey as a preferred partner for banking and financial organizations worldwide, providing innovative and pioneering products, services and solutions. Continuing the relentless focus on customer success, your Company launched a range of innovative solutions during the year.
Overall, the Indian IT companies had a decent year in terms of financial performance, driven by factors such as digitisation and non-linear growth models. The Indian IT firms continue to move up the value chain by providing more end-to-end solutions and engaging more closely with the clients.
Recent forecasts for technology spending have shown growth - for example, Gartner from 5.8 to 6.7% and Forrester from 3.9 to 5.1%. Part of this growth has been driven by increased investment to support digital initiatives.
As per NASSCOM, the Indian IT Industry is expected to add USD 14-16 billion in revenue in FY19 with Domestic Technology adoption to continue with double digit growth.
Digital technologies are increasingly becoming all pervasive and are not only blurring the boundaries between business units (technology, finance, marketing, etc.) but also between companies, it is now no longer tech and non-tech companies. The future of the industry will lie in âDigital at Scaleâ as global digital spend is expected to increase from USD 180 Bn in 2017 to USD 310 Bn in 2020 growing over 20% YoY, as per Everest research
Since the rise of FinTech, the world of lending has been abuzz with the power of âdigitalâ - FinTechs positioned themselves as offering âdigital onlyâ and âneo-digitalâ experiences, while traditional lenders focused on adding a digital flavor to their services. Transformation, disruption and revolution have all been associated with digital. Clients are welcoming these developments, expecting that their lending experiences are changing for the better.
16. NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES
During the Year, Your Company has continued to enhance its solutions to take advantage of market trends, such as increasing digitization of financial services. We have leveraged India Stack further to offer end to end digitization of Loan lifecycle.
Your Company launched customer portal modules - eApply and eServe that offer a host of services to the end customer for applying for and servicing of the loan. We also launched ECM - Enterprise Content Management solution which can be used to seamlessly store and retrieve documents, images, letters, customer communications etc.
As a part of ongoing development program, your Company also launched FinnAxia 5.0 including a newly launched Trade Finance Portal, which would help corporate customers with a single, global view of their trade finance business. This will reduce the risk of fraud and will also enable the lenders to make faster and more efficient financing decisions. FinnAxia 5.0 also comes with comprehensive cash management features to ensure working capital optimization for the bankâs corporate customers. The solution also allows the corporates to define their own liquidity structures and visualize the prospective outcomes graphically. With a constant emphasis on ensuring compliance of regulations, the new release of FinnAxia comes with the International Transaction and External Position System (ITEPS) to achieve payments compliance in the Malaysian market and also offers India-based NPCI compliant Direct Debit Mandate capabilities via both physical and electronic forms.
With FinnAxia 5.0, banks can capture new business opportunities, enable working capital management for their corporate customers and ensure compliance with new regulations in the transaction banking space.
During the year, the PaySe⢠payment solutions have been enhanced with the online mobile payment capability thus making PaySe⢠an ideal payment solution for both the connected and the non-connected world. PaySe⢠has been rolled out in a couple of villages and has found favour with consumers to make payments for their daily purchases in the village and for LPG and PDS payments. In keeping with the UGC guidelines advising colleges and universities to move towards a less cash economy, Nucleus is focusing on such institutions to make their campuses cashless campuses by enabling digital payments for all financial transactions in the campus and extending the same to transactions around the campus.
Your Company remains committed to providing its existing and potential customers with competitive and cutting-edge products and will continue to focus on investments in product innovation and business expansion.
17. NOTABLE ACCOLADES RECEIVED DURING THE YEAR
- Best Lending Technology Implementation of the Year award at the BFSI Innovative Technology Awards 2018 for project Lending on cloud for Sai Point Finance with FinnOne Neo.
- Received an award in Mid Corporate Segment-for Excellence in IT/ITES Sector, at SME Business Excellence Awards, 2017 organized by Dun & Bradstreet Information Services India Pvt. Ltd (D&B).
- Annual Report for the Year Ended March 31, 2017 won the Platinum Award for Excellence within the Technology-Software industry and ranked 7th amongst the Worldâs Top 100 Annual Reports within the Technology-Software industry and by the League of American Communications Professional (LACP).
18. SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES
Your Company has nine subsidiaries across the globe. There are no associate companies or joint venture companies within the meaning of Section 2(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 (âActâ).
The following table provides a list of all these subsidiaries as on March 31, 2018:
Name of Subsidiary |
Location |
Date of Incorporation/ Acquisition |
Percentage of Shareholding |
Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd. |
Singapore |
February 25, 1994 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Inc. |
USA |
August 5, 1997 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha |
Japan |
November 2, 2001 |
100% |
VirStra i- Technology Services Ltd. |
India |
May 6, 2004 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Netherlands B.V. |
Netherlands |
February 3, 2006 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Ltd. |
India |
April 21, 2008 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Australia Pty. Ltd. |
Australia |
February 3, 2014 |
100% |
Nucleus Software South Africa Pty. Ltd. |
South Africa |
February 10, 2015 |
100% |
Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd. |
India |
March 17, 2016 (Date of Acquisition) |
96% |
There has been no material change in the nature of the business of the subsidiaries.
A statement containing the salient features of the financial statement of our subsidiaries in the prescribed form AOC 1 is provided as Annexure B to this Directorsâ Report. The statement also provides the details of performance, financial position of each of the subsidiaries.
Further, pursuant to the provisions of Section 136 of the Act, the financial statements of the Company, consolidated financial statements along with relevant documents and separate audited accounts in respect of subsidiaries, are available on the website of the Company.
a) Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd.
Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd. (NSS) is based in Singapore. It was incorporated in 1994 to expand the Companyâs business in South East Asia. Currently, it is the central entity for Asia-Pacific excluding Japan and Australia with responsibility for business development, sales and software development services for customers in the region.
b) Nucleus Software Inc.
Nucleus Software Inc. (NSI) is based in New Jersey, USA. It was incorporated in 1997 for providing business presence in the Americas. NSI operates as a business development and sales hub for the region.
c) Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha
Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha (NSJKK) is based in Tokyo, Japan. It was incorporated in 2001 to expand business in the country. NSJKK operates as a business development and sales hub for Japan. Additionally the subsidiary provides software development services, to the local customers in Japan.
d) VirStra i- Technology Services Ltd.
VirStra i- Technology Services Ltd. is based in Pune, India. It was incorporated in 2004 to provide software development services, targeted at the Japanese market.
e) Nucleus Software Netherlands BV
Nucleus Software Netherlands BV (NSBV) is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It was incorporated in 2006 for enlarging business presence in the European market. NSBV is a business development and sales hub for Nucleus in Europe.
f) Nucleus Software Ltd.
Nucleus Software Ltd. (NSL) has operations in Jaipur with registered office in New Delhi. It was incorporated in 2008 for facilitating delivery to larger clients through operations in a Special Economic Zone. NSL had acquired 17.41 acre of land in 2008 in the Mahindra World Special Economic Zone, Jaipur and has co-developed a 250-seater facility.
g) Nucleus Software Australia Pty. Ltd.
Nucleus Software Australia Pty. Ltd. (NSA) is based in Sydney, Australia. It was incorporated in 2014 for tapping the growing business opportunities in ANZ region. NSA operates as a business development and sales hub for the region. Additionally the subsidiary provides software development services, to the local customers in Australia.
h) Nucleus Software South Africa Pty. Ltd.
Nucleus Software South Africa Pty. Ltd. (NSSA) is based in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was incorporated in 2015 for tapping the growing business opportunities in South African region. NSSA operates as a business development and sales hub for the region.
i) Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd, is based in Chennai and has very good experience in logistics domain and expertise in developing mobile applications.
Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd. became subsidiary of your Company on March 17, 2016.
19. INFRASTRUCTURE
Your Company, along with its subsidiaries, has offices at several locations across the globe. The office space and seating capacity of these offices as on March 31, 2018 is detailed below:
Office Location |
Area in sq. ft. |
Seating Capacity - No. of Persons |
india |
||
Noida |
2,08,122 |
1,677 |
Jaipur |
22,312 |
250 |
Pune |
9,573 |
114 |
Chennai |
8,100 |
67 |
New Delhi |
4,200 |
40 |
Mumbai |
3,250 |
31 |
overseas |
||
Singapore |
4,807 |
61 |
Dubai, UAE |
1,290 |
17 |
Tokyo, Japan |
735 |
15 |
Manila, Philippines |
151 |
2 |
Jakarta, Indonesia |
97 |
3 |
London, UK |
226 |
2 |
Sydney, Australia |
130 |
2 |
California, USA |
100 |
1 |
263,093 |
2,282 |
Noida, New Delhi and Jaipur premises are owned by the Company and its subsidiaries.
20 QUALITY PROCESSES
Your Company is committed to ensure the highest level of quality for its products and services. The key focus for this year was to synchronize and standardize the quality processes with the transformational journey of the organisation. Process improvement initiatives were centred on âProcess Optimizationâ. The FinnEdge implementation methodology has emerged as standard implementation methodology for New Products. Extension to FinnEdge i.e. Rapid is introduced and piloted in few projects, that will help implementation of solution in quick time for greenfield customers. FinnEdge covers various aspects of the project from âValue Creation to Value Realizationâ and from âProject Discoveryâ to âProject Implementationâ to âProject Upgradeâ. Process was defined and baselined for Cloud Implementation projects. To improve and measure Product Quality, Defect Management Lifecycle is getting simplified and standardized.
A dedicated Quality Assurance team handles the process change management, implementation and its adherence across the organization. This team monitors quality and productivity improvements through audits and dashboard reporting.
21. BRAND VISIBILITY
In FY 2018, your Company continued to grow its marketing operations and activities in support of its strategic aspirations.
During the Year, the Company moved forward on its agenda of growth into new markets around the world by establishing brand awareness and generating demand from focused target segments. Your Company is continually investing in marketing, with the below objectives:
- Ensure that your Company is known to provide high quality, innovative lending and transaction banking solutions to the target markets.
- Establish your Company as an Industry Thought Leader.
- Equip the sales team fully with the material and tools required to sell the product or service they represent.
Industry Interactions
To showcase our expertise and product offerings, your Company continued to participate in the leading industry events and business forums worldwide.
During the Year, Our teams travelled worldwide to demonstrate our expertise and product offerings; participated in many of leading Industry forums. Few of them includes: In Australia: Sponsored the Australian Retail Banking Summit 2017, with the overarching theme of âRetail: Ripe for Revolutionâ. Demonstrated expertise at 8th annual Australian Mortgage Innovation Summit 2018. Showcased comprehensive lending solution, FinnOne Neo for Mutuals at Customer Owned Banking Associationâs premiere annual convention, COBA 2017. In South East Asia: hosted a roundtable discussion around âProfiting from Transaction Banking - Converting Challenges into Opportunitiesâ at Asian Bankerâs Future of Finance Summit 2017 in Singapore. Presented insights on âHow Banks and other Financial Services companies can benefit from Digitalâ at a gathering of industry leaders at Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Vietnam. Hosted an exclusive conference for the leaders of Banks and other Financial Services companies in Manila on âDriving Innovation in Lending Manila 2017â. In the Middle East: Presented insights on âDigital Lending and Advanced Analyticsâ at the Middle East Banking Innovation Summit (MEBIS) 2017 in Dubai. Hosted an exclusive webinar on âHow do you become the Digital Bank of Tomorrow - Today?â, for sharing expertise on leveraging the power of digital, personalization and analytics. In Africa: showcased expertise on the fast-evolving trends that are transforming the microfinance industry at the Microfinance South Africa 2017 Annual General Meeting & Conference (MFSA AGM) in South Africa, Organized an exclusive industry roadshow on âdriving Innovation in Lendingâ for leading banks and financial institutions in Tanzania. In India: hosted an exclusive industry roundtable discussion for Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) and Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) with the theme of âDriving Innovation in Lendingâ in association with Dun & Bradstreet and Amazon Web Services in Mumbai and Delhi. Demonstrated insights on âHow next generation digital lending solutions can help you transform your businessâ at the National Cooperative Banking Summit 2017 (NCBS) in Jaipur.
Digital Presence & Visibility
Your Company continued to build its presence in the traditional media as well as on social media channels. Media activities continued with interactions with worldwide media including television, print, wires and online portals and source exclusive media opportunities in various geographies such as Australia, Africa, the Middle East and India. Social media has been a focus area, covering a wide range of brand activities and our successes. Your Company used social media primarily for activities involving thought leadership blogs, articles, press releases, customer video testimonials and other business content marketing purposes.
22. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Your Company is determined to accelerate its growth story by corresponding to the changing needs of diverse workgroup by fostering an engaging work environment, to constantly build the unique capabilities and skills of the people.
The global employee strength of the Company, at the end of FY 2018, was 1,851.
During the Year, there were launches of various organization-wide initiatives to ensure high-performing and engaged workforce, like:
1. Delivering Business Excellence - Frequent connect sessions with associates largely targeting the high potentials
a. Gathering insights about the workplace, culture & opportunities offered & sharing them with the business for preventive action
b. Acting as strategic business partner by regularly sharing HR metrics in the form of dashboard
c. Launch of Trust Survey
2. Employee Assist - Conceptualize & execute suitable interventions to keep associates motivated
a. Revamping referral program to attract talent from the industry
b. Aligning the annual performance management process (NucEDGE18) to the industry standards
c. Launch of day care in Nucleus Software premises
Going forward, your Companyâs focus lies in creating a performance-based culture, driven by focused growth and clear career development plan for each employee. The HR roadmap will also focus on âCollaboration & Accelerationâ to stimulate our strategic growth through employee empowerment to make it a great place to work for.
23. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
We, at Nucleus, believe that good and effective Corporate Governance is critical to achieve corporate vision and mission of the organization; it is more of an organizational culture than a mere adherence to rules and regulations. Law alone cannot bring changes and transformation, and voluntary compliance both in form and in substance plays an important role in developing good Corporate Governance.
Your Company has established and maintained a strong ethical environment, overseen by Board of Directors, where 5 out of 8 Directors are Independent. The Companyâs practices and policies reflect the true spirit of Corporate Governance initiatives.
Your Company is in compliance of all mandatory requirements of Corporate Governance as stipulated as per Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015. Compliance status is provided in the Corporate Governance section of the Annual Report. A certificate issued by the Statutory Auditors of the Company under Regulation 34 of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015, confirming compliance of the conditions of Corporate Governance, is provided as Annexure C to this Directorsâ Report. The auditorsâ certificate for fiscal 2018 does not contain any qualifications, reservations or adverse remark.
A detailed report on Corporate Governance for the year forms part of the Annual Report.
24. DIRECTORS AND KEY MANAGERIAL PERSONNEL (KMP)
In accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2013 and the Articles of Association of the Company, Mr. R P Singh, CEO and Whole time Director, retires by rotation at the ensuing Annual General Meeting and being eligible has offered himself for re-appointment.
Mr. S. M. Acharya, Mr. Prithvi Haldea, Prof. Trilochan Sastry, Mr. N. Subramaniam and Mrs. Elaine Mathias are Independent Directors as per the Companies Act, 2013, not liable to retire by rotation, to hold office for five consecutive years. They have submitted a declaration that each of them meets the criteria of independence as provided in Section 149(6) of the Act and there has been no change in the circumstances which may affect their status as Independent Director during the year. Ms. Ritika Dusad, a Non-Executive Director was appointed by Board on July 20, 2016 as a Director liable to retire by rotation.
During the year, Mr. Janki Ballabh, retired from the Chairmanship of the Board w.e.f. Oct 31, 2017, due to attainment of retirement age. Mr. Ballabh had joined as the Chairman of our Board on November 15, 2008. The Board members thanked Mr. Ballabh for his immense contribution and guidance, and in framing a strategic roadmap of the Company during his tenure.
The Board of Directors on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration/Compensation Committee appointed Mr. S. M. Acharya, Independent Director as the Chairman of the Board w.e.f. November 1, 2017.
The Board of Directors on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration/Compensation Committee also appointed Mr. R P Singh, Whole time Director as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company w.e.f April 1, 2018 and redesignated Mr. Vishnu R Dusad, CEO and Managing Director as the Managing Director of the Company w.e.f. April 1, 2018.
Mr. Vishnu R. Dusad was reappointed as Managing Director w.e.f. January 1, 2017 for a period of 5 years. His present term expires on December 31, 2021.
During the year, the Non-Executive Directors of the Company had no pecuniary relationship or transactions with the Company, other than sitting fees, commission, and reimbursement of expenses incurred by them for the purpose of attending meetings of the Company.
Pursuant to provisions of Section 203 of the Companies Act, 2013, Mr. Vishnu R. Dusad, Managing Director, Mr. R P Singh, CEO, Mr. Ashish Nanda, Chief Financial Officer and Ms. Poonam Bhasin, Company Secretary are the Key Managerial Personnel of the Company as on date of the report.
25. BOARD EVALUATION
The Board of Directors carried out an annual evaluation of its own performance and performance of the Chairman, Board committees and individual Directors pursuant to the provisions of the Companies Act 2013 and the Corporate Governance requirements under Regulation 25 (4) of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015.
The Board, along with the Nomination and Remuneration/ Compensation Committee, developed and adopted the criteria and framework for the evaluation of each of the Directors and of the Board and its Committees.
The evaluation was then conducted as per the approved process (explained in detail in the Report on Corporate Governance of the Annual report). The Chairman of the Committee also had interactions with each of the Directors and sought their feedback and suggestions on the overall Board Effectiveness and Directors performance.
In addition, pursuant to the provisions of Schedule IV to the Companies Act, 2013 the Independent Directors reviewed the performance of the Non-Independent Directors and of the Board as a whole, performance of the Chairman of the Board taking into account the views of all the Directors, and the quality, quantity and timeliness of flow of information between the Company management and the Board and its sufficiency for the Board to effectively perform its duties.
The Chairman placed the Evaluation Summary before the committee members. The same was discussed in detail, and the members recorded their satisfaction
26. COMPANYâS POLICY ON DIRECTORSâ APPOINTMENT AND REMUNERATION
The primary responsibility of the Nomination and Remuneration / Compensation Committee (NRC) is to identify and nominate suitable candidates for Board membership. The Committee also formulate policies relating to the remuneration of Directors, Key Managerial Personnel and other senior employees of the Company.
The Committee, while evaluating potential candidates for Board membership, considers a variety of personal attributes, including experience, intellect, foresight, judgment and transparency, and match these with the requirements set out by the Board. The basic responsibilities of NRC with regard to Directorsâ appointment are as follows:
- Recommending desirable changes in Board size, composition, Committee structure and processes, and other aspects of the Boardâs functioning;
- Formulating criteria for determining qualifications, positive attributes and Independence of a Director
- Conducting search and recommending new Board members in light of resignation of current members or a planned expansion of the Board;
- Identifying persons who are qualified to become Directors and who may be appointed in senior management in accordance with the criteria laid down, and recommend to the Board their appointment and removal.
The policy of the Company for selection of Directors is provided as Annexure D and Remuneration Policy for Directors, Key Managerial Personnel and other employees is provided as Annexure E to this Directorsâ Report.
27. DECLARATION BY INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
The Company has received declarations from all the Independent Directors that they meet the criteria of independence as laid down under Section 149(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 and Regulation 25 of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015.
28. FAMILIARISATION PROGRAMME FOR INDEPENDENT DIRECTORâS
The details of programmes for familiarisation of Independent Directors with the Company, their roles, rights, responsibilities in the Company, nature of the industry in which the Company operates, business model of the Company and related matters can be accessed on the Company website link : http://www. nucleussoftware.com/investors .
29. MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board met 9 times during the year. The details are provided in the Report on Corporate Governance, a part of the Annual Report.
30. COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD
There are four Committees of the Board as on March 31, 2018, as follows:
- Audit Committee
- Nomination and Remuneration/Compensation Committee
- Stakeholder Relationship Committee
- Corporate Social Responsibility Committee
Details of all the Committees along with their charters, composition and meetings held during the year, are provided in the Report on Corporate Governance, a part of the Annual Report.
The Composition of Board Committees as on March 31, 2018 is as follows:
Audit Committee |
Nomination & Remuneration /Compensation Committee |
Stakeholder Relationship Committee |
Corporate Social Responsibility Committee |
|
Mr. S. M. Acharya |
V |
V |
||
Mr. Vishnu R Dusad |
V |
V |
||
Mr. Prithvi Haldea |
V |
V |
V |
V |
Mrs. Elaine Mathias |
V |
V |
||
Prof. Trilochan Sastry |
V |
V |
V |
V |
Mr. N. Subramaniam |
V |
31. VIGIL MECHANISM
The Company has a well established whistle blower policy as part of vigil mechanism for observing the conduct of Directors and employees and report concerns about unethical behaviour, actual or suspected fraud or violation of the Companyâs Code of conduct or ethics policy. This mechanism also provides for adequate safeguards against victimization of Director(s)/ employee(s) who avail of the mechanism and also provides for direct access to the Chairman of the Audit Committee in exceptional cases.
32. SIGNIFICANT AND MATERIAL ORDERS
No significant or material orders were passed by the Regulators or Courts or Tribunals which impact the going concern status and Companyâs operations in future.
33. RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY
The Company has developed and implemented a âRisk Management Policyâ that includes identification of elements of risk, which in the opinion of the Board may threaten the existence of the Company. Risk Management Report forms a part of the Annual Report.
34. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO SHAREHOLDERS
Detailed information to the shareholders is provided in the Shareholdersâ Referencer, a part of the Annual Report.
35. AUDITORS
Statutory Auditors
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 139 of the Companies Act 2013 and the rules framed thereafter, M/s BSR and Co., LLP, Chartered Accountants, were appointed as statutory auditors of the Company from the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Company held on July 8, 2016 until the conclusion of Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in Calendar year 2021, subject to ratification of their appointment at every AGM.
M/s BSR and Co, LLP, Chartered Accountants have furnished a certificate of their eligibility as per Section 141 of the Companies Act, 2013
Secretarial Auditor
As per the Companies Act 2013, Secretarial Audit by a practicing Company Secretary has become mandatory for prescribed companies, and they are required to annex the Secretarial Audit report with their Board Report in the Annual Report. We are pleased to inform that your Company, as a voluntary practice, has been getting Secretarial Audit done for the past several years and also reporting it in the Annual Report.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 204 of the Companies Act, 2013 and The Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, the Board appointed, M/s P I and Associates, Practising Company Secretaries to undertake the Secretarial Audit of the Company. Secretarial Audit Report in the prescribed Form MR 3, is provided as Annexure F to this Directorsâ Report. The Secretarial Auditorsâ Report is self explanatory and does not call for any further explanation.
The Company voluntarily adheres to the various Secretarial Standards issue by the Institute of Companies Secretaries of India.
36. INTERNAL FINANCIAL CONTROLS
Your Company has in place adequate internal financial controls with reference to the financial statements.
M/s BSR and Co, LLP, the statutory auditors of the Company, has audited the financial statements included in the Annual Report and has issued an attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Section 143 of Companies Act 2013).
37. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
Inclusive growth and sustainable development are strong pillars of your Companyâs responsible corporate citizenship and are a part of the core values and driving force for many of its initiatives. The Company believes that responsible investments in this regard will generate long term value for all the stakeholders.
In accordance with requirements of The Companies Act 2013, the Company has a Corporate Social Responsibility Committee comprising of a majority of Independent Directors and chaired by an Independent Director. Prof. Trilochan Sastry is the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Vishnu R Dusad, Mr. Prithvi Haldea and Mr. S. M. Acharya are the other members. The Committee framed and recommended a CSR Policy to the Board for adoption and instituted a transparent monitoring mechanism for ensuring implementation of the projects / activities to be undertaken by the Company.
The CSR Policy may be accessed on the Company website link: http://www.nucleussoftware.com/investors.
Your Company has set up Nucleus Software Foundation (NSF), a Trust for the purposes of undertaking CSR activities of the Company. This Foundation, established in 2014 as a Section 25 Company, works towards its stated mission: âEmpowering underprivileged with essence of education and thereby better livelihood and better lifeâ.
During the Year, the Foundation worked towards its aim to make the educational quality standards better for the underprivileged children studying at government primary schools and NGO schools. It was able to reach over 4,500 students across 54 schools with the help of 1,140 NSF Tabs which are mapped to the syllabus from classes 3rd to 5th. We have seen a great positive shift in the engagement pattern of children specifically in the government schools.
After establishing the engagement through NSF TAB Program, the aim in the coming years is to strengthen the impact of learning. In order to pursue this goal, the NSF team has designed a remedial program to bridge the gap identified by the baseline and end line conducted across selected schools using NSF TAB. The NSF remedial program will bridge the gap to bring the children closer to their class level and the NSF tab program will help in reinforcing the learning.
At other NGO schools, the Foundation is trying to make learning more fun-filled and effective by using remedial and NSF Tab program.
The other CSR initiatives undertaken by the Foundation during the year were:
- Supporting the Meritorious: Sponsored college and hostel fees for two students of IIT Roorkee.
- Skill Development and Livelihood support: Providing tailoring training to the underprivileged women in Chennai.
- Assisting an NGO âAbles Charityâ at Faridabad and âSamriddhi trustâ at Sadarpur Noida to run their bridge schools for out-of-school children.
During the year, the Company contributed Rs.1.11 crore, as a mandatory requirement, towards the CSR activities to the Foundation. The Foundation expended Rs.1.17 crore on the CSR activities during the year. The Annual Report on CSR activities is provided as Annexure G to this Directorsâ Report.
38. EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLAN (ESOP)
Currently, there is only one ESOP scheme prevalent in the Company; ESOP scheme - 2015 (instituted in 2015). As per ESOP scheme 2015, equity shares would be transferred to eligible employees on exercise of options through Nucleus Software Employee Welfare Trust, which is established to carry out activities for the benefit and welfare of its Employees by launching various Schemes in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Share Based Employee Benefits) Regulations, 2014.
Details of ESOP as per the provisions of Companies Act, 2013 and Rules made there under are as follows:
Particulars |
2015 Plan |
||
a) |
Total number of options under the Plan |
500,000 |
|
(b) |
Pricing formula |
100% of the Fair Market Price as on date of grant |
|
(c) |
Options granted during the year |
- |
|
(d) |
Options vested as of March 31, 2018 |
- |
|
(e) |
(i) |
Options exercised during the year |
- |
(ii) |
Total number of shares arising as a result of exercise of above options during the year |
||
(f) |
Options forfeited during the year |
- |
|
(g) |
Option lapsed during the year |
- |
|
(h) |
Variation of terms of options during the year |
- |
|
(i) |
Amount realized by exercise of options during the year |
- |
|
(j) |
Total number of options in force as on March 31, 2018 |
- |
During the year, no stock options were granted to any employee under the above-mentioned ESOP plan and therefore no calculations are required to be made or reported regarding difference between intrinsic value and fair market value of ESOPs granted.
39. PARTICULARS OF EMPLOYEES
Disclosures pertaining to remuneration and other details as required under Section 197(12) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rule 5(1) of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel ) Rules, 2014 are provided in the prescribed format and annexed as Annexure H to this Directorsâ Report.
Having regard to the provisions of the first provision to Section 136(1) of the Companies Act, 2013 and as advised, the Annual Report excluding part of the aforesaid information is being sent to the members of the Company. The said information is available for inspection at the registered office of the Company during working hours and any member interested in obtaining such information may write to the Company Secretary and the same will be furnished on request. The full Annual Report including the aforesaid information is available on the Companyâs website.
40. DIRECTORâS RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
Pursuant to as per Section 134 (5) of the Companies Act, 2013, the Directors confirm that:
(a) in the preparation of the annual accounts for the financial year ended March 31, 2018, the applicable accounting standards had been followed along with proper explanation relating to material departures;
(b) the Directors had selected such accounting policies and applied them consistently and made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent so as to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company at the end of the financial year and of the profit and loss of the Company for that period;
(c) the Directors had taken proper and sufficient care for the maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, for safeguarding the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting fraud and other irregularities;
(d) the Directors had prepared the annual accounts on a going concern basis;
(e) the Directors, had laid down internal financial controls to be followed by the Company and that such internal financial controls are adequate and were operating effectively; and
(f) the Directors had devised proper systems to ensure compliance with the provisions of all applicable laws and that such systems were adequate and operating effectively.
Based on the framework of internal financial controls and compliance systems established and maintained by the Company, work performed by the internal, statutory and secretarial auditors, including audit of internal financial controls over financial reporting by the statutory auditors, and the reviews performed by the management, the Board is of the opinion that the Companyâs internal financial controls were adequate and effective during FY 2017-18.
41. EXTRACT oF ANNUAL RETURN
Extract of Annual Return of the Company in the prescribed Form MGT-9, is provided as Annexure I to this Directorsâ Report.
42. CONSERVATION OF ENERGY, TECHNOLOGY ABSORPTION, FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS AND OUTGO
The information on conservation of energy, technology absorption and foreign exchange earnings and outgo as stipulated under Section 134 of the Companies Act, 2013 read with the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014, is provided as Annexure J to this Directorsâ Report.
43. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Your Directors would like to place on record their gratitude for the co-operation received from the Government of India, State Governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, Customs and Excise Departments, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (Ministry of Science and Technology), Software Technology Park-Noida, Software Technology Park-Chennai, Software Technology Park-Pune, Special Economic Zone authorities and other government agencies.
Your Directors would also like to thank the Companyâs customers, bankers, vendors, partners and shareholders for their continued support to the Company. In specific, the Board would like to put on record its sincere appreciation of the commitment and contribution made by all employees of the Company.
For and on behalf of the Board of Directors
Date: May 3, 2018 S. M. Acharya
Place: Noida Chairman
Mar 31, 2017
Dear Members,
The are pleased to present your Companyâs Twenty Eighth Annual Report, together with the Audited Statement of Accounts, for the year ended March 31, 2017.
1. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - Financial Results
The financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in India (Indian GAAP) to comply with the Accounting Standards specified under Section 133 of the Companies Act, 2013, read with Rule 7 of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 and the relevant provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 (â2013 Actâ), as applicable and guidelines issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (âSEBIâ). Accounting policies have been consistently applied except where a newly issued accounting standard, if initially adopted or a revision to an existing accounting standard requires a change in the accounting policy hitherto in use. Management evaluates all recently issued or revised accounting standards on an ongoing basis. The Company has nine subsidiary companies across the globe. The Company discloses stand-alone audited financial results on a quarterly and annual basis, consolidated un-audited financial results on a quarterly basis and consolidated audited financial results on an annual basis.
a) Consolidated Operations
Revenue from consolidated operations for the year was Rs.372.39 crore, as compared to Rs.348.70 crore in the previous year. As the Company continued its focus on strategic initiatives for new products, focused sales and market development and hiring of senior experienced personnel to help drive transformation, the overall operational expense for the year continued to be high at Rs.320.64 crore, against Rs.318.51 crore in the previous year. The Operating Profit (EBITDA) was at Rs.51.75 crore, 14% of revenue, against Rs.30.19 crore, 9% of revenue, in the previous year. Profit after Tax for the year was higher at Rs.62.69 crore, 17% of revenue, against Rs.32.47 crore, 9% of revenue, in the previous year.
The consolidated financial results are as below: (Rs. in crore)
For the Year Ended March 31, |
2017 |
% of Revenue |
2016 |
% of Revenue |
Income from Operations |
372.39 |
100.00 |
348.70 |
100.00 |
Expenses |
||||
a) Employee benefit expense |
245.26 |
65.86 |
226.84 |
65.05 |
b) Travel expense |
13.18 |
3.54 |
20.99 |
6.02 |
c) Finance costs (Bank charges) |
0.54 |
0.15 |
0.62 |
0.18 |
d) Other expenses |
61.66 |
16.56 |
70.06 |
20.09 |
Total Expense |
320.64 |
86.10 |
318.51 |
91.34 |
Operating Profit (EBITDA) |
51.75 |
13.90 |
30.19 |
8.66 |
Depreciation |
11.21 |
3.01 |
12.22 |
3.50 |
Operating Profit after Interest and Depreciation |
40.54 |
10.89 |
17.97 |
5.15 |
Other Income |
30.33 |
8.14 |
25.08 |
7.19 |
Foreign Exchange Gain/ (Loss) |
(0.48) |
(0.13) |
0.83 |
0.24 |
Profit Before Tax |
70.39 |
18.90 |
43.88 |
12.58 |
Taxation |
7.70 |
2.07 |
11.41 |
3.27 |
Profit After Tax |
62.69 |
16.83 |
32.47 |
9.31 |
b) Standalone Operations
Revenue from the standalone operations for the year was Rs.299.35 crore against Rs.278.17 crore in the previous year. Total operational expense for the year was Rs.266.38 crore against Rs.265.24 crore in the previous year, an increase of 0.4%.
Operating Profit (EBITDA) for the year was at Rs.32.97 crore, 11% of revenue, against Rs.12.93 crore, 5% of revenue, in the previous year. Profit after Tax for the year was at Rs.47.82 crore, 16% of revenue, against Rs.44.66 crore, 16% of revenue in the previous year.
Standalone financial results are as below: (Rs. in crore)
For the Year Ended March 31, |
2017 |
% of Revenue |
2016 |
% of Revenue |
Income from Operations |
299.35 |
100.00 |
278.17 |
100.00 |
Expenses |
||||
a) Employee benefit expense |
176.57 |
58.98 |
166.02 |
59.68 |
b) Travel expense |
11.01 |
3.68 |
17.04 |
6.13 |
c) Finance costs (Bank charges) |
0.35 |
0.12 |
0.43 |
0.15 |
d) Other expenses |
78.45 |
26.21 |
81.75 |
29.39 |
Total Expense |
266.38 |
88.99 |
265.24 |
95.35 |
Operating Profit (EBITDA) |
32.97 |
11.01 |
12.93 |
4.65 |
Depreciation |
10.27 |
3.43 |
10.91 |
3.92 |
Operating Profit after Interest and Depreciation |
22.70 |
7.58 |
2.02 |
0.73 |
Other Income |
29.41 |
9.82 |
50.40 |
18.12 |
Foreign Exchange Gain/ (Loss) |
(0.17) |
(0.06) |
0.33 |
0.12 |
Profit Before Tax |
51.94 |
17.35 |
52.75 |
18.96 |
Taxation |
4.12 |
1.38 |
8.09 |
2.91 |
Profit After Tax |
47.82 |
15.97 |
44.66 |
16.05 |
A detailed analysis on the Companyâs performance, both consolidated and standalone, is included in âManagementâs Discussion and Analysisâ Report, which forms part of this Annual Report.
2. SHARE CAPITAL
Issued and Paid-up Share Capital
The paid-up share capital of the Company, as on March 31, 2017, is 32,383,724 equity shares of Rs.10 each, similar to the paid-up share capital as on March 31, 2016.
Shares under Compulsory Dematerialization
The shares of the Company are under compulsory dematerialization (âDematâ) category and are available for trading on both the depositories in India viz. National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) and Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL). Out of the entire paid up shares, i.e. 32,383,724 shares, 99.59% are in dematerialized form as at March 31, 2017. The International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) allotted to the Companyâs shares is INE096B01018.
3. LISTING
Your Company is listed at National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. and BSE Ltd.
Stock Exchange where Company shares are listed |
Scrip Symbol / Code |
National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE) w.e.f. December 19, 2002 |
NUCLEUS |
BSE Ltd. (BSE) w.e.f. November 6, 1995 |
531209 |
4. LIQUIDITY AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Your Company continues to retain its debt-free status and maintains sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet future strategic initiatives. The Company has been conservative in its investment policy over the years, maintaining a reasonably high level of cash and cash equivalents which enable the Company to completely eliminate short and medium term liquidity risks, and at the same time also help scale up operations at a short notice. The goal of cash management at Nucleus is to:
a. Use cash to provide sufficient working capital to manage business operations of the Company to be able to add value to all our stakeholders and continuously enhance the same.
b. Maintain sufficient cash as reserves that will aid the Company in capturing meaningful business opportunities, including acquisitions.
c. Invest surplus funds in low-risk bank deposits, debt schemes of mutual funds, preference shares and tax free secured bonds of Public Sector Enterprises.
Cash and cash equivalents including current investments at a consolidated level of Rs.293.40 crore, constitute 69% of the shareholdersâ funds at the year end, against Rs.237.48 crore, 49% of the shareholdersâ funds at the close of the previous year. In addition, the Company holds tax-free bonds issued by public sector enterprises on a âhold to maturityâ basis of a face value of Rs.77.74 crore against Rs.77.74 crore in the previous year, long-term fixed maturity plans of mutual funds of Rs.52.51 crore against Rs.27.00 crore last year, preference shares of Rs.51.06 crore against Rs.14.91 crore last year and debentures of Rs.5.00 crore against Rs.NIL in the previous year.
5. DIVIDEND
The Dividend Policy of your Company stipulates a dividend payout in the range of 15-30% of the profits available for distribution, subject to:
a) Provisions of The Companies Act, 2013 and other applicable laws, and
b) Cash flows of the Company
We are pleased to state that for the 17th consecutive year, your Company has recommended a dividend. The proposed dividend for the year is 50% (Rs.5.00 per equity share of Rs.10 each). Last year, the dividend paid was also 50% (Rs.5.00 per equity share of Rs.10 each). Dividend is subject to the approval of shareholders at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. If approved, the total dividend payout will be Rs.16.19 crore, against payout of Rs.32.38 crore in the previous year (Rs.16.19 crore was paid as final dividend for FY 14-15 in July 2015 and Rs.16.19 crore was paid as interim dividend for FY 15-16 in March 2016) .
The Register of Members and Share Transfer Register shall remain closed during the period July 3 - July 8, 2017 (both days inclusive) for the purpose of Annual General Meeting and payment of dividend. The dividend, if approved at the Annual General Meeting , will be payable to such members whose names appear on the Register of Members of the Company and as beneficial owners in the records of National Securities Depositories Ltd. and Central Depository Services ( India) Ltd., at close of business hours as on July 1, 2017.
6. BUY BACK OF EQUITY SHARES
The Board of Directors at their meeting held on April 25, 2017, approved, subject to the approval of regulatory authorities, shareholders, Companies Act 2013, the Securities and Exchange Board Of India (Buyback of Securities) Regulations, 1998, as amended (the âBuyback Regulationsâ) and such applicable acts or rules including amendments if any, a Buyback of up to an aggregate amount not exceeding Rs.117.79 crore (representing 25% of the paid up share capital and free reserves as on March 31, 2017) (âMaximum Offer Sizeâ) at a price not exceeding Rs.350 per equity share (âMaximum Buyback Priceâ), from the existing equity shareholders of the Company on the Record Date to be determined on a proportionate basis through the âTender Offerâ route as prescribed under the SEBI Buyback Regulations. The Promoters have undertaken not to tender any shares in the offer.
At the maximum offer price of Rs.350 per equity share and for the maximum offer size of Rs.117.79 crore, the indicative maximum number of equity shares that can be bought back would be fully paid up 3,365,523 equity shares representing 10.39% of the total paid up equity share capital of the Company. In case the final Buyback price is lower than the maximum Buyback price, the indicative maximum number of shares will also go up accordingly.
The current Buyback is a capital allocation decision taken with the objective of using some of the cash reserves, seeking a fairer valuation of the Companyâs stock, improving the Companyâs Return on Equity and increasing shareholder value in the longer term.
7. INVESTOR EDUCATION AND PROTECTION FUND (IEPF)
Pursuant to applicable provisions of the Companies Act 2013, read with IEPF Authority (Accounting, Audit, Transfer and Refund) Rules 2016 (âthe Rulesâ) all unpaid or unclaimed dividends are required to be transferred by the Company to the IEPF Account established by the Central Government, after completion of seven years. Further, according to the Rules, the shares in respect of which dividend has not been paid or claimed by the members for seven consecutive years or more shall also be transferred to the Demat account created by IEPF Authority. Accordingly, the Company has transferred all unclaimed and unpaid dividends. Further, the details of the shares that will be transferred as per the requirement of the IEPF Rules, is provided on Companyâs website http://www.nucleussoftware.com/investors.
8. DEPOSITS FROM PUBLIC
Your Company has not accepted any deposits from public covered under Chapter V of the Companies Act, 2013 and, as such, no amount of principal or interest was outstanding on the date of the Balance Sheet.
9. CONSERVATION OF ENERGY, TECHNOLOGY ABSORPTION AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS AND OUTGO
The information on conservation of energy, technology absorption and foreign exchange earnings and outgo as stipulated under Section 134 of the Companies Act, 2013 read with the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014, is provided as Annexure I to this Directorsâ Report.
10. PARTICULARS OF CONTRACTS OR ARRANGEMENTS WITH RELATED PARTIES
Particulars of contracts or arrangements with related parties in the prescribed Form AOC-2, are provided as Annexure A to this Directorsâ Report.
The Company policy for determining âMaterial Subsidiariesâ and on âRelated Party Transactionsâ, as approved by the Board can be accessed on the Company website link: http://www.nucleussoftware.com/investors.
11. PARTICULARS OF LOANS, GUARANTEES OR INVESTMENTS
Details of Loans, Guarantees and Investments covered under the provisions of Section 186 of the Companies Act, 2013 are provided in the notes to the Financial Statements.
12. MATERIAL CHANGES AND COMMITMENTS AFFECTING FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE COMPANY BETWEEN THE END OF FINANCIAL YEAR 2017 AND DATE OF THIS REPORT
No material changes and commitments have occurred after the close of the year till the date of this Report, which affect the financial position of the Company.
13. CHANGE IN THE NATURE OF BUSINESS
There has been no change in the nature of business of the Company.
14. MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS
As per requirements of Regulation 34 of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosures) Regulations 2015, the Managementâs Discussion and Analysis of the financial condition and results of both standalone and consolidated operations have been provided separately in this Annual Report.
15. REVIEW OF BUSINESS & OUTLOOK
Your Company continues its journey as a preferred partner for banking and financial organizations worldwide, providing innovative and pioneering products, services and solutions. Continuing the relentless focus on customer success, your Company launched a range of innovative solutions during the year.
As technology continues to evolve rapidly and permeate more layers of business operations, digital solutions have become an integral component of the growth roadmaps for most enterprises. Packaged software was the fastest growth segment (6.2%) in 2016. Investments are being done on applications that facilitate enterprise and IT operations, such as enterprise resource management and operations & manufacturing applications, collaborative applications, SaaS, etc.
The Indian IT sector is expected to grow at a rate of 12-14 per cent for FY 2017-18 in constant currency terms. The sector is also expected triple its current annual revenue to reach US$ 350 billion by FY 2025 (source: Nasscom). On the other hand, the public cloud services market in India is slated to grow 35.9 per cent to reach US$ 1.3 billion according to IT consultancy, Gartner.
The most successful banks in the future will be those that understand the tremendous power of technology and use it to transform their lending businesses. Delivering great customer experiences and living up to the needs of digital banking are some of the business challenges that banks face today. The pace of technological change will not slow down and the tech sector as a whole must continue to seek the answer to achieve seamless integration and communication between products and platforms.
16. NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES
Your Companyâs flagship product FinnOne Neo⢠was launched on cloud and is already a success in the domestic market. By providing FinnOne Neo⢠on cloud, we are making one of the best lending software more affordable, quickly deployable and scalable as per our customerâs business requirements.
Your Company has also launched Collections module as part of FinnOne Neo⢠Lending Suite. Collections module is aimed at automating the collection operation in a financial institution, increase collection efficiency and thereby also reduce delinquency.
As a part of ongoing development program, your Company also launched FinnAxia⢠4.0, the latest version of its next-generation integrated transaction banking product suite. This new product suite includes extended compliance to global and regional regulations; increased flexibility for corporate treasurer for greater control, visibility, management of liquidity and enhanced capabilities to digitize the financial value chain of supplierâs-buyerâs-dealerâs thereby creating a business network for collaborative commerce leading to working capital optimization.
During the year, PaySeâ¢, the worldâs first offline digital cash solution innovated by your Company in the previous year, was made available in 3 new form factors: smart watch, band and micro SD. With this, we can now cater to consumers more effectively. During the year, we also launched an innovative project with an esteemed education institution in India.
Your Company remains committed to providing its existing and potential customers with competitive and cuffing-edge products and will continue to focus on investments in product innovation and business expansion.
17. NOTABLE ACCOLADES RECEIVED DURING THE YEAR
- bob Finance and FinnOne⢠win The Banking Technology Award 2016, bob Finance AG, a financial service company in Switzerland deployed Nucleus Softwareâs FinnOne⢠for offering an innovative and completely digitized loan service. This implementation won The Banking Technology Award 2016 - Highly Commended for Best Use of IT in Lending.
18. SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES
Your Company has nine subsidiaries across the globe. There are no associate companies or joint venture companies within the meaning of Section 2(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 (âActâ).
The following table provides a list of all these subsidiaries as on March 31, 2017:
Name of Subsidiary |
Location |
Date of Incorporation/ Acquisition |
Percentage of Shareholding |
Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd. |
Singapore |
February 25, 1994 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Inc. |
USA |
August 5, 1997 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha |
Japan |
November 2, 2001 |
100% |
VirStra i- Technology Services Ltd. |
India |
May 6, 2004 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Netherlands B.V. |
Netherlands |
February 3, 2006 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Ltd. |
India |
April 21, 2008 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Australia Pty. Ltd. |
Australia |
February 3, 2014 |
100% |
Nucleus Software South Africa Pty. Ltd. |
South Africa |
February 10, 2015 |
100% |
Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd. |
India |
March 17, 2016 (Date of Acquisition) |
96% |
There has been no material change in the nature of the business of the subsidiaries.
A statement containing the salient features of the financial statement of our subsidiaries in the prescribed form AOC 1 is provided as Annexure B to this Directorsâ Report. The statement also provides the details of performance, financial position of each of the subsidiaries.
Further, pursuant to the provisions of Section 136 of the Act, the financial statements of the Company, consolidated financial statements along with relevant documents and separate audited accounts in respect of subsidiaries, are available on the website of the Company.
a) Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd.
Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd. (NSS) is based in Singapore. It was incorporated in 1994 to expand the Companyâs business in South East Asia. Currently, it is the central entity for Asia-Pacific excluding Japan and Australia with responsibility for business development, sales and software development services for customers in the region.
b) Nucleus Software Inc.
Nucleus Software Inc. (NSI) is based in New Jersey, USA. It was incorporated in 1997 for providing business presence in the Americas. NSI operates as a business development and sales hub for the region.
c) Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha
Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha (NSJKK) is based in Tokyo, Japan. It was incorporated in 2001 to expand business in the country. NSJKK operates as a business development and sales hub for Japan. Additionally the subsidiary provides software development services, to the local customers in Japan.
d) VirStra i- Technology Services Ltd.
VirStra i- Technology Services Ltd. is based in Pune, India. It was incorporated in 2004 to provide software development services, targeted at the Japanese market.
e) Nucleus Software Netherlands B.V.
Nucleus Software Netherlands B.V. (NSBV) is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It was incorporated in 2006 for enlarging business presence in the European market. NSBV is a business development and sales hub for Nucleus in Europe.
f) Nucleus Software Ltd.
Nucleus Software Ltd. (NSL) has operations in Jaipur with registered office in New Delhi. It was incorporated in 2008 for facilitating delivery to larger clients through operations in a Special Economic Zone. NSL acquired 17.41 acre of land in the Mahindra World Special Economic Zone, Jaipur and has co-developed a 250-seater facility.
g) Nucleus Software Australia Pty. Ltd.
Nucleus Software Australia Pty. Ltd. (NSA) is based in Sydney, Australia. It was incorporated in 2014 for tapping the growing business opportunities in ANZ region. NSA operates as a business development and sales hub for the region. Additionally the subsidiary provides software development services, to the local customers in Australia.
h) Nucleus Software South Africa Pty. Ltd.
Nucleus Software South Africa Pty. Ltd. (NSSA) is based in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was incorporated in 2015 for tapping the growing business opportunities in South African region. NSSA operates as a business development and sales hub for the region.
i) Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd, is based in Chennai and has very good experience in logistics domain and expertise in developing mobile applications.
Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd. became subsidiary of your Company on March 17, 2016.
19. INFRASTRUCTURE
Your Company, along with its subsidiaries, has offices at several locations across the globe. The office space and seating capacity of these offices as on March 31, 2017 is detailed below:
Office Location |
Area in Sq. ft. |
Seating Capacity - No. of Persons |
India |
||
NOIDA |
2,08,122 |
1,677 |
Jaipur |
22,312 |
250 |
Pune |
9,573 |
114 |
Chennai |
8,100 |
67 |
New Delhi |
4,200 |
40 |
Mumbai |
3,250 |
31 |
Overseas |
||
Singapore |
4,807 |
61 |
Dubai, UAE |
1,290 |
17 |
Tokyo, Japan |
735 |
15 |
Johannesburg, South Africa |
1,605 |
8 |
Manila, Philippines |
151 |
2 |
Jakarta, Indonesia |
97 |
3 |
London, UK |
226 |
2 |
Sydney, Australia |
130 |
2 |
California, USA |
100 |
2 |
2,64,698 |
2,291 |
NOIDA, New Delhi and Jaipur premises are owned by the Company and its subsidiaries. In Chennai we have two offices, out of which one office is for Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd, subsidiary of the Company.
20. QUALITY PROCESSES
Your Company is committed to ensure the highest level of quality for its products and services. The key focus for this year was to synchronize the quality processes with the transformational journey of the organisation and optimize the cost of quality. Process improvement initiatives were centred on âProcess Optimizationâ. The FinnEdge implementation methodology has been successfully implemented in multiple projects and has started to pay dividends. FinnEdge covers various aspects of the project from âValue Creation to Value Realizationâ and from âProject Discoveryâ to âProject Implementationâ to âProject Upgradeâ. Additional focus is on increasing product quality by early detection of Risks and Defects.
A dedicated Quality Assurance team handles the process change management, implementation and itâs adherence across the organization. The Quality Assurance team monitors quality and productivity improvements through audits and dashboard reporting.
21. BRAND VISIBILITY
In FY 2017, your Company continued to grow its marketing operations and activities in support of its strategic aspirations.
During the year, the Company moved forward on its agenda of growth into new markets around the world by establishing brand awareness and generating demand from focused target segments. Your Company is continually investing in marketing, with the below objectives:
- Ensure that your Company is known to provide high quality, innovative lending and transaction banking solutions to the target markets.
- Establish your Company as an Industry Thought Leader.
- Equip the sales team fully with the material and tools required to sell the product or service they represent.
Industry Interactions
To showcase our expertise and product offerings, your Company continued to participate in the leading industry events and business forums worldwide.
In Europe, we exhibited at âSibos 2016â, the worldâs premier financial services event in Geneva and engaged in insightful discussions with leading bankers on the key trends that are shaping the transaction banking Industry. In Africa, we sponsored the â3rd Annual West Africa International Retail Banking Dialogue 2016â in Nigeria, organized by The Asian Banker in Nigeria. PaySe, our offline digital cash solution, showcased its offering at the âCards & Payments 2016â in Kenya. We also hosted leading bank executives for an exclusive round table on âAdapting to the Pace of Changeâ in Australia. We participated in the âAustralian Retail Banking Summit 2016â, organized by the RFi Group in partnership with Asia-Pacific Banking & Finance (AB F). In Las Vegas, USA, we presented our views on âUnleashing the High-Tech Power of the Underbankedâ at Digital Money Forum at CES (Consumer Electronics Show). In the Middle East, we participated in the âIslamic Banking Forumâ organized by the RFi Group at Dubai. In South East Asia, we participated in the âAsian Banking and Finance Retail Banking & Wholesale Banking Awards 2016â in Singapore. In India, we organized a focused roundtable discussion around âShaping the future of lending for NBFCsâ in association with Dun & Bradstreet and Amazon Web Services.
Digital Presence & Visibility
Your Company continued to build its presence in traditional media as well as on social media channels. Media activities continued with interactions with worldwide media including television, print, wires and online portals and source exclusive media opportunities in various geographies such as Australia, Africa, Middle East and India. Social media has been a focus area, covering a wide range of brand activities and our successes. The Company used social media primarily for activities involving thought leadership blogs, articles, press releases, customer video testimonials and other business content marketing purposes.
22. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Your Company is determined to accelerate its growth story by corresponding to the changing needs of diverse workgroup by fostering an engaging work environment, to constantly build the unique capabilities and skills of the people.
The global employee strength of the Company, at the end of FY 2017, was 1,665.
During the year, there were launches of various organization-wide HR initiatives to ensure high-performing and engaged workforce, like:
1. Delivering Business Excellence - Frequent connect sessions with associates largely targeting the high potentials
a. Gathering insights about the workplace, culture & opportunities offered & sharing them with the business for preventive action
b. Acting as strategic business partner by regularly sharing HR metrics in the form of dashboard
2. Employee Assist - Conceptualize & execute suitable interventions to keep associates motivated
a. Revamping referral program to attract talent from the industry
b. Aligning the annual performance management process (NucEDGE17) to the industry standards by moving away from forced distribution
c. Working with legal team to protect IP of the organization through proactive intervention & case management
d. Launch of day care in Nucleus Software premises
Going forward, your Companyâs focus lies in creating a performance-based culture, driven by clear career development plan for each employee. Going forward, the HR roadmap will also focus on âCollaboration & Accelerationâ to stimulate our strategic growth through employee empowerment to make it a great place to work for.
23. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
We, at Nucleus, believe that good and effective Corporate Governance is critical to achieve corporate vision and mission of the organization; it is more of an organizational culture than a mere adherence to rules and regulations. Law alone cannot bring changes and transformation, and voluntary compliance both in form and in substance plays an important role in developing good Corporate Governance.
Your Company has established and maintained a strong ethical environment, overseen by Board of Directors, where 6 out of 9 Directors are Independent. The Company practices and policies reflect true spirit of Corporate Governance initiatives.
Your Company is in compliance of all mandatory requirements of Corporate Governance as stipulated as per Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015. Compliance status is provided in the Corporate Governance section of the Annual Report. A certificate issued by the Statutory Auditors of the Company under Regulation 34 of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015, confirming compliance of the conditions of Corporate Governance, is provided as Annexure C to this Directorsâ Report. The auditorsâ certificate for fiscal 2017 does not contain any qualifications, reservations or adverse remark.
A detailed report on Corporate Governance for the year forms part of this Annual Report.
24. DIRECTORS AND KEY MANAGERIAL PERSONNEL (KMP)
In accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2013 and the Articles of Association of the Company, Mr. Vishnu R Dusad, Managing Director of the Company, retires by rotation at the ensuing Annual General Meeting and being eligible has offered himself for re-appointment.
Mr. Janki Ballabh, Mr. Prithvi Haldea, Prof. Trilochan Sastry, Mr. N. Subramaniam, Mr. S. M. Acharya and Mrs. Elaine Mathias are Independent Directors as per the Companies Act, 2013, not liable to retire by rotation, to hold office for five consecutive years. They have submitted a declaration that each of them meets the criteria of independence as provided in Section 149(6) of the Act and there has been no change in the circumstances which may affect their status as Independent Director during the year.
During the year, the Board of Directors on the recommendation of Nomination and Remuneration/Compensation Committee, appointed Ms. Ritika Dusad as a Non-Executive Director (Additional Director) of the Company on July 20, 2016.
The resolution seeking approval of the members for the appointment of Ms. Ritika Dusad as a Non-Executive Director, liable to retire by rotation was incorporated in the Postal Ballot Notice dated April 25, 2017. The Company has received a notice under Section 160 of the Companies Act, 2013 along with the requisite deposit proposing the appointment of Ms. Ritika Dusad.
Mr. Vishnu R Dusad. CEO and Managing Director, had been reappointed as Managing Director w.e.f January 1, 2017 for a period of 5 years. His present term expires on December 31, 2021.
During the year, the Non-Executive Directors of the Company had no pecuniary relationship or transactions with the Company, other than siffing fees, commission, and reimbursement of expenses incurred by them for the purpose of attending meetings of the Company.
Pursuant to provisions of Section 203 of the Companies Act, 2013, Mr. Vishnu R Dusad, Managing Director & CEO, Mr. Ashish Nanda, Chief Financial Officer and Ms. Poonam Bhasin, Company Secretary are the Key Managerial Personnel of the Company as on March 31, 2017.
25. BOARD EVALUATION
The Board of Directors carried out an annual evaluation of its own performance and performance of the Chairman, Board committees and individual Directors pursuant to the provisions of the Companies Act 2013 and the Corporate Governance requirements under Regulation 25 (4) of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015.
The Board, along with the Nomination and Remuneration/ Compensation Committee, developed and adopted the criteria and framework for the evaluation of each of the Directors and of the Board and its Committees.
The evaluation was then conducted as per the approved process (explained in detail in the Report on Corporate Governance of this Annual report). The Chairman of the Committee also had interactions with each of the Directors and sought their feedback and suggestions on the overall Board Effectiveness and Directors performance.
In addition, pursuant to the provisions of Schedule IV to the Companies Act, 2013 the Independent Directors reviewed the performance of the Non-Independent Directors and of the Board as a whole, performance of the Chairman of the Board taking into account the views of all the Directors, and the quality, quantity and timeliness of flow of information between the Company management and the Board and its sufficiency for the Board to effectively perform its duties.
The Chairman placed the Evaluation Summary before the committee members. The same was discussed in detail, and the members recorded their satisfaction.
26. COMPANYâS POLICY ON DIRECTORSâ APPOINTMENT AND REMUNERATION
The primary responsibility of the Nomination and Remuneration/ Compensation Committee (NRC) is to identify and nominate suitable candidates for Board membership. The Committee also formulate policies relating to the remuneration of Directors, Key Managerial Personnel and other senior employees of the Company.
The Committee, while evaluating potential candidates for Board membership, considers a variety of personal attributes, including experience, intellect, foresight, judgment and transparency, and match these with the requirements set out by the Board. The basic responsibilities of NRC with regard to Directorsâ appointment are as follows:
- Recommending desirable changes in Board size, composition, Committee structure and processes, and other aspects of the Boardâs functioning;
- Formulating criteria for determining qualifications, positive attributes and Independence of a Director;
- Conducting search and recommending new Board members in light of resignation of current members or a planned expansion of the Board;
- Identifying persons who are qualified to become Directors and who may be appointed in senior management in accordance with the criteria laid down, and recommend to the Board their appointment and removal.
The policy of the Company for selection of Directors is provided as Annexure D and Remuneration Policy for Directors, Key Managerial Personnel and other employees is provided as Annexure E to this Directorsâ Report.
27. DECLARATION BY INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
The Company has received declarations from all the Independent Directors that they meet the criteria of independence as laid down under Section 149(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 and Regulation 25 of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015.
28. FAMILIARISATION PROGRAMME FOR INDEPENDENT DIRECTORâS
The details of programmes for familiarisation of Independent Directors with the Company, their roles, rights, responsibilities in the Company, nature of the industry in which the Company operates, business model of the Company and related matters can be accessed on the Company website link : http://www. nucleussoftware.com/investors .
29. MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board met 9 times during the year. The details are provided in the Report on Corporate Governance, a part of this Annual Report.
30. COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD
There are four Committees of the Board as on March 31, 2017, as follows:
- Audit Committee
- Nomination and Remuneration/Compensation Committee
- Stakeholder Relationship Committee
- Corporate Social Responsibility Committee
Details of all the Committees along with their charters, composition and meetings held during the year, are provided in the Report on Corporate Governance, a part of this Annual Report.
The Composition of Board Committees as on March 31, 2017 is as follows:
Memberships across Board Committees |
|||
Audit Committee |
Nomination & Remuneration / Compensation Committee |
Stakeholder Relationship Corporate Social Committee Responsibility Committee |
|
Mr. Janki Ballabh |
_/ |
||
Mr. Vishnu R Dusad |
_/_/ |
||
Mr. S. M. Acharya |
_/ |
_/ |
|
Mr. Prithvi Haldea |
_/ |
_/ |
_/_/ |
Mrs. Elaine Mathias |
_/ |
_/ |
|
Prof. Trilochan Sastry |
_/ |
_/ |
_/_/ |
Mr. N. Subramaniam |
_/ |
31. VIGIL MECHANISM
The Company has a well established whistle blower policy as part of vigil mechanism for Directors and employees to report concerns about unethical behaviour, actual or suspected fraud or violation of the Companyâs Code of conduct or ethics policy. This mechanism also provides for adequate safeguards against victimization of Director(s)/employee(s) who avail of the mechanism and also provides for direct access to the Chairman of the Audit Committee in exceptional cases.
32. SIGNIFICANT AND MATERIAL ORDERS
No significant or material orders were passed by the Regulators or Courts or Tribunals which impact the going concern status and Companyâs operations in future.
33. RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY
The Company has developed and implemented a âRisk Management Policyâ that includes identification of elements of risk, which in the opinion of the Board may threaten the existence of the Company. Risk Management Report forms a part of this Annual Report.
34. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO SHAREHOLDERS
Detailed information to the shareholders is provided in the Shareholdersâ Referencer, a part of this Annual Report.
35. AUDITORS Statutory Auditors
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 139 of the Companies Act 2013 and the rules framed thereafter, M/s BSR and Co., LLP, Chartered Accountants, were appointed as statutory auditors of the Company from the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Company held on July 8, 2016 until the conclusion of Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in Calendar year 2021, subject to ratification of their appointment at every AGM.
M/s BSR and Co, LLP, Chartered Accountants have furnished a certificate of their eligibility as per Section 141 of the Companies Act, 2013
The Statutory Auditors have submitted the Auditorsâ Report for the year ended March 31, 2017 which is self explanatory and does not call for any further comments from the Board of Directors.
Secretarial Auditor
As per the Companies Act 2013, Secretarial Audit by a practicing Company Secretary has become mandatory for prescribed companies, and they are required to annex the Secretarial Audit report with their Board Report in the Annual Report. We are pleased to inform that your Company, as a voluntary practice, has been getting Secretarial Audit done for the past several years and also reporting it in the Annual Report.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 204 of the Companies Act, 2013 and The Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, the Board appointed, Sanjay Grover & Associates, Practising Company Secretaries to undertake the Secretarial Audit of the Company. Secretarial Audit Report in the prescribed Form MR 3, is provided as Annexure F to this Directorsâ Report. The Secretarial Auditorsâ Report does not contain any qualification, reservation or adverse remark.
The Company also adheres to the various Secretarial Standards issued by the Institute of Companies Secretaries of India.
36. INTERNAL FINANCIAL CONTROLS
Your Company has in place adequate internal financial controls with reference to the financial statements.
M/s BSR and Co, LLP, the statutory auditors of the Company, has audited the financial statements included in this annual report and has issued an attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Section 143 of Companies Act 2013).
37. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
Inclusive growth and sustainable development are strong pillars of your Companyâs responsible corporate citizenship and are a part of the core values and driving force for many of its initiatives. The Company believes that responsible investments in this regard will generate long term value for all the stakeholders.
In accordance with requirements of The Companies Act 2013, the Company has a Corporate Social Responsibility Committee comprising of a majority of Independent Directors and chaired by an Independent Director. Prof. Trilochan Sastry is the Chairman of the Committee and Mr. Vishnu R Dusad, Mr. Prithvi Haldea and Mr. S. M. Acharya are the other members. The Committee framed and recommended a CSR Policy to the Board for adoption and instituted a transparent monitoring mechanism for ensuring implementation of the projects / activities to be undertaken by the Company.
The CSR Policy may be accessed on the Company website link: http://www.nucleussoftware.com/investors.
Your Company has set up Nucleus Software Foundation, a Trust for the purposes of undertaking CSR activities of the Company. This Foundation, established in 2014 as a Section 25 Company, works towards its stated mission: âEmpowering underprivileged with essence of education and thereby better livelihood and better lifeâ.
During the year under review, the Foundation continued working towards its aim to take technology aid for enabling Quality Education at the bottom of pyramid. It has continued its efforts on the projects, to support the education for the underprivileged children by use of digital games in app format for better engagement and assessments.
The schools which were selected for the pilot run were for the underprivileged children, managed by NGOs and located in the NCR area. During the year , the schools outside NCR area were also selected for the project.
The other CSR initiatives undertaken by the Foundation during the year are:
- Sponsor of college and hostel fees of two students of IIT Roorkee.
- Funding for health assistance facilities
- Funding for skill development
During the year, the Company contributed Rs.1.10 crore, as a mandatory requirement, towards CSR activities to the Foundation. Out of this, the Foundation expended Rs.0.93 crore. The Foundation is still in the process of stabilizing the initiative of digital education for making it a long-term project and as such there is a shortfall of Rs.0.17 crore in the expenditure. The Annual Report on CSR activities is provided as Annexure G to this Directorsâ Report.
38. EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLAN (ESOP)
Currently, there is only one ESOP scheme prevalent in the Company; ESOP scheme - 2015 (instituted in 2015). As per ESOP scheme 2015, equity shares would be transferred to eligible employees on exercise of options through Nucleus Software Employee Welfare Trust, which is established to carry out activities for the benefit and welfare of its Employees by launching various Schemes in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Share Based Employee Benefits) Regulations, 2014.
Details of ESOP as per the provisions of Companies Act, 2013 and Rules made there under are as follows:
Particulars |
2015 Plan |
|
(a) |
Total number of options under the Plan |
500,000 |
(b) |
Pricing formula |
100% of the Fair Market Price as on date of grant |
(c) |
Options granted during the year |
- |
(d) |
Options vested as of March 31, 2017 |
- |
(i) Options exercised during the year |
- |
|
(ii) Total number of shares arising as a result of exercise of above options during the year |
||
(e) |
Options forfeited during the year |
- |
(f) |
Option lapsed during the year |
- |
(g) |
Variation of terms of options during the year |
- |
(h) |
Amount realized by exercise of options during the year |
- |
(i) |
Total number of options in force as on March 31, 2017 |
- |
During the year, no stock options were granted to any employee under the above-mentioned ESOP plan and therefore no calculations are required to be made or reported regarding difference between intrinsic value and fair market value of ESOPs granted.
39. PARTICULARS OF EMPLOYEES
Disclosures pertaining to remuneration and other details as required under Section 197(12) of the Act read with Rule 5(1) of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014 are provided in the prescribed format and annexed herewith as Annexure J to this Report.
40. DIRECTORâS RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
Pursuant to as per Section 134 (5) of the Companies Act, 2013, the Directors confirm that:
(a) in the preparation of the annual accounts for the financial year ended March 31, 2017, the applicable accounting standards had been followed along with proper explanation relating to material departures;
(b) the Directors had selected such accounting policies and applied them consistently and made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent so as to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company at the end of the financial year and of the profit and loss of the Company for that period;
(c) the Directors had taken proper and sufficient care for the maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, for safeguarding the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting fraud and other irregularities;
(d) the Directors had prepared the annual accounts on a going concern basis;
(e) the Directors, had laid down internal financial controls to be followed by the Company and that such internal financial controls are adequate and were operating effectively; and
(f) the Directors had devised proper systems to ensure compliance with the provisions of all applicable laws and that such systems were adequate and operating effectively.
Based on the framework of internal financial controls and compliance systems established and maintained by the Company, work performed by the internal, statutory and secretarial auditors, including audit of internal financial controls over financial reporting by the statutory auditors, and the reviews performed by the management, the Board is of the opinion that the Companyâs internal financial controls were adequate and effective during FY 2016-17.
41. EXTRACT OF ANNUAL RETURN
Extract of Annual Return of the Company in the prescribed Form MGT-9, is provided as Annexure H to this Directorsâ Report.
42. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Your Directors would like to place on record their gratitude for the co-operation received from the Government of India, State Governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, Customs and Excise Departments, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (Ministry of Science and Technology), Software Technology Park-Noida, Software Technology Park-Pune, Special Economic Zone authorities and other government agencies.
Your Directors would also like to thank the Companyâs customers, bankers, vendors, partners and shareholders for their continued support to the Company. In specific, the Board would like to put on record its sincere appreciation of the commitment and contribution made by all employees of the Company.
For and on behalf of the Board of Directors
New Delhi Janki Ballabh
April 25, 2017 Chairman
Mar 31, 2016
Dear Members,
We are pleased to present your Company''s Twenty Seventh Annual Report, together with the Audited Statement of Accounts, for the year ended March 31, 2016.
1. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - Financial Results
The financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in India (Indian GAAP) to comply with the Accounting Standards specified under Section 133 of the Companies Act, 2013, read with Rule 7 of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 and the relevant provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 ("2013 Act"), as applicable and guidelines issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India ("SEBI"). Accounting policies have been consistently applied except where a newly issued accounting standard, if initially adopted or a revision to an existing accounting standard requires a change in the accounting policy hitherto in use. Management evaluates all recently issued or revised accounting standards on an ongoing basis. The Company has nine subsidiary companies across the globe. The Company discloses stand-alone audited financial results on a quarterly and annual basis, consolidated un-audited financial results on a quarterly basis and consolidated audited financial results on an annual basis.
a) Consolidated Operations
Revenue from consolidated operations for the year was Rs. 348.70 crore, as compared to Rs. 353.14 crore in the previous year. As the Company continued its focus on strategic initiatives for new products, sales and market development and high level people to help drive transformation, the overall operational expense for the year continued to be high at Rs. 318.51 crore, against Rs. 287.83 crore in the previous year. This impacted the Operating Profit (EBITDA) which was at Rs. 30.19 crore, 9% of revenue, against Rs. 65.31 crore, 18% of revenue, in the previous year.
Profit after Tax for the year was at Rs. 32.47 crore, 9% of revenue, against Rs. 64.71 crore, 18% of revenue, in the previous year.
The consolidated financial results are as below: (Rs. in crore)
For the Year Ended March 31, |
2016 |
% of Revenue |
2015 |
% of Revenue |
Revenue From Operations |
348.70 |
100.00 |
353.14 |
100.00 |
Expenses |
||||
a) Employee benefit expense |
226.84 |
65.05 |
201.44 |
57.04 |
b) Travel expense |
20.99 |
6.02 |
20.01 |
5.67 |
c) Finance costs (Bank charges) |
0.62 |
0.18 |
0.54 |
0.15 |
d) Other expenses |
70.06 |
20.09 |
65.84 |
18.64 |
Total Expenses |
318.51 |
91.34 |
287.83 |
81.51 |
Operating Profit (EBITDA) |
30.19 |
8.66 |
65.31 |
18.49 |
Depreciation |
12.22 |
3.50 |
11.97 |
3.39 |
Operating Profit after Interest and Depreciation |
17.97 |
5.15 |
53.34 |
15.10 |
Other Income |
25.08 |
7.19 |
31.64 |
8.96 |
Foreign Exchange Gain/ (Loss) |
0.83 |
0.24 |
1.67 |
0.47 |
Profit Before Tax |
43.88 |
12.58 |
86.65 |
24.54 |
Taxation |
11.41 |
3.27 |
21.94 |
6.21 |
Profit After Tax |
32.47 |
9.31 |
64.71 |
18.32 |
b) Standalone Operations
Revenue from the standalone operations of your Company for the year was Rs. 278.17 crore against Rs. 279.04 crore in the previous year. Total operational expense for the year was Rs. 265.24 crore against Rs. 218.06 crore in the previous year, an increase of 22%. Our planned expenditure on strategic initiatives in product, marketing and sales and people resulted in a lower Operating Profit (EBITDA) of Rs. 12.93 crore, 5% of revenue, against Rs. 60.98 crore, 22% of revenue, in the previous year.
Profit after Tax for the year was at Rs. 44.66 crore, 16% of revenue, against Rs. 60.74 crore, 22% of revenue in the previous year.
Standalone financial results are as below: ( Rs.in crore)
For the Year Ended March 31, |
2016 |
% of Revenue |
2015 |
% of Revenue |
Revenue from Operations |
278.17 |
100.00 |
279.04 |
100.00 |
Expenses |
||||
a) Employee benefit expense |
166.02 |
59.68 |
145.95 |
52.30 |
b) Travel expense |
17.04 |
6.13 |
16.91 |
6.06 |
c) Finance costs (Bank charges) |
0.43 |
0.15 |
0.40 |
0.14 |
d) Other expenses |
81.75 |
29.39 |
54.80 |
19.64 |
Total Expenses |
265.24 |
95.35 |
218.06 |
78.15 |
Operating Profit (EBITDA) |
12.93 |
4.65 |
60.98 |
21.85 |
Depreciation |
10.91 |
3.92 |
10.66 |
3.82 |
Operating Profit after Interest and Depreciation |
2.02 |
0.73 |
50.32 |
18.03 |
Other Income |
50.40 |
18.12 |
29.26 |
10.49 |
Foreign Exchange Gain/ (Loss) |
0.33 |
0.12 |
0.12 |
0.04 |
Profit Before Tax |
52.75 |
18.96 |
79.70 |
28.56 |
Taxation |
8.09 |
2.91 |
18.96 |
6.79 |
Profit After Tax |
44.66 |
16.05 |
60.74 |
21.77 |
A detailed analysis on the Company''s performance, both consolidated and standalone, is included in "Management''s Discussion and Analysis" Report, which forms part of this Annual Report.
2. SHARE CAPITAL
Issued and Paid-up Share Capital
The paid-up share capital of the Company, as on March 31, 2016, is 32,383,724 equity shares of '' 10 each similar to the paid-up share capital as on March 31, 2015.
Shares under Compulsory Dematerialization
The shares of the Company are under compulsory dematerialization ("Demat") category and are available for trading on both the depositories in India viz. National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) and Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL). Of the entire paid up shares, 32,246,178 shares or 99%, are in dematerialized form as at March 31, 2016. The International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) allotted to the Company''s shares is INE096B01018.
3. LISTING
Your Company is listed at National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. and BSE Ltd.
Stock Exchange where Nucleus shares are listed |
Scrip Symbol / Code |
National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE) w.e.f. December 19, 2002 |
NUCLEUS |
BSE Ltd. (BSE) w.e.f. November 6, 1995 |
531209 |
4. LIQUIDITY AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Your Company continues to retain its debt-free status and maintains sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet future strategic initiatives. The Company has been conservative in its investment policy over the years, maintaining a reasonably high level of cash and cash equivalents which enable the Company to completely eliminate short and medium term liquidity risks, at the same time also help scale up operations at a short notice. The goal of cash management at Nucleus is to:
a. Use cash to provide sufficient working capital to manage business operations of the Company to be able to add value to all our stakeholders and continuously enhance the same.
b. Maintain sufficient cash as reserves that will aid the Company in capturing meaningful business opportunities, including acquisitions.
c. Invest surplus funds in low-risk bank deposits, debt schemes of mutual fund and tax free secured bonds of Public Sector Enterprises.
Cash and cash equivalents including current investments at a consolidated level of Rs. 249.00 crore, constitute 54% of the shareholders'' funds at the year end, against Rs. 281.25 crore, 64% of the shareholders'' funds at the close of the previous year. In addition, the Company holds tax free bonds issued by public sector enterprise on a ''hold to maturity'' basis of a face value of Rs.77.74 crore against Rs. 53.63 crore in the previous year, long-term fixed maturity plans of mutual funds of Rs. 27 crore against Rs. 15 crore last year and preference shares of Rs. 14.91 crore against Rs. Nil last year.
5. DIVIDEND
The Dividend Policy of your Company stipulates a dividend payout in the range of 15-30% of the profits available for distribution, subject to:
a) Provisions of The Companies Act, 2013 and other applicable laws, and
b) Cash flows of the Company
We are pleased to state that for the 16th consecutive year, your Company has paid dividend. During the year, the Board of Directors had declared an interim dividend of 50% (Rs. 5.00 per equity share of Rs. 10 each). Last year, the dividend declared (final) and approved by shareholders was also 50% (Rs. 5.00 per equity share of Rs. 10 each). During the year, the Company paid a total dividend of Rs. 32.38 crore, of which Rs. 16.19 crore was paid as final dividend for FY14-15 in July 2015 and Rs. 16.19 crore was paid as interim dividend for the FY15-16 in March 2016. The total payout of Dividend for FY 2015-16 is 36% of standalone profits for the year. No amount was carried to reserves.
6. FIXED DEPOSITS
Your Company has not accepted any fixed deposits covered under Chapter V of the Companies Act, 2013 and, as such, no amount of principal or interest was outstanding on the date of the Balance Sheet.
7. PARTICULARS OF CONTRACTS OR ARRANGEMENTS WITH RELATED PARTIES
The Company policy for determining ''Material Subsidiaries'' and on ''Related Party Transactions'', as approved by the Board can be accessed on the Company website link: http://www.nucleussoftware.com/investors.
Particulars of contracts or arrangements with related parties in the prescribed Form AOC-2, is provided as Annexure A to this Directors'' Report.
8. PARTICULARS OF LOANS, GUARANTEES OR INVESTMENTS
Details of Loans, Guarantees and Investments covered under the provisions of Section 186 of the Companies Act, 2013 are provided in the notes to the Financial Statements.
9. MATERIAL CHANGES AND COMMITMENTS AFFECTING FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE COMPANY BETWEEN THE END OF FINANCIAL YEAR 2016 AND DATE OF THIS REPORT
No material changes and commitments have occurred after the close of the year till the date of this Report, which affect the financial position of the Company.
10. CHANGE IN THE NATURE OF BUSINESS
There has been no change in the nature of business of the Company.
11. MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS
As per requirements of Regulation 34 of Securities and Exchange Board of India ( Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015, Management''s Discussion and Analysis of the financial condition and results of both standalone and consolidated operations have been provided separately in this Annual Report.
12. REVIEW OF BUSINESS & OUTLOOK
Your Company continues its journey as a preferred partner for banking and financial organizations worldwide, providing innovative and pioneering products, services and solutions. Continuing the relentless focus on customer success, your Company launched a range of innovative solutions during the year.
Due to the increasing demand for real-time solutions among customers, many retail banks are focusing on moving to agile technology architectures. Mobile technology and analytical inputs based on social media are providing an increasing number of sources for real-time data that can be leveraged to gain a competitive advantage. Delivering great customer experiences and living up to the needs of digital banking are some of the business challenges that banks face today. The pace of technological change will not slow down and the tech sector as a whole must continue to seek the answer to achieving seamless integration and communication between products and platforms. According to the research consultancy IDC, the global information technology (IT) market surpassed $3.7 trillion in 2015 and is on track to reach $3.8 trillion in 2016 (constant currency).
The software industry body-National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) expects the country''s information technology (IT) industry to grow at 12-14% during 2016-17.
13. NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES
Your Company soft launched during the year, the world''s first offline digital cash solution, PaySeâ¢, designed and created with an aim to democratize money. Along with PaySeâ¢, we have introduced PURSEâ¢, a mobile to carry money, and PalmATM⢠a bank teller application to democratize money.
PaySe⢠utilizes the latest advances in mobility, big data, open source and crypto currency (primarily tokenization) to deliver the world''s first secure offline peer to peer payment solution. PaySe⢠helps to reduce and offset the costs associated with cash by replacing physical cash notes with digital currency. With fewer notes in circulation, the cost of storing, transporting and processing cash will reduce dramatically. This will also increase the velocity of money.
PaySe⢠helps address the access challenges faced by banks, micro finance institutions (MFIs) and non banking finance companies (NBFCs) by making basic banking services accessible to the unbanked such as direct benefit transfers (DBT), micro pension, saving deposits, loans, recurring deposits etc. while delivering financial services.
Your Company''s flagship product FinnOne NeoTM was launched on cloud and is already a success in the domestic market. By providing FinnOne NeoTM on cloud, we are making one of the best lending software more affordable, quickly deployable and scalable as per our customer''s business requirements.
Your Company also launched a Lending Analytics product during the year. With cutting edge statistical and data analysis capabilities, Nucleus''s Lending Analytics is a powerful and user-friendly solution enabling informed decision making through data visualization and business insight generation. The solution uses sophisticated predictive scoring models to allow various financial institution stakeholders to create scorecards that span the entire loan management life cycle.
Your Company also unveiled a new mobility product module, mApply, as part of the FinnOne NeoTM mobility suite. This mobility app is meant for end customers / prospects who can apply for a loan, track the status, check offers from the comfort of their home or office, or even when they are on the move. The product is a key offering helping banks to digitize their loan sourcing business process.
As a part of ongoing development program, your Company also launched FinnAxia⢠3.0, the latest version of its next-generation integrated transaction banking product suite. The new product suite includes extended compliance with global and regional regulations and payment standards, increased capabilities for ''payments on behalf of'' and additional features to support bank customers running corporate shared service centres and outsourced receivables management.
Your Company remains committed to providing its existing and potential customers with competitive and cutting-edge products and will continue to focus on investments in product innovation and business expansion.
14. NOTABLE ACCOLADES RECEIVED DURING THE YEAR
- Named as a ''Model Bank Vendor 2016'' Award by Celent for helping multiple clients achieve technology or implementation excellence.
- Recognized amongst the ''World''s top 5 Mobile Banking Solution Providers'' by Forrester Research, Inc. in The
Forrester Waveâ¢: Mobile Banking Solutions, Q4 2015.
- Corporate LiveWire - FinTech Excellence Awards 2015 in the category "Excellence in Providing Banking Products"
15. SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES
Your Company has nine subsidiaries across the globe. There are no associate companies or joint venture companies within the meaning of Section 2(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 ("Act").
During the year your Company made a beginning in the direction of acquiring new technologies through acquisitions. The Company acquired 96% stake in Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a Company based in Chennai, with very good experience in logistics domain and expertise in developing mobile applications. Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd. is now a Subsidiary of Nucleus.
The following table provides a list of all these subsidiaries as on March 31, 2016:
Name of Subsidiary |
Location |
Date of Incorporation/ Acquisition |
Percentage of Shareholding |
Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd. |
Singapore |
February 25, 1994 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Inc. |
USA |
August 5, 1997 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha |
Japan |
November 2, 2001 |
100% |
VirStra i- Technology Services Ltd. |
India |
May 6, 2004 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Netherlands B.V. |
Netherlands |
February 3, 2006 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Ltd. |
India |
April 21, 2008 |
100% |
Nucleus Software Australia Pty. Ltd. |
Australia |
February 3, 2014 |
100% |
Nucleus Software South Africa Pty. Ltd. |
South Africa |
February 10, 2015 |
100% |
Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd. |
India |
March 17, 2016 (Date of Acquisition) |
96% |
There has been no material change in the nature of the business of the subsidiaries.
A statement containing the salient features of the financial statement of our subsidiaries in the prescribed Form AOC-1 is attached at the end of consolidated financial statements of the Company. The statement also provides the details of performance, financial position of each of the subsidiaries.
Further, pursuant to the provisions of Section 136 of the Act, the financial statements of the Company, consolidated financial statements along with relevant documents and separate audited accounts in respect of subsidiaries, are available on the website of the Company.
a) Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd.
Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd. (NSS) is based in Singapore. It was incorporated in 1994 to expand the Company''s business in South East Asia. Currently, it is the central entity for Asia-Pacific excluding Japan and Australia with responsibility for business development, sales and software development services for customers in the region.
b) Nucleus Software Inc.
Nucleus Software Inc. (NSI) is based in New Jersey, USA. It was incorporated in 1997 for providing business presence in the Americas. NSI operates as a business development and sales hub for the region.
c) Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha
Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha (NSJKK) is based in Tokyo, Japan. It was incorporated in 2001 to expand business in the country. NSJKK operates as a business development and sales hub for Japan. Additionally the subsidiary provides software development services, to the local customers in Japan.
d) VirStra i- Technology Services Ltd.
VirStra i- Technology Services Ltd. is based in Pune, India. It was incorporated in 2004 to provide software development services, targeted at the Japanese market.
e) Nucleus Software Netherlands B.V.
Nucleus Software Netherlands B.V. (NSBV) is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It was incorporated in 2006 for enlarging business presence in the European market. NSBV is a business development and sales hub for Nucleus in Europe.
f) Nucleus Software Ltd.
Nucleus Software Ltd. (NSL) has operations in Jaipur with registered office in New Delhi. It was incorporated in 2008 for facilitating delivery to larger clients through operations in a Special Economic Zone. NSL acquired 17.41 acre of land in the Mahindra World Special Economic Zone, Jaipur and, in the first phase, has co-developed a 250-seater facility.
g) Nucleus Software Australia Pty. Ltd.
Nucleus Software Australia Pty. Ltd. (NSA) is based in Sydney, Australia. It was incorporated in 2014 for tapping the growing business opportunities in ANZ region. NSA operates as a business development and sales hub for the region. Additionally the subsidiary provides software development services, to the local customers in Australia.
h) Nucleus Software South Africa Pty. Ltd.
Nucleus Software South Africa Pty. Ltd. (NSSA) is based in Johannesburg , South Africa. It was incorporated in 2015 for tapping the growing business opportunities in South African region. NSSA operates as a business development and sales hub for the region.
i) Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd, is based in Chennai and has very good experience in logistics domain and expertise in developing mobile applications.
Avon Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd. became subsidiary of your Company on March 17, 2016.
16. INFRASTRUCTURE
Your Company along with its subsidiaries has offices at several locations across the globe. The office space and seating capacity of these offices as on March 31, 2016 is detailed below:
Office Location |
Area in Sq. ft. |
Seating Capacity - No. of Persons |
India |
||
Noida |
208,122 |
1,677 |
Jaipur |
22,312 |
250 |
Pune |
9,573 |
114 |
Chennai |
4,500 |
48 |
New Delhi |
4,200 |
40 |
Mumbai |
3,250 |
31 |
Overseas |
||
Singapore |
4,807 |
61 |
Dubai, UAE |
1,290 |
17 |
Tokyo, Japan |
735 |
15 |
Amsterdam, Netherlands |
561 |
15 |
Johannesburg, South Africa |
1,609 |
8 |
Manila, Philippines |
194 |
5 |
Office Location |
Area in Sq. ft. |
Seating Capacity - No. of Persons |
London, UK |
100 |
2 |
Sydney, Australia |
140 |
2 |
California, USA |
100 |
1 |
Total |
261,493 |
2,286 |
NOIDA, New Delhi and Jaipur premises are owned by the Company and its subsidiaries.
17. QUALITY PROCESSES
Your Company is committed to ensure the highest level of quality for its products and services. The key focus for this year was to synchronize the quality processes with the transformational journey of the organization and optimize the cost of quality. Process improvement initiatives were centered on ''Process Optimization''. The Finn Edge implementation methodology has been successfully implemented in multiple projects and has started to pay dividends. Finn Edge covers various aspects of the project from ''Value Creation to Value Realization'' and from ''Project Discovery'' to ''Project Implementation'' to ''Project Upgrade''.
A dedicated Quality Assurance team handles the process change management, implementation and it''s adherence across the organization. Quality assurance team monitors quality and productivity improvements through audits and dashboard reporting.
18. BRAND VISIBILITY
In FY 2016, your Company continued to grow its marketing operations and activities in support of the strategic aspirations of the Company.
During the year, the Company moved forward on its agenda of growth into new markets around the world by establishing brand awareness and generating demand from focused target segments. Your Company is continually investing in marketing mandated with the below objectives:
- Ensure that your Company is known to provide high quality, innovative lending and transaction banking solutions to the target markets.
- Establish your Company as the Industry Thought Leader.
- Equip the sales team fully with the material and tools required to sell the product or service they represent.
Industry interactions
Your Company continued to participate in the leading industry events and business forums. The Company demonstrated how it can help customers achieve their business goals while sharing thoughts on industry best practices in 30 industry forums across 5 continents. These include 11th Annual Loan Origination Excellence Summit 2016 in Australia, ENG''s Automotive Finance Summit in Europe, Sibos 2015 in Singapore, 7th Annual Retail Banking Africa 2015 in Africa, ABTEC 2015 in the Middle East and FIBAC 2015 in India. The Company also showcased its expertise in an exclusive webinar on Loan Collections Technology: Accelerating Digital Transformation and Minimizing Loan Delinquencies, organized in association with CEB Tower Group. Road shows and meetings with Industry leaders were organized to discuss the business opportunities for the Company.
Digital Presence & Visibility
Your Company continued to also build its presence in traditional media as well as on social media channels. Media activities continued with interactions with worldwide media including television, print, wires and online portals and source excellent media opportunities in various geographies such as Australia, Africa, Middle East and India. Social media has been a focus area, covering a wide range of brand activities and our successes. The Company used social media primarily for activities involving thought leadership blogs, articles, customer video testimonials and other business content marketing purposes.
19. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Your Company is determined to accelerate its growth story by corresponding to the changing needs of diverse workgroup by fostering an engaging work environment, to constantly build the unique capabilities and skills of the people.
The global employee strength of the Company, at the end of FY 2016, was 1,565.
During the year, there were launches of various organization-wide HR initiatives to ensure high-performing and engaged workforce like:
- Creation of a diverse and inclusive work environment through functional leadership and investments in newer markets to ensure global presence.
- 2016 Recruitment drive for Talent Pipeline and Leadership Building:
- Campus to Corporate - Software Engineer Trainee & Graduate Internship Programs (from premier Indian Engineering institutes) for inducting fresh talent from the campuses
- Talent hiring across all geographies at Leadership level
- Nucleus Global Internship Program (NGIP) - Phase 2 of JAPTEL (Japanese Trainees Engagement & Learning) was launched which was a 3-week program dotted with project internship, various industrial & cultural visits - to foster a multicultural work environment and build sustainable partnership with Nucleus and Top Educational Campuses around the world.
- Week of Innovative Ideation - Innofest - was launched for participants to come up with innovative ideas on how to ''Uberize Lending'' i.e. creating the lending experience of tomorrow.
- Strengthening capability through trainings/workshops on Project Management & Technology through Functional/ Behavioral & Technical trainings, YLP (Young Leaders'' Program) and LEAD (Leadership @ Engagement, Action and Development) programs
Going forward, your Company''s focus lies in creating an enviable workplace, driven by high performance culture and a clear career development plan for each employee. The HR roadmap will also focus on ''Collaboration & Acceleration'' to stimulate our strategic growth through employee empowerment via employee councils.
20. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
We, at Nucleus, believe that good and effective Corporate Governance is critical to achieve corporate vision and mission of the organization; it is more of an organizational culture than a mere adherence to rules and regulations. Law alone cannot bring changes and transformation, and voluntary compliance both in form and in substance plays an important role in developing good Corporate Governance.
Your Company has established and maintained a strong ethical environment, overseen by a fiercely independent Board of Directors, where 6 out of 8 Directors are independent. The Company practices and policies reflect true spirit of Corporate Governance initiatives.
Your Company is in compliance of all mandatory requirements of Corporate Governance as stipulated as per Securities and Exchange Board of India ( Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015. Compliance status is provided in the Corporate Governance section of the Annual Report. A certificate issued by the Statutory Auditors of the Company under Regulation 34 of Securities and Exchange Board of India ( Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015 , confirming compliance of the conditions of Corporate Governance, is provided as Annexure C to this Directors'' Report. The auditors'' certificate for fiscal 2016 does not contain any qualifications, reservations or adverse remark.
21. DIRECTORS AND KEY MANAGERIAL PERSONNEL (KMP)
In accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2013("Act") and the Articles of Association of the Company, Mr. R P Singh, Executive Director of the Company, retires by rotation at the ensuing Annual General Meeting and being eligible has offered himself for re-appointment.
Mr. Janki Ballabh, Mr. Prithvi Haldea, Prof. Trilochan Sastry, Mr. N. Subramaniam and Mrs. Elaine Mathias are Independent Directors as per the Companies Act, 2013, not liable to retire by rotation, to hold office for five consecutive years. They have submitted a declaration that each of them meets the criteria of independence as provided in Section 149(6) of the Act and there has been no change in the circumstances which may affect their status as Independent Director during the year.
During the year, the Board of Directors on the recommendation of Nomination and Remuneration Committee, appointed Mr. S.M. Acharya as a Non-Executive Director (Additional Independent Director) of the Company on March 19, 2016. Mr. S. M. Acharya is a retired IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre. He has held various senior positions in both State and Central Governments in his long and distinguished career and retired as Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Defense in 2009.
The resolution seeking approval of the Members for the appointment of Mr. S. M. Acharya as an Independent Director has been incorporated in the notice of the forthcoming Annual General Meeting of the Company along with brief details about him. The Company has received a notice under Section 160 of the Act along with the requisite deposit proposing the appointment of Mr. S. M. Acharya.
Mr. Vishnu R. Dusad. CEO and Managing Director had been reappointed as Managing Director w.e.f January 1, 2012 for a period of 5 years. His present term expires on December 31, 2016. The resolution seeking approval of the Members for the reappointment of Mr. Vishnu R. Dusad as CEO and Managing Director has been incorporated in the notice of the forthcoming Annual General Meeting of the Company along with brief details about him. The Company has received a notice under Section 160 of the Act along with the requisite deposit proposing the appointment of Mr. Vishnu R. Dusad.
During the year, as per the provisions of Companies Act 2013, Mr.Ashish Nanda was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer and a Key Managerial Person of the Company.
Pursuant to provisions of Section 203 of the Companies Act, 2013, Mr. Vishnu R. Dusad, CEO and Managing Director, Mr. Ashish Nanda, Chief Financial Officer and Ms. Poonam Bhasin, Company Secretary are the Key Managerial Personnel of the Company as on March 31, 2016.
22. BOARD EVALUATION
The Board of Directors has carried out an annual evaluation of its own performance and performance of the Chairman, Board committees and individual Directors pursuant to the provisions of the Companies Act 2013 and the Corporate Governance requirements under Regulation 25 (4) of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015.
The Board, along with the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, developed and adopted the criteria and framework for the evaluation of each of the Directors and of the Board and its Committees.
The evaluation was then conducted as per the approved process (explained in detail in the Report on Corporate Governance of this Annual report). The Chairman of the Committee also had interactions with each of the Directors and sought their feedback and suggestions on the overall Board Effectiveness and Directors performance.
In addition, pursuant to the provisions of Schedule IV to the Companies Act, 2013 the Independent Directors reviewed the performance of the Non-Independent Directors and of the Board as a whole, performance of the Chairman of the Board taking into account the views of all the Directors, and the quality, quantity and timeliness of flow of information between the Company management and the Board and its sufficiency for the Board to effectively perform its duties.
The Chairman placed the Evaluation Summary before the committee members. The same was discussed in detail, and the Members recorded their overall satisfaction
23. COMPANY''S POLICY ON DIRECTORS'' APPOINTMENT AND REMUNERATION
The primary responsibility of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee (NRC) is to identify and nominate suitable candidates for Board membership. The Committee also formulate policies relating to the remuneration of Directors, Key Managerial
Personnel and other senior employees of the Company.
The Committee, while evaluating potential candidates for Board membership, considers a variety of personal attributes, including experience, intellect, foresight, judgment and transparency, and match these with the requirements set out by the Board. The basic responsibilities of NRC with regard to Directors'' appointment, are as follows:
- Recommending desirable changes in Board size, composition, Committee structure and processes, and other aspects of the Board''s functioning.
- Formulating criteria for determining qualifications, positive attributes and Independence of a Director.
- Conducting search and recommending new Board members in light of resignation of current members or a planned expansion of the Board.
- Identifying persons who are qualified to become Directors and who may be appointed in senior management in accordance with the criteria laid down, and recommend to the Board their appointment and removal.
The policy of the Company for selection of Directors is provided as Annexure D and Remuneration Policy for Directors, Key Managerial Personnel and other employees is provided as Annexure E to this Directors'' Report.
24. DECLARATION BY INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
The Company has received declarations from all the Independent Directors that they meet the criteria of independence as laid down under Section 149(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 and Regulation 25 of Securities and Exchange Board of India ( Listing Obligations and Disclosure) Regulations 2015 .
25. FAMILIARISATION PROGRAMME FOR INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR''S
The details of programmes for familiarization of Independent Directors with the Company, their roles, rights, responsibilities in the Company, nature of the industry in which the Company operates, business model of the Company and related matters can be accessed on the Company website link : http://www. nucleussoftware.com/investors .
26. MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board met 9 times during the year. The details are provided in the Report on Corporate Governance, a part of this Annual Report.
27. COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD
There are currently six Committees of the Board, as follows:
- Audit Committee
- Compensation Committee
- Corporate Governance Committee
- Nomination and Remuneration Committee
- Stakeholder Relationship Committee
- Corporate Social Responsibility Committee
Details of all the Committees along with their charters, composition and meetings held during the year, are provided in the Report on Corporate Governance, a part of this Annual Report.
The Composition of Board Committees as on March 31, 2016 is as follows:
Memberships across Board Committees
Audit Committee |
Corporate Governance Committee |
Nomination & Remuneration Committee |
Compensation Committee |
Stakeholder Relationship Committee |
Corporate Social Responsibility Committee |
|
Mr. Janki Ballabh |
V |
V |
||||
Mr. Vishnu R Dusad |
V |
V |
V |
V |
||
Mr. S. M. Acharya |
V |
V |
V |
|||
Mr. Prithvi Haldea |
V |
V |
V |
V |
V |
V |
Mrs. Elaine Mathias |
V |
V |
V |
|||
Prof. Trilochan Sastry |
V |
V |
V |
V |
V |
V |
Mr. R P Singh |
||||||
Mr. N. Subramaniam |
V |
V |
28. VIGIL MECHANISM
The Company has a well established whistle blower policy as part of vigil mechanism for Directors and employees to report concerns about unethical behavior, actual or suspected fraud or violation of the Company''s Code of conduct or ethics policy. This mechanism also provides for adequate safeguards against victimization of Director(s)/employee(s) who avail of the mechanism and also provides for direct access to the Chairman of the Audit Committee in exceptional cases.
29. SIGNIFICANT AND MATERIAL ORDERS
No significant or material orders were passed by the Regulators or Courts or Tribunals which impact the going concern status and Company''s operations in future.
30. RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY
The Company has developed and implemented a ''Risk Management Policy'' that includes identification of elements of risk, which in the opinion of the Board may threaten the existence of the Company. Risk Management Report forms a part of this Annual Report.
31. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO SHAREHOLDERS
Detailed information to the shareholders is provided in the Shareholders'' Reference, a part of this Annual Report.
32. AUDITORS
Statutory Auditors
M/s. Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP, Chartered Accountants, the Statutory Auditors of your Company, hold office upto the conclusion of the forthcoming Annual General Meeting of the Company.
In line with the requirement of Sec 139 (1) of the Companies Act, 2013 and Company''s Policy for Rotation of Auditors, the Audit Committee considering the qualifications and experience of M/s BSR and Associates, LLP, Chartered Accountants, recommended their appointment as Statutory Auditors of the Company, to the Board. The Board further recommends their appointment as Statutory Auditors to hold office from the conclusion of this Annual General Meeting (AGM) until the conclusion of Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in Calendar year 2021, to the shareholders'' for approval in this AGM. In terms of proviso one of Section 139 of the Companies Act 2013, the appointment of Auditors shall be placed for ratification at every general meeting.
M/s BSR and Associates, LLP, Chartered Accountants have furnished a certificate of their eligibility as per Section 141 of the Companies Act, 2013 and have provided their consent for appointment as Statutory Auditors of the Company.
Secretarial Auditor
As per the Companies Act 2013, Secretarial Audit by a practicing Company Secretary has become mandatory for prescribed companies, and they are required to annex the Secretarial Audit report with their Board Report in the Annual Report. We are pleased to inform that your Company, as a voluntary practice, has been getting Secretarial Audit done for the past several years and also reporting it in the Annual Report.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 204 of the Companies Act, 2013 and The Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, the Board appointed, Sanjay Grover & Associates, Practising Company Secretaries to undertake the Secretarial Audit of the Company. Secretarial Audit Report in the prescribed Form MR 3, is provided as Annexure F to this Directors'' Report. The Secretarial Auditors'' Report does not contain any qualification, reservation or adverse remark.
The Company also adheres to the various Secretarial Standards issued by the Institute of Companies Secretaries of India.
33. INTERNAL FINANCIAL CONTROLS
Your Company has in place adequate internal financial controls with reference to the financial statements. During the year, in order to further strengthen the internal financial controls, a renowned professional consultant firm was hired to conduct an assessment of the existent internal financial controls and advise on best practices for adoption.
Deloitte Haskins & Sells, the statutory auditors of the Company, have audited the financial statements included in this annual report and have issued unmodified opinion on the adequacy and operating effectiveness of the Company''s internal financial controls over financial reporting.
34. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
Inclusive growth and sustainable development are strong pillars of your Company''s responsible corporate citizenship and are a part of the core values and driving force for many of its initiatives. The Company believes that responsible investments in this regard will generate long term value for all the stakeholders.
In accordance with requirements of the Companies Act 2013, the Company has a Corporate Social Responsibility Committee comprising of a majority of Independent Directors and chaired by an Independent Director. Prof. Trilochan Sastry is the Chairman of the Committee and Mr. Vishnu R Dusad, Mr. Prithvi Haldea and Mr. S. M. Acharya are the other members. The Committee framed and recommended a CSR Policy to the Board for adoption and instituted a transparent monitoring mechanism for ensuring implementation of the projects / activities to be undertaken by the Company.
The CSR Policy may be accessed on the Company website link: http://www.nucleussoftware.com/investors.
Your Company has set up Nucleus Software Foundation, a Trust for the purposes of undertaking CSR activities of the Company.
Nucleus Software Foundation, the CSR arm of the Company, established in 2014, works towards a stated mission: "Empowering underprivileged with essence of education and thereby better livelihood and better life".
During the year under review, the Foundation worked towards its aim to take technology aid for enabling Quality Education at the bottom of pyramid. It undertook a project to support the education for the underprivileged children by use of digital games in app format for better engagement and assessments.
The schools which were selected for the pilot run were for underprivileged children, managed by NGO''s and located in NCR area.
The other CSR initiatives undertaken by the Foundation during the year are:
- Sponsor of college and hostel fees of two students of IIT Roorkee.
- Funding for watershed projects
- Donation for flood relief in Chennai
During the year, the Company contributed Rs. 1.20 crore towards CSR activities to the Foundation. Out of the total funds received, the Foundation expended Rs. 1.12 crore towards CSR activities. The Foundation is in the process of stabilizing the initiative of digital education for making it a long-term project and thus there is a shortfall in the expenditure done on CSR activities by the Foundation, with regard to the amount mandated as per law. The Annual Report on CSR activities is provided as Annexure G to this Directors'' Report.
35. EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLAN (ESOP)
Currently, there is only one ESOP scheme prevalent in the Company; ESOP scheme - 2015 (instituted in 2015). As per ESOP scheme 2015, equity shares would be transferred to eligible employees on exercise of options through Nucleus Software Employee Welfare Trust, which is established to carry out activities for the benefit and welfare of its Employees by launching various Schemes in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Share Based Employee Benefits) Regulations, 2014.
During the year, the Board of Directors at the recommendation of Compensation Committee terminated the ESOP scheme 1999, ESOP scheme 2002, ESOP scheme 2005 and ESOP scheme 2006.
Details of ESOP as per the provisions of Companies Act, 2013 and Rules made there under are as follows:
Particulars |
2015 Plan |
(a) Total number of options under the Plan |
500,000 |
(b) Pricing formula |
100% of the Fair Market Price as on date of grant |
(c) Options granted during the year |
- |
(d) Options vested as of March 31, 2016 |
- |
(e) (i) Options exercised during the year (ii) Total number of shares arising as a result of exercise of above options during the year |
- |
(f) Options forfeited during the year |
- |
(g) Option lapsed during the year |
- |
(h) Variation of terms of options during the year |
- |
(i) Amount realized by exercise of options during the year |
- |
(j) Total number of options in force as on March 31, 2016 |
- |
During the year, no stock options were granted to any employee under the above-mentioned ESOP plan and therefore no calculations are required to be made or reported regarding difference between intrinsic value and fair market value of ESOPs granted.
36. PARTICULARS OF EMPLOYEES
In terms of the provisions of Section 197 (12) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rules 5(2) and 5(3) of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, a statement showing the names and other particulars of the employees drawing remuneration in excess of the limits set out in the said rules are provided in the Annual Report.
Disclosures pertaining to remuneration and other details as required under Section 197(12) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rule 5(1) of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel ) Rules, 2014 are provided in the Annual Report.
Having regard to the provisions of the first proviso to Section 136(1) of the Companies Act, 2013 and as advised, the Annual Report excluding the aforesaid information is being sent to the members of the Company. The said information is available for inspection at the registered office of the Company during working hours and any member interested in obtaining such information may write to the Company Secretary and the same will be furnished on request. The full Annual Report including the aforesaid information is available on the Company''s website.
37. DIRECTOR''S RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
Pursuant to Sec 134 (5) of the Companies Act, 2013, the Directors confirm that:
(a) in the preparation of the annual accounts for the financial year ended March 31, 2016, the applicable accounting standards had been followed along with proper explanation relating to material departures;
(b) the Directors had selected such accounting policies and applied them consistently and made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent so as to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company at the end of the financial year and of the profit and loss of the Company for that period;
(c) the Directors had taken proper and sufficient care for the maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, for safeguarding the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting fraud and other irregularities;
(d) the Directors had prepared the annual accounts on a going concern basis;
(e) the Directors, had laid down internal financial controls to be followed by the Company and that such internal financial controls are adequate and were operating effectively; and
(f) the Directors had devised proper systems to ensure compliance with the provisions of all applicable laws and that such systems were adequate and operating effectively.
Based on the framework of internal financial controls and compliance systems established and maintained by the Company, work performed by the internal, statutory and secretarial auditors, including audit of internal financial controls over financial reporting by the statutory auditors, and the reviews performed by management, the Board is of the opinion that the Company''s internal financial controls were adequate and effective during FY 2015-16.
38. EXTRACT OF ANNUAL RETURN
Extract of Annual Return of the Company in the prescribed Form MGT-9, is provided as Annexure H to this Directors'' Report.
39. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Your Directors would like to place on record their gratitude for the co-operation received from the Government of India, State Governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, Customs and Excise Departments, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (Ministry of Science and Technology), Software Technology Park-Noida, Software Technology Park-Pune, Special Economic Zone authorities and other government agencies.
Your Directors would also like to thank the Company''s customers, bankers, vendors, partners and shareholders for their continued support to the Company. In specific, the Board would like to put on record its sincere appreciation of the commitment and contribution made by all employees of the Company.
For and on behalf of the Board of Directors
New Delhi Janki Ballabh
June 2, 2016 Chairman
Mar 31, 2015
Dear Members,
We are pleased to present your Company''s Twenty Sixth Annual Report,
together with the Audited Statement of Accounts, for the year ended
March 31, 2015.
1. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - Financial Results
The financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance
with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in India (Indian GAAP)
to comply with the Accounting Standards specified under Secton 133 of the
Companies Act, 2013, read with Rule 7 of the Companies (Accounts)
Rules, 2014 and the relevant provisions of the Companies Act, 2013
("2013 Act"), as applicable and guidelines issued by the Securites and
Exchange Board of India ("SEBI"). Accounting policies have been
consistently applied except where a newly issued Accounting standard, if
initally adopted or a revision to an existng Accounting standard
requires a change in the Accounting policy hitherto in use. Management
evaluates all recently issued or revised Accounting standards on an
ongoing basis. The Company has seven subsidiary companies, all of which
are wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company discloses stand-alone
audited financial results on a quarterly and annual basis, consolidated
un-audited financial results on a quarterly basis and consolidated
audited financial results on an annual basis.
a) Consolidated Operations
Revenue from consolidated Operations for the year was Rs. 353.14 crore, 2%
higher than Rs. 346.22 crore in the previous year. As the Company
continued its focus on strategic initatves for new products, sales and
market development and high level people to help drive transformation,
the overall operational expense for the year continued to be high at Rs.
287.83 crore, against Rs. 279.64 crore in the previous year. Operatng
Profit (EBITDA) was at Rs. 65.31 crore, 18% of revenue, against Rs. 66.58
crore, 19% of revenue, in the previous year.
Profit afer Tax for the year was at Rs. 64.71 crore, 18% of revenue,
against Rs. 64.34 crore, 19% of revenue, in the previous year.
The consolidated financial results are as below: (Rs. in crore)
For the Year Ended March 31, 2015 % of Revenue 2014 % of
Revenue
Revenue From Operations 353.14 100.00 346.22 100.00
Expenses
a) Changes in inventories
of stock-in-trade - - 4.95 1.43
b) Employee benefit expense 201.44 57.04 180.77 52.21
c) Travel expense 20.01 5.67 19.90 5.75
d) Finance costs (Bank
charges) 0.54 0.15 0.51 0.15
e) Other expenses 65.84 18.64 73.51 21.23
Total Expenses 287.83 81.51 279.64 80.77
Operatng Profit (EBITDA) 65.31 18.49 66.58 19.23
Depreciaton 11.97 3.39 7.93 2.29
Operatng Profit afer
Interest and Depreciaton 53.34 15.10 58.65 16.94
Other Income 31.64 8.96 23.81 6.88
Foreign Exchange Gain/
(Loss) 1.67 0.47 0.74 0.21
Profit Before Tax 86.65 24.54 83.20 24.03
Taxaton
- Withholding Taxes 0.54 0.15 0.65 0.19
- Net current tax 15.97 4.52 18.87 5.45
- Other taxes 5.43 1.54 (0.66) (0.19)
Profit Afer Tax 64.71 18.32 64.34 18.58
b) Standalone Operations
Revenue from the standalone Operations of your Company for the year was
Rs. 279.04 crore against Rs. 241.11 crore in the previous year, an increase
of 16 %. Total operational expense for the year was at Rs. 218.06 crore
against Rs. 196.53 crore in the previous year, an increase of 11%.
Operatng Profit (EBITDA) was at Rs. 60.98 crore, 22% of revenue, against Rs.
44.58 crore, 18% of revenue, in the previous year.
Profit afer Tax for the year was at Rs. 60.74 crore, 22% of revenue,
against Rs. 55.09 crore, 23% of revenue in the previous year.
Standalone financial results are as below: (Rs. in crore)
For the Year Ended March 31, 2015 % of Revenue 2014 % of
Revenue
Revenue from Operations 279.04 100.00 241.11 100.00
Expenses
a) Changes in inventories
of stockÂinÂtrade - - 4.95 2.05
b) Employee benefit expense 145.95 52.30 124.80 51.76
c) Travel expense 16.91 6.06 17.38 7.21
d )Finance costs (Bank
charges) 0.40 0.14 0.35 0.15
e) Other expenses 54.80 19.64 49.05 20.34
Total Expenses 218.06 78.15 196.53 81.51
Operatng Profit (EBITDA) 60.98 21.85 44.58 18.49
Depreciaton 10.66 3.82 6.76 2.80
Operatng Profit afer
Interest and Depreciaton 50.32 18.03 37.82 15.69
Other Income 29.26 10.49 28.77 11.93
Foreign Exchange Gain/ (Loss) 0.12 0.04 1.17 0.49
Profit Before Tax 79.70 28.56 67.76 28.10
Taxaton
 Net current tax 13.78 4.94 13.38 5.55
 Other taxes 5.18 1.86 (0.71) (0.29)
Profit Afer Tax 60.74 21.77 55.09 22.85
A detailed analysis on the Company''s performance, both consolidated and
standalone, is included in "Management''s Discussion and Analysis"
Report, which forms part of this Annual Report.
2. SHARE CAPITAL
Issued and Paid-up Share Capital
The paid-up share capital of the Company, as on March 31, 2015, is
32,383,724 equity shares of Rs. 10 each similar to the paid-up share
capital as on March 31, 2014.
Shares under Compulsory Dematerializaton
The shares of the Company are under compulsory dematerializaton
("Demat") category and are available for trading on both the
depositories in India viz. Natonal Securites Depository Limited (NSDL)
and Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL). Of the entre
paid up shares, 32,242,604 shares or 99%, are in dematerialized form as
at March 31, 2015. The Internatonal Securites Identfication Number (ISIN)
alloted to the Company''s shares is INE096B01018.
3. LISTING
Your Company is listed at Natonal Stock Exchange of India Ltd. and BSE
Ltd.
Stock Exchange where Nucleus shares Scrip Symbol /Code are listed
Natonal Stock Exchange of India Ltd. NUCLEUS
(NSE) w.e.f. December 19, 2002
BSE Ltd. (BSE) w.e.f. November 6, 1995 531209
4. LIQUIDITY AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Your Company contnues to retain its debt-free status and maintains
sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet future strategic initatves.
The Company has been conservatve in its investment policy over the
years, maintaining a reasonably high level of cash and cash equivalents
which enable the Company to completely eliminate short and medium term
liquidity risks, at the same tme also help scale up Operations at a
short notce. The goal of cash management at Nucleus is to:
a. Use cash to provide sufficient working capital to manage business
Operations of the Company to be able to add value to all our
stakeholders and contnuously enhance the same.
b. Maintain sufficient cash as reserves that will aid the Company in
capturing meaningful business opportunites, including acquisitons.
c. Invest surplus funds in low-risk bank deposits, debt schemes of
mutual fund and tax free secured bonds of Public Sector Enterprises.
Cash and cash equivalents including current investments at a
consolidated level of Rs. 281.25 crore, consttute 64% of the
shareholders'' funds at the year end, against Rs. 298.02 crore, 75% of the
shareholders'' funds at the close of the previous year. In additon, the
Company holds tax free bonds issued by public sector enterprise on a
''hold to maturity'' basis of a face value of Rs. 53.63 crore against Rs. 25
crore in the previous year and long-term fixed maturity plans of mutual
funds of Rs. 15 crore against nil last year.
5. DIVIDEND
The Dividend Policy of your Company stpulates a dividend payout in the
range of 15-30% of the Profits available for distributon, subject to:
a) Provisions of The Companies Act, 2013 and other applicable laws, and
b) Cash flows of the Company
We are pleased to state that for the 15th consecutve year, your Company
is recommending a dividend this year also. The proposed dividend is 50%
(Rs. 5.00 per equity share of Rs. 10 each). Last year, the dividend was
60% (Rs. 6.00 per equity share of Rs. 10 each) which included a special
dividend of 30% (Rs. 3.00 per equity share of Rs. 10 each). Dividend is
subject to the approval of the shareholders at the forthcoming Annual
General Meetng. If approved, the total dividend payout will be Rs. 16.19
crore, against a payout of Rs. 19.43 crore in the previous year. The
total payout will be 27% of standalone Profits for the year. No amount
was carried to reserves.
The Register of Members and Share Transfer Register shall remain closed
during the period July 02 to July 08, 2015 (both days inclusive) for
the purpose of the Annual General Meetng and for payment of dividend.
The dividend if approved at the Annual General Meetng, will be payable
to Members whose names appear on the Register of Members of the Company
on July 02, 2015, being the frst day of Book-Closure and to those whose
names appear as benefcial owner in the records of Natonal Securites
Depositories Ltd. and Central Depository Services (India) Ltd. on close
of business as on July 01, 2015.
6. FIXED DEPOSITS
Your Company has not accepted any fixed deposits covered under Chapter V
of the Companies Act, 2013 and, as such, no amount of principal or
interest was outstanding on the date of the Balance Sheet.
7. PARTICULARS OF CONTRACTS or ARRANGEMENTS WITH RELATED PARTIES
All contracts / arrangements / transactons entered by the Company
during the financial year with related partes were in the ordinary
course of business and on an arm''s length basis. The Company policy for
determining ''material subsidiaries'' and on ''Related Party Transactons'',
as approved by the Board can be accessed on the Company website link:
htp://www.nucleussofware.com/investors.
Particulars of contracts or arrangements with related partes in the
prescribed Form AOC-2, is provided as Annexure A to this Directors''
Report.
8. PARTICULARS OF LOANS, GUARANTEES or INVESTMENTS
Details of Loans, Guarantees and Investments covered under the
provisions of Secton 186 of the Companies Act, 2013 are provided in the
notes to the Financial Statements.
9. MATERIAL CHANGES AND COMMITMENTS AFFECTING FINANCIAL POSITION OF
THE COMPANY BETWEEN THE END oF FINANCIAL YEAR 2015 AND DATE OF THIS
REPORT
No material changes and commitments have occurred afer the close of the
year tll the date of this Report, which afect the financial positon of
the Company.
10. CHANGE IN THE NATURE OF BUSINESS
There has been no change in the nature of business of the Company.
11. MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS
As per requirements of Clause 49 of the Listng agreement, Management''s
Discussion and Analysis of the financial conditon and results of both
standalone and consolidated Operations have been provided separately in
this Annual Report.
12. REVIEW OF BUSINESS & OUTLOOK
Your Company contnues its journey as a preferred partner for banking
and financial organizatons worldwide, providing innovatve and pioneering
products, services and solutons globally.
Global growth remains moderate, with uneven prospects across the main
countries and regions. Relatve to last year, the outlook for advanced
economies is improving in comparison to the growth in emerging markets
and developing economies. Improvement in the global macroeconomic
outlook has led to banks focusing on growth, rather than cost reducton
and compliance-centric projects. Innovaton in banking technologies has
transformed the entre process of customer interacton with a bank.
Technology has not only enhanced customer experience and satsfacton,
but has also made banks omnipresent virtually, through mobile banking
and other channels. As per Ovum, a global analyst house, IT budgets in
the global retail banking industry will reach US $ 131 bn in 2015, an
increase of 4.3% over the previous year.
During the year, your Company continued its transformation journey to
drive greater innovaton, speed, agility, and efficiency across the
business. The year witnessed strategic initatves on new products, sales
and market development and investment in high-level people to help
drive transformation and contnue the momentum of growth. We believe
these initatves will empower the Company for sustainable growth.
13. NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES
During the year, your Company launched FinnOne NeoTM, a product suite
specifically designed to manage end-to-end lending requirements of
banking and financial services industry. This comprehensive product
suite incorporates the latest in business thinking, compliance,
technology, functonality and security aspects. This new ofering has the
capability to empower our customers to enhance operational efficiency and
drive growth while achieving superior risk management. FinnOne NeoTM
enables innovatve banks and finance companies to manage all types of
lending from personal and home loans to commercial lending and finance
against securites.
Your Company remains commited to providing its existng and potential
customers with compettve and cutng-edge products and will contnue to
focus on investments in product innovaton and business expansion.
14. NOTABLE ACCOLADES RECEIVED DURING THE YEAR
FinnOneTM has been ranked as the Global No. 1 Best Selling Lending
Banking System for the Seventh consecutve year by IBS Publishing, UK in
their Annual Sales League Table 2015
Annual Report for the Year Ended March 31, 2014 won the Platnum Award
for Excellence within the Technology- Sofware industry category and
ranked amongst the World''s Top 50 Annual Reports by the League of
American Communicatons Professional (LACP).
9th Social and Corporate Governance Awards in the category "Best
Overall Corporate Governance Compliance and Ethics Program organised by
World CSR Congress.
Titanium Award at "The Asset Triple A Corporate Awards 2014" for the
Third Consecutve Year under the category Financial Performance,
Corporate Governance and Investor Relatons.
"Asian CSR Leadership Awards 2014" in the category, "Best Corporate &
Financial Reportng".
"The Asian Banker award  2014" for "Best Lending Platorm
Implementaton Project" for introducing MARC, an innovatve debt
servicing soluton that allows customers to make payment anytme,
anywhere.
15. SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES
Your Company has seven wholly owned subsidiaries across the globe.
During the year a Company was incorporated in Johannesburg, South
Africa for tapping business potential in the sub-Saharan Africa region.
Capital infusion in this Company is in process.
The following table provides a list of all these subsidiaries as on
March 31, 2015:
Name of Subsidiary Locaton Date of incorporaton
Nucleus Sofware Solutons Pte. Ltd. Singapore February 25, 1994
Nucleus Sofware Inc. USA August 5, 1997
Nucleus Sofware Japan Kabushiki Kaisha Japan November 2, 2001
VirStra Technology Services Ltd. India May 6, 2004
Nucleus Sofware Netherlands B.V. Netherlands February 3, 2006
Nucleus Sofware Ltd. India April 21, 2008
Nucleus Sofware Australia Pty. Ltd. Australia February 3, 2014
There has been no material change in the nature of the business of the
subsidiaries.
A statement containing the salient features of the financial statement
of our subsidiaries in the prescribed form AOC 1 is provided as
Annexure B to this Directors'' Report. The statement also provides the
details of performance, financial positon of each of the subsidiaries.
a) Nucleus Sofware Solutons Pte. Ltd.
Nucleus Sofware Solutons Pte. Ltd. (NSS) is based in Singapore. It was
incorporated in 1994 to expand the Company''s business in South East
Asia. Currently, it is the central entty for Asia- Pacifc excluding
Japan and Australia with responsibility for business development, sales
and delivery for customers in the region.
b) Nucleus Sofware Inc.
Nucleus Sofware Inc. (NSI) is based in New Jersey, USA. It was
incorporated in 1997 for providing business presence in the Americas.
NSI operates as a business development and sales hub for the region.
c) Nucleus Sofware Japan Kabushiki Kaisha
Nucleus Sofware Japan Kabushiki Kaisha (NSJKK) is based in Tokyo,
Japan. It was incorporated in 2001 to expand business in the country.
NSJKK operates as a business development and sales hub for Japan.
d) VirStra i- Technology Services Ltd.
VirStra i- Technology Services Ltd. is based in Pune, India. It was
incorporated in 2004 to provide sofware development services, targeted
at the Japanese market..
e) Nucleus Sofware Netherlands BV
Nucleus Sofware Netherlands BV (NSBV) is based in Amsterdam, The
Netherlands. It was incorporated in 2006 for enlarging business
presence in the European market. NSBV is a business development and
sales hub for Nucleus in Europe.
f) Nucleus Sofware Ltd.
Nucleus Sofware Ltd. (NSL) has Operations in Jaipur with registered ofce
in New Delhi. It was incorporated in 2008 for facilitatng delivery to
larger clients through Operations in a Special Economic Zone. NSL
acquired 17.41 acre of land in the Mahindra World Special Economic
Zone, Jaipur and, in the frst phase, has co-developed a 250-seater
facility.
g) Nucleus Sofware Australia Pty. Ltd.
Nucleus Sofware Australia Pty. Ltd. (NSA) is based in Sydney,
Australia. It was incorporated in 2014 for tapping the growing business
opportunites in ANZ region. NSA operates as a business development and
sales hub for the region.
16. INFRASTRUCTURE
Your Company along with its subsidiaries has ofces at several locatons
across the globe. The ofce space and seatng capacity of these ofces as
on March 31, 2015 is detailed below:
Office Locaton Area in Sq. ft. Seatng Capacity
- No. of Persons
iNDiA
Noida 208,122 1,677
Jaipur 22,312 250
Pune 9,573 120
Chennai 4,500 48
New Delhi 4,200 40
Mumbai 3,250 31
Singapore 4,807 61
Dubai, UAE 1,290 17
New Jersey, USA 1,250 15
Tokyo, Japan 735 15
Amsterdam, Netherlands 561 15
London, UK 240 4
Manila, Philippines 194 5
Jakarta, Indonesia 99 3
261,133 2,301
NOIDA, New Delhi and Jaipur premises are owned by the Company and its
subsidiaries.
17. QUALITY PROCESSES
Your Company is commited to ensure the highest level of quality for its
products and services. In its journey towards excellence in delivery,
"Project Governance" has been selected as its quality theme. Process
improvement initatves were centered on ''Process Standardizaton'' and
''Strong Project Governance'' to bring predictability, repeatability and
reproducibility. FinnEdge (Standard Implementaton Methodology) has been
introduced covering 360 degree of the project governance which included
processes, people and product. FinnEdge covers various aspects of the
project from ''Value Creation to Value Realizaton'' and from ''Project
Discovery'' to ''Project Implementaton'' to ''Project Upgrade''.
A dedicated Quality Assurance team handles the process change
management, implementaton and it''s adherence across the organizaton.
Quality assurance team monitors quality and productvity improvements
through regular metrics analysis and dashboard reportng.
18. BRAND VISIBILITY
In FY 2015, your Company continued to grow its marketng Operations and
actvites in support of the strategic aspiratons of the Company.
The year was one of considerable change for the Company as it
structured itself for growth into new markets around the world. This
brings new challenges and opportunites from a marketng viewpoint, with
the need to grow brand awareness and demand generaton on a global
scale. Your Company is investng in the marketng Operations in order to
achieve both, with focus on growing brand awareness for the longer term
as well as building demand and generatng leads for the sales pipeline.
The objectves of the Nucleus marketng team are to:
- Ensure that your Company is known to all its target market as a
provider of high quality, innovatve lending and transacton banking
solutons.
- Establish the Company as a thought leader in the space, whose experts
understand the world of banking and finance, the global trends and
challenges that are emerging and how technology can be applied to
deliver success.
- Equip the sales teams with the materials and tools needed to be
successful.
Direct Customer Interactions
Your Company continued to partcipate in key Industry events like SIBOS
in Boston, Financial Informaton Technology 2014 in Tokyo and the 4th
Annual Middle East Banking Innovaton Summit 2014 in Dubai to help grow
awareness of the brand and to meet and interact with executves from the
industry and generate opportunites for the Company.
Events involving meetngs of small groups of industry executves were
organised to discuss partcular topics or view our solutons and
understand how we work with other customers like themselves. These took
place in Germany, Indonesia and Philippines.
Digital Presence & Visibility
Your Company continued to build presence on social media channels as
well as in more traditonal press, using a mix of in house and external
skills. Social channels ofer a powerful way of highlightng our brand
and communicatng our successes, so focus contnues to be applied here.
In parallel media actvites contnue with increased Interactions with
press including television approaching us for interviews around
financial results.
A major focus during the year was creatng and launching a new website
of the Company, which is now up and running. This features a new,
up-to-date look and feel and supports mobile devices, which is
increasingly important as more web browsing takes place on mobile
phones and tablets. The website is now modern and fresh and works
wherever the user wants.
Newsleters, emailers, case studies and various other digital marketng
collaterals contnue to be created to ensure the brand image is
portrayed consistently and with impact. Digital marketng is an area of
increased focus as we go forward.
19. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Your Company''s focus has been to create a world class experience for
associates in a ''high performance culture''. We are determined to
accelerate our growth story by corresponding to the changing needs of
our diverse workgroup and constant building of unique people
capabilites.
The global employee strength of the Company, at the end of FY 2015, was
1512.
While we serve as a steward for excellence and leadership through
organizatonal effectiveness & recruitment, retenton, and enrichment, the
organizaton witnessed launch of organizaton-wide HR initatves:
- Creation of a diverse & inclusive work environment through functonal
leadership and advice, by investments in newer markets to ensure global
presence
- 2015 Recruitment drive for Leadership and Talent Pipeline building:
- Talent hiring across all geographies at Leadership, Lateral & Entry
levels
- Management Trainee & Sofware Engineer Trainee Programs (from premiere
Indian B-schools/Engineering insttutes) for inductng fresh talent from
the campuses
- 100 days of Innovaton campaign, doted with events like technology
coding contests, webinars, Community Service initatves &
events/celebratons which were centered around our ''Core Values''
- Strengthening capability through trainings/workshops/ career
dialogues on Project Management, Sales Huntng Orientaton, Technology
and Product under Functonal category and YLP (Young Leaders'' Program)
and LEAD (Leadership @ Engagement, Acton and Development) under
Leadership and Professional areas
- Talent development by expansion of web-based learning (MOOCs) to
self-paced learning (E-Learning Cafe) in conjuncton with the Nucleus
Career Growth Model (NCGM) to enable people to learn, perform and grow
- Creation of the One HR/Centralized Communicatons unit to refect
professionalism & ensure that our programs and services are well
communicated.
- Catalyze human assets to deliver efficient results by driving Pay for
Performance culture and improving overall operational efciencies
Going forward, your Company''s focus lies on creatng an enviable
workplace culture, facilitated by revised HR policies/ processes
framework, which is responsive to organizaton needs & at the same tme
consistent with industry best practces. The integraton of goal-based
high-performance culture with a clear career development plan for each
employee is targeted to increase the learning curve substantally. Along
with our commitment to future leadership development, Succession
Planning is also an area of focus to help identfy and develop
competencies through interventons to build capability and staying
abreast with changing technology.
We plan to align HR operational initatves with Nucleus Sofware''s
Strategic Plans to leverage and develop our people and technology
through innovaton and collaboratve partnerships to provide unmatched
value propositon and exceptonal quality of services to all.
20. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
We, at Nucleus, believe that good and effective Corporate Governance is
critcal to achieve corporate vision and mission of the organizaton; it
is more of an organizatonal culture than a mere adherence to rules and
regulatons. Law alone cannot bring changes and transformation, and
voluntary compliance both in form and in substance plays an important
role in developing good Corporate Governance.
Your Company has established and maintained a strong ethical
environment, overseen by a fercely independent Board of Directors,
where 5 out of 7 Directors are independent. The Company practces and
policies refect true spirit of Corporate Governance initatves. Your
Company is in compliance of all mandatory requirements of Corporate
Governance as stpulated as per the Clause 49 of the Listng Agreement
with the stock exchanges. Compliance status is provided in the
Corporate Governance secton of the Annual Report. A certfcate issued by
the Statutory Auditors of the Company confirming compliance of the
conditons of Corporate Governance stpulated in Clause 49 of the Listng
Agreement with the stock exchanges, is provided as Annexure C to this
Directors'' Report.
A detailed report on Corporate Governance for the year forms part of
this Annual Report.
21. DIRECTORS AND KEY MANAGERIAL PERSONNEL (KMP)
In accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2013 and the
Artcles of Associaton of the Company, Mr. Vishnu R Dusad, Managing
Director and CEO of the Company, retres by rotaton at the ensuing
Annual General Meetng and being eligible has ofered himself for
re-appointment.
Mr. Janki Ballabh, Mr. Prithvi Haldea, Prof. Trilochan Sastry and Mr. N
Subramaniam were existng Independent Directors. During the year, in
order to comply with provisions of Companies Act 2013, all of them were
appointed as Independent Directors by the shareholders as per the
Companies Act, 2013, not liable to retre by rotaton, to hold ofce for
fve consecutve years.
The Companies Act 2013, Rules made thereunder and Listng Agreement with
the Stock Exchanges (including amendments) provide for appointment of
Woman Director for prescribed Companies. In compliance with these
provisions, the Board of Directors on the recommendaton of Nominaton
and Remuneraton Commitee, appointed Mrs. Elaine Mathias as a Woman
Director (Additonal Independent Director) of the Company on September
20, 2014. Mrs. Mathias is a highly reputed professional and earlier
served as an Executve Director (Finance) in Bharat Electronics Limited,
Bangalore. She brings along with her over 34 years of rich experience
in finance and corporate management.
During the year, the Board of Directors also appointed Mr. R P Singh as
an Additonal Wholetme Director, pursuant to the provisions of Secton
161 of the Companies Act, 2013. Mr. R P Singh has been associated with
the Company since incepton and is presently the President and Head
Global Product Management. He is a highly respected professional and a
part of core management team of the Company.
The shareholders of the Company through postal ballot, approved the
appointment of Mrs. Mathias as an Independent Director as per the
Companies Act, 2013 for a period of fve years and Mr. Singh as a Whole
Time Director liable to retre by rotaton.
Mr. Sanjiv Sarin, Director retred by rotaton at the last Annual General
Meetng held on July 8, 2014 under the applicable provisions of the
erstwhile Companies Act, 1956 and the Board decided not to fll the
vacancy caused due to his retrement.
During the year as per the provisions of Companies Act 2013, Mr. Vishnu
R Dusad, CEO and Managing Director, Mr. Pramod K Sanghi, CFO and
President Finance and Ms, Poonam Bhasin, AVP (Secretarial) and Company
Secretary, were appointed as Key Managerial Persons of the Company. Mr.
Sanghi retred from the services of the Company on March 31, 2015.
22. BOARD EVALUATION
The Board, along with the Nominaton and Remuneraton Commitee, developed
and adopted the criteria and framework for the evaluaton of each of the
Directors and of the Board and its Commitees, as required by the
following new laws/ regulatons:
- Clause 49 of the Listng Agreement with the Stock Exchanges requires
the Board to monitor and review the Board evaluaton framework.
- The Companies Act 2013 requires a formal annual evaluaton by the
Board of its own performance and that of its commitees and individual
Directors
- Schedule IV of The Companies Act 2013 requires performance evaluaton
of all Independent Directors to be done by the entre Board of
Directors, excluding the Director being evaluated.
The evaluaton was then conducted as per the approved process (explained
in detail in the Report on Corporate Governance of this Annual report).
The Evaluaton Report prepared by the Nominaton and Remuneraton Commitee
was then presented and discussed at a Board Meetng and subsequently
approved. In additon, the Chairman of the Commitee held one-to-one
discussions with the Directors and sought their feed-back on the
overall Board effectiveness, Directors, and Commitees of the Board. The
Board was satsfed with the performance of each of the Directors and of
the Commitees, as was evidenced by high average ratngs, all above 4 on
a scale of 5. The Board also recognized that the inducton of 3 new
independent Directors and 1 Executve Director on the Board over the
last couple of years has indeed brought in qualitatve changes to the
Board discussions.
Moreover, pursuant to the provisions of Schedule IV to the Act, the
Independent Directors reviewed the performance of the Non- Independent
Directors and the Board as a whole, performance of the Chairman of the
Board, taking into account the views of all the Directors, quality,
quantty and tmeliness of flow of informaton between the Company
management and the Board its sufciency for the Board to effectively
perform their dutes, and performance of various Commitees of the Board.
The Chairman briefed the Board of Directors on the feedback of the
Independent Directors, Non-Executve Directors and Managing Director, on
the Board effectiveness, based on the duly flled in Questonnaires and one
to one discussions. These were discussed in detail and taken on
record. Some of the suggestons emanatng from the discussions included a
dedicated Board Meetng for discussion on Strategy and Business Plan,
the Company''s Business Plan to be more realistc, along with a
sensitvity analysis, improving communicatons with all stakeholders
instead of focusing just on shareholders.
23. COMPANY''S POLICY ON DIRECTORS'' APPOTNTMENT AND REMUNERATION
During the year, Charter of the Nominaton and Remuneraton Commitee
(NRC), a Commitee of the Board, was further revised in accordance with
requirements of newly enacted Companies Act, 2013 and revised Clause 49
of the listng agreement with Stock Exchanges. Primary responsibility of
the Commitee is to identfy and nominate suitable candidates for Board
membership and as members of senior Management of the Company. The
Commitee also formulated policies relatng to the remuneraton of
Directors, Key Managerial Personnel and other employees of the Company.
The Commitee, while evaluatng potential candidates for Board membership,
considers a variety of personal atributes, including experience,
intellect, foresight, judgment and transparency, and match these with
the requirements set out by the Board. The basic responsibilites of NRC
with regard to Directors'' appointment, are as follows:
- Recommending desirable changes in Board size, compositon, Commitee
structure and processes, and other aspects of the Board''s functoning;
- Formulatng criteria for determining qualifcatons, positve atributes
and Independence of a Director
- Conductng search and recommending new Board members in light of
resignaton of current members or a planned expansion of the Board;
- Identfying persons who are qualifed to become Directors and who may
be appointed in senior management in accordance with the criteria laid
down, and recommend to the Board their appointment and removal.
The policy of the Company for selecton of Directors is provided as
Annexure D and Remuneraton Policy for Directors, Key Managerial
Personnel and other employees is provided as Annexure E to this
Directors'' Report.
24. DECLARATION BY INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
The Company has received declaratons from all the Independent Directors
that they meet the criteria of independence as laid down under Secton
149(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 and Clause 49 of the Listng Agreement
with the stock exchanges.
25. FAMILIARISATION PROGRAMME For INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR''S
The details of programmes for familiarisaton of Independent Directors
with the Company, their roles, rights, responsibilites in the Company,
nature of the industry in which the Company operates, business model of
the Company and related maters can be accessed on the Company website
link : htp://www. nucleussofware.com/investors .
26. MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board met eight tmes during the year and details are providing in
the Report on Corporate Governance, a part of this Annual Report.
27. COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD
There are currently six Commitees of the Board, as follows:
- Audit Commitee
- Compensaton Commitee
- Corporate Governance Commitee
- Nominaton and Remuneraton Commitee
- Stakeholder Relatonship Commitee
- Corporate Social Responsibility Commitee
Details of all the Commitees along with their charters, compositon and
meetngs held during the year, is provided in the Report on Corporate
Governance, a part of this Annual Report.
The Compositon of Board commitees as on March 31, 2015 is as follows:
Memberships across Board Commitees
Audit Corporate Nominaton &
Commitee Governance Remuneraton
Commitee Commitee
Mr. Janki Ballabh - -
Mr. Vishnu R Dusad - -
Mr. Prithvi Haldea - - -
Mrs. Elaine Mathias - - -
Prof. Trilochan Sastry - - -
Mr. R P Singh
Mr. N. Subramaniam - -
Compensaton Stakeholder Corporate Social
Commitee Relatonship Responsibility
Commitee Commitee
Mr. Janki Ballabh - - -
Mr. Vishnu R Dusad - - -
Mr. Prithvi Haldea - - -
Mrs. Elaine Mathias - - -
Prof. Trilochan Sastry - - -
Mr. R P Singh - - -
Mr. N. Subramaniam - - -
28. VIGIL MECHANISM
The Company has a well established whistle blower policy as part of
vigil mechanism for Directors and employees to report concerns about
unethical behaviour, actual or suspected fraud or violaton of the
Company''s Code of conduct or ethics policy. This mechanism also
provides for adequate safeguards against victmizaton of
Director(s)/employee(s) who avail of the mechanism and also provides
for direct access to the Chairman of the Audit Commitee in exceptonal
cases.
29. SIGNIFICANT AND MATERIAL ORDERS
No significant or material orders were passed by the Regulators or
Courts or Tribunals which impact the going concern status and Company''s
Operations in future.
30. RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY
The Company has developed and implemented a ''Risk Management Policy''
that includes Identfication of elements of risk, which in the opinion of
the Board may threaten the existence of the Company. Risk Management
Report forms a part of this Annual Report.
31. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO SHAREHOLDERS
Detailed informaton to the shareholders is provided in the
Shareholders'' Referencer, a part of this Annual Report.
32. AUDITORS
Statutory Auditors
Statutory Auditors of the Company, Deloite Haskins & Sells, Chartered
Accountants, retre at the conclusion of the ensuing Annual General
Meetng and are eligible for re-appointment. In accordance with the
Companies Act 2013 and the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014,
the Audit Commitee post considering the qualifcatons and experience of
Deloite Haskins & Sell, Chartered Accountants, recommended their
reappointment to the Board. The Board further recommends their
appointment as Statutory Auditors of the Company to hold ofce from the
conclusion of this meetng untl the conclusion of next Annual General
Meetng of the Company, to the shareholders'' for approval in the ensuing
AGM.
Deloite Haskins & Sells, Chartered Accountants have furnished a
certfcate of their eligibility as per Secton 141 of the Companies Act,
2013 and have provided their consent for appointment as Statutory
Auditors of the Company for FY 15- 16. As per the relevant provisions
of Listng Agreement, your Company has ensured that the Auditors of your
Company are subjected to the peer review process of Insttute of
Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and hold a valid certfcate issued
by the Peer Review Board of the ICAI. Deloite Haskins & Sells,
Chartered Accountants, have confrmed their compliance with the relevant
provision.
The Notes on financial statement referred to in the Auditors'' Report are
self-explanatory and do not call for any further comments. The
Auditors'' Report does not contain any qualifcaton, reservaton or
adverse remark.
Secretarial Auditor
As per the Companies Act 2013, Secretarial Audit by a practcing Company
Secretary has become mandatory for prescribed companies, and they are
required to annex the Secretarial Audit report with their Board Report
in the Annual Report. We are pleased to inform that your Company, as a
voluntary practce, has been getng Secretarial Audit done for the past
several years, and also reportng it in the Annual Report.
Pursuant to the provisions of Secton 204 of the Companies Act, 2013 and
The Companies (Appointment and Remuneraton of Managerial Personnel)
Rules, 2014, the Board appointed, Sanjay Grover & Associates, Practsing
Company Secretaries to undertake the Secretarial Audit of the Company.
Secretarial Audit Report in the prescribed Form MR 3, is provided as
Annexure F to this Directors'' Report. The Secretarial Auditors'' Report
does not contain any qualifcaton, reservaton or adverse remark.
The Company voluntarily adhers to the various Secretarial Standards
issue by the Insttute of Companies Secretaries of India.
33. INTERNAL FINANCIAL CONTROLS
Your Company has in place adequate internal financial controls with
reference to the financial statements. During the year, in order to
further strengthen the internal financial controls, a renowned
professional consultant frm was hired to conduct an assessment of the
existent internal financial controls and advise on best practces for
adopton.
34. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
Inclusive growth and sustainable development are strong pillars of your
Company''s responsible corporate citzenship and are a part of the core
values and driving force for many of its initatves. The Company
believes that responsible investments in this regard will generate long
term value for all the stakeholders.
In accordance with requirements of The Companies Act 2013, the Company
has a Corporate Social Responsibility Commitee comprising of a majority
of Independent Directors and chaired by an Independent Director. Prof.
Trilochan Sastry is the Chairman of the Commitee and Mr. Vishnu R Dusad
and Mr. Prithvi Haldea are the other members. The Commitee framed and
recommended a CSR Policy to the Board for adopton and insttuted a
transparent monitoring mechanism for ensuring implementaton of the
projects / actvites to be undertaken by the Company.
The CSR Policy may be accessed on the Company website link:
htp://www.nucleussofware.com/investors. The objectve of CSR Policy of
your Company is to support the guiding principle of Together We Grow".
Through the CSR initatves, your Company strives to provide equitable
opportunites for sustainable growth. Your Company would engage in
actvites whereby business further contributes to make a positve and
distnguishing impact on the environment, customers, employees and other
stakeholders. The objectve of CSR will be achieved through concentrated
and dedicated initatves encompassing the identfed core areas of
Educaton, Health & Medical Care, Community at large and Environment.
Your Company is conscious of its dutes towards the community and our
planet and the coming years shall witness your Company in several CSR
areas.
Your Company has set up Nucleus Sofware Foundaton, a Trust for the
purposes of undertaking CSR actvites of the Company. During the year,
the Company spent Rs. 0.71 crore on CSR actvites, out of the total amount
mandated as per law. Your Company was in the process of further
identfying worthwhile avenues for CSR expenditure during the year and
in its absence, there was a shortall of Rs. 0.48 crore in the expenditure
done on CSR actvites with regard to the amount mandated as per law.
The Annual Report on CSR actvites is provided as Annexure G to this
Directors'' Report. The Company is commited to CSR and shall strive to
at least spend the amount as provided in law.
35. EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLAN (ESOP)
Your Company launched ESOP 2015 during the year. Currently there are
three ESOP schemes prevalent in the Company; ESOP scheme - 2005
(insttuted in 2005), ESOP scheme - 2006 (insttuted in 2006) and ESOP
Scheme - 2015 (insttuted in 2015). These schemes were duly approved by
the Board of Directors and shareholders. ESOP 2005 scheme provides for
600,000 options, 2006 scheme provides for 1,000,000 options and 2015
scheme provides for 500,000 options to eligible employees. As per ESOP
scheme 2015, equity shares would be transferred to eligible employees
on exercise of options through Nucleus Sofware Employee Welfare Trust,
established during the year, to carry out actvites for the benefit and
welfare of its Employees by launching various Schemes in accordance
with the Securites and Exchange Board of India (Share Based Employee
benefits) Regulatons, 2014.
Details of ESOP as per the provisions of Companies Act, 2013 and Rules
made there under are as follows:
Particulars 2005 Plan 2006 Plan 2015 Plan
a) Total number of options
under the Plan 600,000 1,000,000 500,000
(b) Pricing formula 100% of the 100% of the 100% of the
Fair Market Fair Market Fair Market
Price as on Price as on Price as on
date of grant date of grant date of grant
(c) options granted
during the year - - -
(d) options vested as
of March 31, 2015 - - -
(e) (i) options exercised
during the year - - -
(ii) Total number of
shares arising as a
result of exercise of - - -
above options during the year
(f) options forfeited
during the year - - -
(g) Opton lapsed during
the year - - -
(h) Variaton of terms
of options during the
year - - -
(i) Amount realized by
exercise of options during
the year - - -
(j) Total number of
options in force as on
March 31, 2015 - - -
During the year, no stock options were granted to any employee under the
above-mentoned ESOP plans and therefore no calculatons are required to
be made or reported regarding diference between intrinsic value and
fair market value of ESOPs granted.
36. PARTICULARS OF EMPLOYEES
In terms of the provisions of Secton 197 (12) of the Companies Act,
2013 read with Rules 5(2) and 5(3) of the Companies (Appointment and
Remuneraton of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, a statement showing
the names and other Particulars of the employees drawing remuneraton in
excess of the limits set out in the said rules are provided in the
Annual Report.
Disclosures pertaining to remuneraton and other details as required
under Secton 197(12) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rule 5(1) of
the Companies (Appointment and Remuneraton of Managerial Personnel )
Rules, 2014 are provided in the Annual Report.
Having regard to the provisions of the frst proviso to Secton 136(1) of
the Companies Act, 2013 and as advised, the Annual Report excluding the
aforesaid informaton is being sent to the members of the Company. The
said informaton is available for inspecton at the registered ofce of
the Company during working hours and any member interested in obtaining
such informaton may write to the Company Secretary and the same will be
furnished on request. The full Annual Report including the aforesaid
informaton is available on the Company''s website.
37. DIRECTOR''S RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
Pursuant to as per Sec 134 (5) of the Companies Act, 2013, the
Directors confrm that:
(a) in the preparaton of the annual accounts for the financial year
ended March 31, 2015 , the applicable Accounting standards had been
followed along with proper explanaton relatng to material departures;
(b) the Directors had selected such Accounting policies and applied them
consistently and made judgments and estmates that are reasonable and
prudent so as to give a true and fair view of the state of afairs of
the Company at the end of the financial year and of the Profit and loss
of the Company for that period;
(c) the Directors had taken proper and sufficient care for the
maintenance of adequate Accounting records in accordance with the
provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, for safeguarding the assets of
the Company and for preventng and detectng fraud and other
irregularites;
(d) the Directors had prepared the annual accounts on a going concern
basis;
(e) the Directors, had laid down internal financial controls to be
followed by the Company and that such internal financial controls are
adequate and were operatng effectively; and
(f) the Directors had devised proper systems to ensure compliance with
the provisions of all applicable laws and that such systems were
adequate and operatng effectively.
38. EXTRACT OF ANNUAL RETURN
Extract of Annual Return of the Company in the prescribed Form MGT-9,
is provided as Annexure H to this Directors'' Report.
39. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Your Directors would like to place on record their grattude for the
co-operaton received from the Government of India, State Governments of
Delhi, Utar Pradesh and Rajasthan, Customs and Excise Departments,
Sofware Technology Park-Noida, Sofware Technology Park-Chennai, Sofware
Technology Park- Pune, Special Economic Zone authorites and other
government agencies.
Your Directors would also like to thank customers, bankers, vendors,
partners and shareholders for their continued support to the Company. In
specific, the Board would like to put on record its sincere appreciaton
of the commitment and contributon made by all employees of the Company.
For and on behalf of the Board of Directors
Noida Janki Ballabh
May 7, 2015 Chairman
Mar 31, 2013
Dear Members,
The have pleasure in presenting your Company''s Twenty Fourth Annual
Report, together with the Audited Statement of Accounts, for the year
ended March 31, 2013.
1. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - FINANCIAL RESULTS
Financial statements of the Company are prepared in compliance with the
Companies Act, 1956 and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
in India and mandatory accounting standards issued by the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of India ("ICAI"). The Company has six
subsidiary companies, all of which are wholly-owned subsidiaries. The
Company discloses stand-alone audited financial results on a quarterly
and an annual basis, consolidated un-audited financial results on a
quarterly basis and consolidated audited financial results on an annual
basis.
a) Consolidated operations
Consolidated financial statements of your Company and its subsidiaries
as on March 31, 2013 are prepared in accordance with the Accounting
Standard 21 (AS -21) on ''Consolidated Financial Statements'' issued by
the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, and form part of this
Annual Report. These Group accounts have been prepared on the basis of
audited financial statements of Subsidiaries.
Your Company''s revenue from operations for the year was Rs. 293.76
crore, 4% higher than Rs. 282.25 crore in the previous year. Overall
operational expense for the year remained under control at Rs. 247.86
crore, against Rs. 246.70 crore in the previous year. As a result,
Operating Profit (EBITDA) at Rs. 45.90 crore, 16% of revenue, was
higher by Rs. 10.35 crore over Rs. 35.55 crore, 13% of revenue, in the
previous year.
Profit after Tax for the year was at Rs. 45.17 crore, 15% of revenue,
higher by 28% over Rs. 35.34 crore, 13% of revenue, in the previous
year.
(Rs. in crore)
The consolidated financial results are as below:
For the Year Ended March 31, 2013 % of revenue 2012 % of
revenue
income from operations 293.76 100.00 282.25 100.00
Expenses
a) Employee benefit expense 163.41 55.63 157.08 55.65
b) Travel expenditure 20.20 6.88 19.54 6.92
c) Finance costs (Bank
Charges) 0.44 0.15 0.33 0.12
d) Other expenses 63.81 21.72 69.75 24.71
total Expenses 247.86 84.38 246.70 87.40
operating Profit (EBITDA) 45.90 15.63 35.55 12.60
Depreciation 6.09 2.07 7.45 2.64
operating Profit after
Interest and Depreciation 39.81 13.55 28.10 9.96
Other Income 17.28 5.88 16.87 5.98
Foreign Exchange Gain/(Loss) 2.97 1.01 3.34 1.18
Profit Before tax 60.06 20.45 48.31 17.12
Taxation
- Withholding Taxes 0.63 0.21 0.92 0.32
- Current Tax (Net of MAT
credit entitlement) 14.66 4.99 11.45 4.06
- Other taxes (0.40) (0.14) 0.59 0.21
Profit After tax 45.17 15.38 35.34 12.52
b) Standalone operations
The total revenue from the standalone operations of your Company for
the year was Rs. 202.28 crore against Rs. 204.85 crore in the previous
year. Total operational expense for the year was at Rs.171. 62 crore
against Rs. 177.89 crore in the previous year, a decrease of 4%.
Operating Profit (EBITDA) was at Rs. 30.66 crore, 15% of revenue,
against Rs. 26.96 crore, 13% of revenue, in the previous year.
Profit after Tax for the year was at Rs. 37.09 crore, 18% of revenue,
against Rs. 32.64 crore, 16% of revenue, after considering dividend
receipt of Rs. 3 crore from one of the subsidiaries of the Company (Rs.
3.60 crore in the previous year).
Standalone financial results are as below:
(Rs. in crore)
For the Year Ended March 31, 2013 % of revenue 2012 % of
revenue
Revenue from operations 202.28 100.00 204.85 100.00
Expenses
a) Employee benefit expense 117.58 58.13 115.52 56.39
b) Travel expense 16.08 7.95 16.74 8.17
c) Finance costs (Bank
Charges) 0.30 0.15 0.22 0.11
d) Other expenses 37.66 18.16 45.41 22.17
Total Expense 171.62 84.84 177.89 86.84
operating Profit (EBITDA) 30.66 15.16 26.96 13.16
Depreciation 4.97 2.46 6.10 2.98
operating Profit after
Interest and Depreciation 25.69 12.70 20.86 10.18
Other Income 19.80 9.79 19.48 9.51
Foreign Exchange Gain/ (Loss) 4.19 2.07 3.52 1.72
Profit Before tax 49.68 24.56 43.86 21.41
Taxation
- Withholding taxes - - 0.89 0.43
- Current Tax (Net of MAT
credit entitlement) 12.79 6.32 9.58 4.68
- Other taxes (0.20) (0.10) 0.75 0.37
Profit After tax 37.09 18.34 32.64 15.93
A detailed analysis on the Company''s performance, both consolidated and
standalone, is included in the "Management''s Discussion and
Analysis" Report, which forms part of this Annual Report.
2. DIVIDEND
The Dividend Policy of your Company mandates a dividend payout in the
range of l5%-30% of the profits available for distribution, subject to:
a) Provisions of The Companies Act, 1956 and other applicable laws, and
b) Cash flows of the Company
In accordance with the above Policy, we are pleased to state that for
the 13th consecutive year, your Company is recommending a dividend, and
this year of 30% (Rs. 3.00 per equity share of Rs.10 each), compared to
25 % (Rs. 2.50 per equity share of Rs. 10 each) in the previous year.
It is subject to the approval of the shareholders at the forthcoming
Annual General Meeting. If approved, the total dividend payout will be
Rs. 9.72 crore, being 26% of standalone profits for the year against a
payout of Rs. 8.10 crore, 25% of standalone profits in the previous
year.
The Register of Members and Share Transfer Register shall remain closed
during the period July 02-10, 2013 (both days inclusive) for the
purpose of the Annual General Meeting and for payment of dividend. The
dividend, if approved at the Annual General Meeting, will be payable to
Members whose names appear on the Register of Members of the Company on
July 02, 2013, being the first day of Book-Closure and to those whose
names appear as beneficial owner in the records of National Securities
Depositories Ltd. and Central Depository Services (India) Ltd. on
close of business as on July 01, 2013.
3. TRANSFER TO RESERVES
Ybur Company proposes to transfer Rs. 3.71 crore to the General Reserve
out of the amount available for appropriation.
4. TRANSFER OF UNPAID AND UNCLAIMED AMOUNTS TO INVESTOR EDUCATION AND
PROTECTION FUND (IEPF)
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 205 A (5) of the Companies Act,
1956, your Company has transferred the following unpaid / unclaimed
dividends relating to the following years to the Investor Education and
Protection Fund (IEPF) established by the Central Government pursuant
to Section 205 C of the said Act.
Dividend for the Year Unpaid Dividend
2000-2001 - Interim Dividend Rs. 28,762
2000-2001 - Final Dividend Rs. 74,339
2001-2002 - 1st Interim Dividend Rs. 58,921
2001-2002 - 2nd Interim Dividend Rs. 50,979
2002-2003 - Final Dividend Rs. 50,142
2003-2004 - Final Dividend Rs. 131,363
2004-2005 - Final Dividend Rs. 188,007
5. SHARE CAPITAL
- Issue of Shares under Employees Stock option Plans
During the year ended March 31, 2013, the Company allotted 180 equity
shares to employees upon exercise of stock options under Employee Stock
Option Plan 2005.
- issued and Paid-up Share Capital
The paid-up share capital of the Company, as on March 31, 2013, is
32,383,634 equity shares of Rs.10 each as against 32,383,454 equity
shares of Rs.10 each as on March 31, 2012.
- Shares under compulsory dematerialization
Shares ofthe Company are under compulsory dematerialization
("Demat") category and are available for trading on both the
depositories in India viz. National Securities Depository Limited
(NSDL) and Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL). Of the
entire paid up shares, 32,008,668 shares, or 98.84% are in
dematerialized form as at March 31, 2013.
The International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) allotted to
the Company''s shares is INE096B01018.
6. LISTING
Your Company is listed at National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. and
the BSE Ltd.
Stock Exchange where Scrip Symbol /
Nucleus shares are listed Code
National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE) NUCLEUS
w.e.f. December 19, 2002
BSE Ltd. (BSE) w.e.f. November 6, 1995 531209
7. REVIEW OF BUSINESS & OUTLOOK
We take great pride in being one of the few ''Made In India'' Software
Product companies. We operate in the Banking and Financial Services
domain with banks and non-banking financial institutions as our primary
customers. Our products are largely in the area of origination and
management of "Retail Loans" and the management of corporate
liquidity by banks.
Slow economic growth continued across globe in the FY 13. Fiscal cliff
in the US, sovereign debt problems in Europe and slow down in the BRICS
economies contributed to slowdown in investments by corporates and
banks, leading to an adverse impact on the Information Technology
industry.
Your Company has been closely working with its current customers to
maintain and improve the functionality of its software products which
are working successfully in 50 countries across more than 150
installations. Simultaneously, as technology changes and innovation are
required to provide faster access and processing on a scalable basis,
your Company, during the year, focused on building teams for the
future, setting the base for new product launches and thereby also
increasing its market share. Overall, the past year was a year of
consolidation as revenue and profitability reflect. We believe that
with strong R & D and sales and marketing teams in place, we are now
poised to realize the full potential of our products and brand in the
global market with addition of several new customers.
A combination of economic growth, new emerging markets, cloud
computing, and increasing demand from small and medium enterprises are
anticipated to boost growth. We hope that with our customer-centric
strategy, we would remain a partner of choice for all our present
customers and be able to source many more customers.
8. BIRTH OF ISPIRIT
In the recent years, there has been an upsurge in start-up software
product companies in India. This essentially can be termed as beginning
of a new era, with enough potential to re-invent the whole Indian
software industry, which till now has been dominated by the IT services
companies. Emergence of globally recognized Indian product companies
will represent the final step in the software value chain. If India can
become the hub of the world''s most successful IT services as well as
product companies, it can truly lay claim to being a knowledge
superpower. To make this possible and transform India into a hub for
new generation software products, it is crucial to address government
policy, create market catalysts and fuel the maturity of product
entrepreneurs. With this context in mind, about 30 software product
companies and individuals have come together recently to form iSpirit -
the Indian Software Product Industry Roundtable. We are delighted to
inform you that Mr. Vishnu R Dusad, MD & CEO of your Company, is a
founder member of this revolutionary initiative. Your Company hopes to
contribute immensely to this new endeavour and hopes to benefit the
country and itself in times to come.
9. LIQUIDITY AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Your Company continues to retain its status of a debt-free Company and
maintains sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its futuristic
strategic initiatives. The Company has been conservative in its
investment policy over the years, maintaining a reasonably high level
of cash and cash equivalents which enable the Company to completely
eliminate short and medium term liquidity risks. The goal of cash
management at Nucleus is to:
a. Use cash to provide sufficient working capital to manage business
operations of the Company to be able to add value to all our
stakeholders and continuously enhance the same.
b. Maintain sufficient cash as reserves that will aid the Company in
capturing meaningful business opportunities.
c. Invest surplus funds in low-risk bank deposits, debt schemes of
mutual fund and tax free secured, redeemable, non- convertible Bonds of
Public Sector Enterprises.
Cash and cash equivalents at a consolidated level constitute 58% of the
total assets at Rs. 266.72 crore, at the year end, against Rs. 196.16
crore, 48% of total assets at the close of the previous year.
As on March 31, 2013 Rs. 92.03 crore was placed in bank fixed deposits
(all in India), Rs. 144.74 crore invested in liquid schemes and fixed
maturity plans of mutual funds and Rs.10 crore in tax free secured,
redeemable, non- convertible Bonds of Public Sector Enterprises. The
mix between fixed deposits, liquid schemes, fixed maturity plans and
tax free bonds is a function of the desired liquidity and returns.
10. NOTABLE ACCOLADES RECEIVED DURING THE YEAR
- FinnOne has been ranked as the Global No. 1 Lending Software
solution for the fifth consecutive year by IBS Publishing, UK in their
Sales League Table 2013 for Banking Product Sales.
- Annual Report and Accounts of the Company for the year ended March
31, 2012 was adjudged as the BEsT under the Category X - Service Sector
(Other than financial services sector-turnover less than Rs. 500 crore)
of the ''ICAI Awards for Excellence in Financial reporting''. A GOLD
SHIELD was awarded to the Company for the fifth consecutive year.
- NASSCOM Corporate Award for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion
2013 for the category Best It services & Product Company - Special
recognition (less than 5000 employees)
- ''Best online Annual Report'' globally in the technology sector &
the Best in ''Most Improved Financial Disclosure Procedures'' in the
regional rankings for India for the year 2012 by IR Global Rankings
(IRGR).
- Annual Report for the year ended March 31, 2012 won the Platinum
Award for excellence within the Technology- Software industry and
ranked 22nd amongst the Top 100 Annual Reports in the Vision Awards by
the League of American Communications Professionals (LACP), USA.
- Social and Corporate Governance Award 2013 in the category ''Best
overall Corporate Governance''
- Titanium Award for Investor Relations, Corporate Governance and
Environment Responsibility in the Asset Triple A Corporate Awards 2012.
11. SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES
Your Company has six wholly owned subsidiaries across the globe. It
also has a step-down subsidiary located in Singapore. The following
table provides a list of all these subsidiaries as on March 31, 2013 :
Name of Subsidiary Location Date of incorporation
Nucleus Software Solutions
Pte. Ltd. Singapore February 25, 1994
Nucleus Software Inc. USA August 5, 1997
Nucleus Software Japan
Kabushiki Kaisha Japan November 2, 2001
VirStra i- Technology
Services Ltd. India May 6, 2004
Nucleus Software Netherlands
B.V Netherlands February 3, 2006
Nucleus Software Ltd. India April 21, 2008
Step Down Subsidiary of
Nucleus Software Exports
Ltd.
VirStra i- Technology
(Singapore) Pte. Ltd. Singapore December 17, 2004
There has been no material change in the nature of the business of the
subsidiaries. A statement containing brief financial details of the
subsidiaries is included in the Annual Report. As required under the
Listing Agreements entered into with the Stock Exchanges, a
consolidated financial statement of the Company and all its
subsidiaries is attached. The consolidated financial statements have
been prepared in accordance with the relevant accounting standards as
prescribed under Section 2II(3C) of the Act.
As per General Circular No: 2 /20II issued by the Government of India,
Ministry of Corporate Affairs, a general exemption was provided to
Companies for attaching the Directors'' Report, Balance Sheet and Profit
and Loss Account of all subsidiaries to its balance sheet, subject to
fulfilling certain conditions as stipulated in the circular. Your
Company complies with those conditions and, therefore, has been
generally exempted by the Central Government from attaching detailed
accounts of the subsidiaries, and accordingly, the financial statements
of the subsidiaries are not attached in the Annual Report. For
providing information to Shareholders, the annual accounts of these
subsidiary Companies along with related information are available for
inspection during business hours at the Company''s registered office and
at the concerned subsidiary''s offices.
a) Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd.
Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd. (NSS) is based in Singapore. It
was incorporated in 1994 to expand the Company''s business in South East
Asia. Currently, it is the central entity for Asia- Pacific excluding
Japan with full responsibility for business development, sales and
delivery for customers in the region.
b) Nucleus Software Inc.
Nucleus Software Inc. (NSI) is based in New Jersey, USA. It was
incorporated in 1997 for ensuring business presence in the Americas.
NSI operates as a business development and sales hub for the region.
c) Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha
Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha (NSJKK) is based in Tokyo,
Japan. It was incorporated in 2001 to expand business in the country.
NSJKK operates as a business development and sales hub for Japan, which
is the single largest market for the Company.
d) VirStra i- Technology Services Ltd.
VirStra i- Technology Services Ltd. is based in Pune, India. It was
incorporated in 2004 as a development centre. This subsidiary set up
its own subsidiary VirStra I- Technology (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. in
Singapore in 2004 to expand its service operations in Singapore.
e) Nucleus Software Netherlands BV
Nucleus Software Netherlands BV (NSBV) is based in Amsterdam, The
Netherlands. It was incorporated in 2006 for ensuring business presence
in the European market. NSBV is a business development and sales hub
for Nucleus in Europe.
f) Nucleus Software Ltd.
Nucleus Software Ltd. (NSL) is based in Jaipur, India with registered
office in New Delhi. It was incorporated in 2008 for facilitating
delivery to larger clients through operations in a Special Economic
Zone. NSL acquired 17.41 acre of land in the Mahindra World Special
Economic Zone, Jaipur and, in the first phase, has co-developed a
250-seater facility.
12. INFRASTRUCTURE
Your Company has offices at several locations across the globe. The
office space and seating capacity of these offices as on March 31, 2013
is detailed below:
Office Location Area in Seating Capacity
Sq. ft. - No. of Persons
NOIDA
Unit - I 87,423 705
Unit - II 90,265 778
Multi Facility Block 30,434 194
Total 208,122 1,677
Chennai 3,822 48
Singapore 7,141 95
New Delhi 4,200 40
Pune 9,573 120
Mumbai 3,250 36
Dubai 1,290 17
Jaipur 22,312 250
Tokyo, Japan 430 7
Amsterdam, Netherlands 561 7
New Jersey, USA 1250 15
Total 261,951 2,312
NOIDA, New Delhi and Jaipur premises are owned by the Company and
subsidiaries.
13. QUALITY PROCESSES
Nucleus is committed to ensure the highest level of quality for its
products and services to achieve higher performance leading to
"Customer Delight." This year, we focused on continuous process
improvements by incremental advancements in the existing processes and
innovations using new tools and methods.
With an objective to increase adherence to secure coding practices,
your Company adopted best code review process and automated security
code review tools. Review and feedback mechanism was further
strengthened by collaborating with customers during project
development/reviews which led to faster feedback from customer and
improved quality. With prime focus on customer satisfaction, your
Company started seeking transactional feedback from customers post key
milestones, which led to improved communication with customers. To
align with agile methodology and increased visibility of project
execution, best project management and defect management tools were
adopted.
A dedicated team is also responsible for collecting improvement
suggestions from across the organization and incorporating them in the
organization standard processes. Existing processes are reviewed for
their effectiveness and benchmarked with respect to industry by
participating in various reputed industry forums on quality and
processes.
14. NUCLEUS BRAND VISIBILITY
Your Company aspires to leverage its domain leadership into a visible,
relevant and vibrant brand that connects with key audiences including
customers, stakeholders and employees. We believe that it is all about
building a history of great experiences and trusted relationships.
We actively represent the brand Nucleus in all 50 countries where we
have customers and spend significant time and effort in educating and
informing the industry about our products and solutions to help
customers make informed choices. Your Company participated in key
Industry events (MEFTEC -Dubai, SIBOS -Osaka, IDG Vietnam - Hanoi )
amongst a host of other such events to ensure visibility of your
Company''s offerings. In addition, untapped markets in key financial
nerve centres like London, Stockholm and Atlanta were also covered with
specific events driven through focused branding efforts.
We work to ensure success in individual markets by understanding local
requirements and launch programs that cater to these specific markets.
Our customers are at the core of all our initiatives and we work
closely with various teams to ensure the right impact. During the
year, special customer meets were held in markets such as Mumbai,
Manila and Dubai to understand how we can help customers deliver
increased value to their clients. This was enhanced with targeted media
activities in both domestic and overseas regions.
In the coming financial year, a significant boost to leverage the
strength of our brands including FinnOne and Cash@WillTM through
marketing initiatives is planned. These brand focused visibility
programs will be enhanced through diverse channels including print
media, online, social media and direct communications. In addition to
our marketing programs, we are also planning to host joint outreach
programs with our strategic partners in focus geographies such as
Africa.
15. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
As we enter a new era of growth and change, there are several areas of
product and technology that we are focusing on. Talent is the key to
effect this transformation and hence critical focus during the year has
been on building capabilities including:
- Continuous workforce enhancement through hiring high quality talent
and strengthening our leadership capabilities
- Investing in newer markets
- Investment in developing talent across varied skill sets. Core
development quadrants include:
- Leadership and business management capabilities
- Sales force effectiveness
- Banking process and domain expertise
- Delivering process and work level improvements to impact how people
learn, perform and engage at the workplace
- Workplace inclusiveness to leverage strengths from diverse
backgrounds.
- Nucleus was awarded NASSCOM Corporate Awards for Excellence in
Diversity and Inclusion 2013 as a ''Special Recognition'' for the
category of Best IT services & product company (less than 5000
employees)
Nucleus has been consistently ranked the global market leader in
lending software and we are focused on furthering this unique
positioning through our people capabilities.
The global employee strength as at the end of the year stood at 1,503.
16. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO SHAREHOLDERS
Detailed information to the shareholders in the form of
"Shareholders'' Referencer" is provided later in this report.
17. SECRETARIAL AUDIT
Your Company, as a voluntary practice, has been getting Secretarial
audit done for the past several years. This is a process to check
compliance with the provisions of various laws and
rules/regulations/procedures, maintenance of records etc., by an
independent professional firm to ensure that the Company has complied
with the statutes and procedural requirements. Ever-increasing
complexities of laws and responsibilities of Directors (especially
Non-executive Directors) make it even more imperative that an external
expert reports on proper compliance mechanism and systems. The audit
also points out if there is a need for any corrective measures or
improvement.
An assignment for a comprehensive Secretarial Audit for the year 2012
was awarded to a professional Company Secretary firm. It is a matter of
pride that the audit confirmed that your Company was generally in
compliance with all applicable provisions of the Companies Act, 1956,
Depositories Act 1996, Listing Agreements with all the stock exchanges
where the Company is listed and all the applicable guidelines, rules
and regulations of the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The
Certificate obtained in this regard is provided as Annexure A to the
Report on Corporate Governance. The Secretarial Auditor has made
certain recommendations for adopting some more Best Practices, which
are now being implemented.
The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), one of the
premier professional bodies in India, has issued secretarial standards
on Board meetings, general meetings, payment of dividend, maintenance
of registers and records, minutes of meetings, transmission of shares
and debentures, passing of resolution by circulation, affixing of
common seal, forfeiture of shares and board''s report. While they are
non-mandatory in nature, your Company has complied with all of these.
18. FOREIGN EXCHANGE RISK
Globally, the easy money policies followed consistently by the Federal
Reserve and the ECB and the Japanese Central Bank since December 2012,
all aimed towards reducing interest rates, have had major consequences
on currency exchange rates. The year witnessed extreme volatility with
major international currencies at different points of time and required
careful monitoring to reduce risk. The Indian Rupee fluctuated from a
high of 50.56 to the Dollar in April 2012 to a low of Rs. 57.22 in June
2012 and overall lost 6.68% against the US Dollar on a March-end to
March-end comparison. Japanese Yen, in which 11% of your Company''s
revenue arises, weakened by over 20% between December 2012 and March
2013 against the US Dollar and as the Indian Rupee traded in a narrow
band, the cross was negative for our Yen realisations.
While the weak Rupee has been a national concern, it proved beneficial
for export-oriented companies. It is incumbent upon the Management of
your Company to follow a prudent policy to hedge the foreign currency
risk, without taking speculative positions. Your Company has a
conservative approach and does not speculate in foreign currency
markets. Forwards are held to maturity and regular reporting and
monitoring systems are in place including quarterly updates to the
Audit Committee. During the year, the Company followed a well-defined
policy of hedging close to receivables through Forward Contracts which
are designated as Highly Probable forecast transactions. At the year
end, the Company had US$ 10.50 million of hedges compared to US$ 12.00
million at the beginning of the year.
19. FIXED DEPOSITS
Your Company has not accepted any deposits and, as such, no amount of
principal or interest was outstanding on the date of the Balance Sheet.
20. AUDITORS
The Statutory Auditors of the Company, Deloitte Haskins & Sells, retire
at the conclusion of the ensuing Annual General Meeting, and are
eligible for re-appointment. The retiring Auditors have furnished a
certificate of their eligibility for re-appointment under section 224
(IB) of the Companies Act, 1956 and have indicated their willingness to
continue. The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors recommend the
reappointment as Statutory Auditors of Deloitte Haskins & Sells,
Chartered Accountants for the financial year 2013-14 for shareholders''
approval. As per the relevant provisions of Listing Agreement, your
Company has ensured that the Auditors of your Company are subjected to
the peer review process of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India
(ICAI) and hold a valid certificate issued by the Peer Review Board of
the ICAI. Deloitte Haskins & Sells have confirmed their compliance with
the relevant provision.
21. INSIDER TRADING REGULATIONS
Based on the requirements under SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading)
Regulations, I992, as amended from time to time, the Code of Conduct
for the Prevention of Insider Trading and the Code for Corporate
Disclosures continue to be in operation at your Company.
22. DIRECTORS
Mr. N. Subramaniam and Professor Trilochan Sastry were inducted as
Additional Directors on the Board of Directors of the Company with
effect from July I I, 2012 and April 27, 2013 respectively. Both Mr.
Subramaniam and Professor Sastry are noted experts and bring rich and
varied experience to the Board. Their appointment as Non-Executive
Independent directors, liable to retire by rotation, will be placed for
your approval in the forthcoming Annual General meeting.
In recognition of the proposed policy of Rotation of Directors in the
Companies Bill 2012, Mr. Arun Shekhar Aran, an Independent
Non-Executive Director of the Company, who served for 18 years on the
Board, resigned with effect from April 27, 2013. The Board of Directors
considered and accepted his resignation. We place on record our deep
sense of appreciation for the immense contribution of Mr. Aran during
his tenure as a Board member.
Article 87 of the Articles of Association of the Company provides that
at least two-thirds of our Directors shall be subject to retirement by
rotation and one third of these retiring Directors must retire from
office at each Annual General Meeting of the shareholders. A retiring
Director is eligible for re-election. In accordance with the same, Mr.
Janki Ballabh and Mr. Prithvi Haldea, Directors of the Company, shall
retire at the ensuing Annual General Meeting and both of them being
eligible, have offered themselves for re-appointment.
23. COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD
During the year, the Board dissolved its Review Committee, which was
constituted for a limited period. There are currently six Committees of
the Board, as follows:.
- Audit Committee
- Compensation Committee
- Corporate Governance Committee
- Nomination Committee
- Remuneration Committee
- Share Transfer and Shareholder Grievance Committee
Details of all the Committees along with their charters, composition
and meetings held during the year, is provided in the "Report on
Corporate Governance", a part of this Annual Report.
24. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
We, at Nucleus, believe that good and effective Corporate Governance is
more of an organizational culture than a mere adherence to rules and
regulations. Law alone cannot bring changes and transformation, and
voluntary compliance both in form and in substance plays an important
role in developing good Corporate Governance.
Your Company is in compliance of all mandatory requirements of
Corporate Governance as stipulated under Clause 49 of the Listing
Agreement with the stock exchanges. For the year ended March 3I, 20I3,
the compliance status is provided in the Corporate Governance section
of the Annual Report. A certificate issued by the Statutory Auditors of
the Company confirming compliance of the conditions of Corporate
Governance stipulated in Clause 49 of the Listing Agreement with the
stock exchanges forms part of this Directors'' Report as Annexure C.
25. MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS
Management Discussion and Analysis of the financial condition and
results of both standalone and consolidated operations have been
provided separately in this Annual Report.
26. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
Inclusive growth and sustainable development are strong pillars of your
Company''s responsible corporate citizenship and are a part of the core
values and driving force for many of its initiatives. The Company
believes that responsible investments in this regard will generate long
term value for all the stakeholders.
The proposed Companies Bill, 2012 has certain provisions to encourage
corporates to undertake CSR activities. We, at Nucleus, have mapped our
status with the requirements of this Bill and have highlighted the
areas of improvement. Your Company is conscious of its duties towards
our community and our planet and the coming years shall witness your
Company in several CSR areas.
27. EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLAN
In accordance with Employee Stock Option scheme and Employee Stock
purchase Scheme Guidelines, l999, issued by SEBI, the excess of the
market price of the underlying equity shares as of the date of the
grant over the exercise price of the option including up-front payments
if any, is to be recognized and amortized on a straight-line basis over
the vesting period. We have Employee Stock Option Plan 2005 and
Employee Stock Option Plan 2006 where the options are granted to the
employees at an exercise price equal to fair market price as on date of
grant.
Accordingly, we have calculated the compensation cost arising on
account of stock option granted using the intrinsic value method.
Hence, the disclosure in terms of Clause 12.1 (n) of SEBI (Employees
Stock Option Scheme and Employee Stock Purchase Scheme) Guideline,
1999, is not applicable. For fiscal 2013 there was no stock
compensation cost, no stock options were granted. Hence, the weighted
average fair values of grant during the year is nil.
28. CONSERVATION OF ENERGY, TECHNOLOGY ABSORPTION, FOREIGN EXCHANGE
EARNINGS AND OUTGO
The particulars as prescribed under subsection (I)(e) of Section 2I7 of
the Companies act, I956, read with the Companies (Disclosure of
Particulars in the report of Board of Directors) Rules, 1988, are set
out in Annexure A which forms part of this Report.
29. DISCLOSURES UNDER SECTION 217 OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 1956
- The particulars as prescribed under subsection (I)(e) of Section
2I7 of the Companies Act, I956, read with the Companies (Disclosure of
Particulars in the report of Board of Directors) Rules, 1988, are set
out in Annexure A which forms part of this Report.
- Except, as disclosed elsewhere in the report, there have been no
material changes and commitments, which can affect the financial
position of the Company between the end of the financial year and the
date of this report.
- The information required under Section 21 7(2A) of the Companies
Act, 1956 read with Companies (Particulars of Employees) Rules, 1975,
and forming part of the Directors'' Report for the year ended March 31,
2013 is annexed as Annexure B.
30. DIRECTOR''S RESPONSIBILITY
Pursuant to Section 217 (2AA) of the Companies (Amendment) Act, 2000
the Directors confirm that:
(i) in the preparation of the annual accounts for the year 2012-13, the
applicable accounting standards have been followed and there is no
departure;
(ii) the Directors have selected such accounting policies and applied
them consistently, except where otherwise stated in the notes on
accounts, and made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and
prudent so as to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of
the Company at the end of the financial year and of the profit or loss
of the Company for that year;
(iii) the Directors have taken proper and sufficient care for the
maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the
provisions of this Act for safeguarding the assets of the Company and
for preventing and detecting fraud and other irregularities;
(iv) the Directors have prepared the annual accounts on a going concern
basis.
31. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Your Directors would like to place on record their gratitude for the
co-operation received from the Government of India, Governments of
Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, Customs and Excise Departments,
Software Technology Park-Noida, Software Technology Park-Chennai,
Software Technology Park-Pune, Special Economic Zone authorities and
several other government agencies.
Your Directors would also like to thank all its bankers, customers,
vendors and shareholders for their continued support to the Company. In
specific, the Board would also record its sincere appreciation of the
commitment and contribution made by all employees of the Company.
For and on behalf of the Board of Directors
Noida Janki Ballabh
April 27, 2013 Chairman
Mar 31, 2011
We have pleasure in presenting your Companys Twenty Second Annual
Report, together with the Audited Statement of Accounts, for the year
ended March 31, 2011.
1. FINANCIAL RESULTS Ã Consolidated
(Rs. in crore)
For the Year Ended March 31, 2011 % of revenue 2010 % of revenue
revenue from operations 270.48 100.00 291.78 100.00
Software Development Expenses 183.40 67.81 196.17 67.23
Gross Profit 87.08 32.19 95.61 32.77
Selling and Marketing Expenses 30.21 11.17 22.66 7.77
General and Administration
Expenses 26.39 9.76 18.87 6.47
operating Profit (EBitDA) 30.48 11.27 54.08 18.53
Depreciation 9.28 3.43 11.33 3.88
Operating Profit After
Interest and Depreciation 21.20 7.84 42.75 14.65
Other Income 9.40 3.48 9.62 3.30
Foreign Exchange Gain/ (Loss) (0.74) (0.27) (8.03) (2.75)
Profit Before tax 29.86 11.04 44.34 15.20
Withholding Taxes 2.69 0.99 0.43 0.15
Provision for Taxation
- Current (Net of MAT credit
entitlement) 2.96 1.09 6.84 2.34
- Other taxes (2.13) (0.79) (1.33) (0.46)
Profit After tax 26.34 9.74 38.40 13.16
Earning Per share (in rs. per
Equity share of face value
rs.10 each)
- Basic 8.13 11.86
- Diluted 8.13 11.86
FiNANCiAL rEsULts à Nucleus software Exports Limited (Rs. in crore)
For the Year Ended March 31, 2011 % of revenue 2010 % of revenue
revenue from operations 199.55 100.00 194.15 100.00
Software Development Expenses 133.16 66.73 125.48 64.63
Gross Profit 66.39 33.27 68.67 35.37
Selling and Marketing Expenses 18.60 9.32 14.12 7.27
General and Administration
Expenses 22.10 11.07 14.95 7.70
operating Profit (EBitDA) 25.69 12.87 39.60 20.40
Depreciation 8.10 4.06 9.80 5.05
Operating Profit After Interest
and Depreciation 17.59 8.81 29.80 15.35
Other Income 29.61 14.84 15.63 8.05
Foreign Exchange Gain/ (Loss) 0.99 0.50 (5.71) (2.94)
Profit Before tax 48.19 24.15 39.72 20.46
Withholding Taxes 1.33 0.67 0.43 0.22
Provision for Taxation
- Current (Net of MAT credit
entitlement) 3.10 1.55 6.83 3.52
- Other taxes (2.00) (1.00) (1.28) (0.66)
Profit After tax 45.76 22.93 33.74 17.38
Dividend 8.10 8.09
Tax on Dividend (0.01) 0.15
Transferred to General Reserve 4.58 3.37
Profit Retained in Profit &
Loss Account 33.09 22.13
Earning Per share (in rs. per
Equity share of face value
rs.10 each)
- Basic 14.13 10.42
- Diluted 14.12 10.42
2. RESULTS OF OPERATIONs
The financial statements of the Company are prepared in compliance with
the Companies Act, 1956 and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in
India (Indian GAAP). The Company has six subsidiary companies, all of
which are wholly- owned. The Company discloses stand-alone audited
financial results on a quarterly and annual basis, consolidated
un-audited financial results on a quarterly basis and consolidated
audited financial results on an annual basis.
(a) Consolidated operations
Your Companys revenue from operations for the year is Rs.270.48 crore
against Rs.291.78 crore in the previous year, a fall of 7%. Overall
operational expenses at Rs.240.00 crore for the year remained under
control, with only a marginal increase of 1% over Rs.237.70 crore in
the previous year. Lower revenue coupled with significant investments
in people, products and sales & marketing and under-utilization of
infrastructure resulted in a decline in the operating margins. The
Operating Profit (EBITDA) achieved is Rs.30.48 crore, 11% of revenue,
against Rs.54.08 crore, 19% of revenue in the previous year.
Profit After Tax for the year at Rs.26.34 crore, 10% of revenue, lower
by 31% over Rs.38.40 crore, 13% of revenue in the previous year.
(b) standalone operations
The total revenue from operations of your Company for the year is
Rs.199.55 crore against Rs.194.15 crore in the previous year, an
increase of 3%. Total operational expenses for the year are at
Rs.173.86 crore against Rs.154.55 crore in the previous year, an
increase of 12%. Operating Profit (EBITDA) is at Rs.25.69 crore, 13% of
revenue, against Rs.39.60 crore, 20% of revenue in the previous year.
Profit After Tax for the year at Rs.45.76 crore, 23% of revenue, higher
by 36% over Rs.33.74 crore, 17% of revenue, for the previous year. This
is after considering dividend receipt of Rs.21.00 crore from a
Companys subsidiary (Rs.7.00 crore in the previous year).
3. DiViDEND
Your Directors are pleased to recommend a dividend of 25% (Rs.2.50 per
equity share of Rs.10 each), subject to the approval by the
Shareholders at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. The total
dividend payout will be Rs.8.10 crore, being 31% of consolidated
profits for the year against a payout of Rs.8.09 crore, 21% of
consolidated profits in the previous year.
The Register of Members and Share Transfer Register shall remain closed
during the period 1st July to 8th July, 2011 (both days inclusive) for
the purpose of the Annual General Meeting and for payment of dividend.
The dividend, if approved at the Annual General Meeting, will be
payable to Members whose names appear on the Register of Members of the
Company on July 1, 2011, being the first day of Book-Closure and to
those whose names appear as beneficial owner in the records of National
Securities Depositories Ltd. and Central Depository Services (India)
Ltd. on close of business as on June 30, 2011.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 205A (5) of the Companies Act,
1956, the Company transferred the following unpaid / unclaimed
dividends relating to the following three years to the
Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) established by the
Central Government.
Dividend for the Year Amount of
Unpaid Dividend
2000-2001 Ã Interim Dividend Rs.28,762
2000-2001 Ã Final Dividend Rs.74,339
2001-2002 Ã 1st Interim Dividend Rs.58,921
2001-2002 Ã 2nd Interim Dividend Rs.50,979
2002-2003 Ã Final Dividend Rs.50,142
4. sHARE CAPITAL
The paid-up share capital as on March 31, 2011 is 32,382,524 equity
shares of Rs.10 each against 32,370,024 equity shares of Rs.10 each as
on March 31, 2010. The increase in the paid-up share capital of the
Company during the year has been due to allotment of 12,500 shares on
exercise of Employee Stock Options as per ESOP 2002.
5. REVIEW OF BUsINESS & OUTLOOK
We are a Software Product Company operating in the Banking and
Financial Services domain. Our primary customers are banks and
non-banking financial institutions and our products are largely in the
origination and management of "Retail Loans" and the management of
corporate liquidity by banks.
Putting behind fiscal 2009-10 as a year of downturn, when the annual
growth plunged to 6 percent after cumulative growth of 25-30 per cent
during the previous four years, the Information Technology industry
returned to a double-digit growth in the fiscal 2010-11, thanks to
renewed investments by global firms across verticals in IT
infrastructure, software and back office services. Growth returned to
the Industry because of transformational needs of global customers and
changing business models favoring cost effective solutions. Our
customers, banks and non-banking financial institutions, also were in
the recovery mode after the economic depression, and wanted to increase
efficiency by using technologically superior products to reduce cost,
earn better margins and in turn offer their customers value services at
lower costs. The Company received orders from all over the world,
including North Africa, Mediterranean region, America, Europe,
Australia and the Middle East. With these orders, your Company also
added 32 new customers during the year.
However, while the Product Business of the Company reflected this
change in global economic conditions with growth in revenue of 11%, the
"Projects and Services "business of the Company declined over the
previous year due to consolidation activity by some major customers,
leading to an overall decline of 7% in the revenue of the Company. This
reduction, in turn, led to lower margins and reduced profits on a
consolidated basis.
The impact of the global meltdown in 2008 was felt severely by your
company, resulting in lower revenues and profits on a consolidated
basis in 2009-10 after a peak previous year. Significant challenges on
account of vendor consolidation and budgetary constraints of major
services customers have since continued resulting in further lower
revenues in the past year. During the current year, your Company is
confident of at least reversing the downward trend, and is gearing
towards a higher revenue and profits in the ensuing years.
The future growth of your Company will lie on how well the Company
addresses the challenges such as attracting skilled manpower,
controlling high attrition and provide for increased compensation on
one hand and meeting the changing needs of its clients on the other.
With growth strategies led by innovation and intellectual property
becoming more mainstream, we believe that the Company is well placed
for growth. Greater focus in the coming years will be on processes to
improve productivity.
As per the Information Technology Annual Report 2010-1 1, Banking,
Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI) remains the largest vertical
market accounting for over 40 per cent of the Indian IT- ITeS exports
in year 2010-11. With market posing no significant constraints, we
believe that your Company is now poised to move into the next orbit ,
with its focus on delivering value to all its stakeholders.
6. NOTABLE ACCOLADEs RECEIVED DURING THE YEAR
- Forrester recognized Nucleus as a "Global Pursuer" and stated it
"regained traction in 2010". Based on the number of deals and regions
covered, Nucleus was ranked among top Banking Platform providers.
Source: Global Banking Platform Deals 2010, Forrester Research, Inc.,
31 March 2011.
- FinnOneTM ranked for the third consecutive year as the Worlds No 1
Selling Lending Software Product (for year 2010) by IBS Publishing, UK
| 2011 & ranked third in global sales across all banking products.
- Annual Report and Accounts of the Company for the year ended March
31, 2010 adjudged as the BEST under the Category VIII - Service Sector
(Other Than Banking & Insurance) (Turnover Less Than Rs.500 Crore) of
the ICAI Awards for Excellence in Financial Reporting. A GOLD SHIELD
awarded to the Company, for the third consecutive year.
- South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) adjudged Annual Report
of the Company as the recipient of the joint first runners up position
for the Best Presented Accounts Award for the year 2009 under the
Communication and Information Technology Sector Category.
- HDFC Bank, a Nucleus Software customer, won the prestigious Celent
2010 Model Bank Award for its loan origination system, FinnOneTM.
7. SUBSIDIARIES
The following table lists the subsidiaries of your Company as on March
3 1, 201 1 . All these are wholly owned subsidiaries including one
step-down subsidiary in Singapore.
Name of subsidiary Location
- Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd. Singapore
- Nucleus Software Inc. USA
- Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha Japan
- VirStra/-Technology Services Ltd. India
- Nucleus Software Netherlands B.V Netherlands
- Nucleus Software Ltd. India
step Down subsidiary of Nucleus software
Exports Ltd.
- VirStra /-Technology (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. Singapore
a) Nucleus software solutions Pte. Ltd.
Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd. (NSS) is based in Singapore. It
was incorporated in the year 1994, to expand business in South East
Asia. Currently, it is the central entity for Asia- Pacific excluding
Japan with full responsibility for business development, sale and
delivery to customers in the region.
b) Nucleus software inc.
Nucleus Software Inc. (NSI) is based in New Jersey, USA. It was
incorporated in the year 1997 for ensuring a business presence and
further growth in the Americas. NSI operates as a business development
and sales hub for the region.
c) Nucleus software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha
Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaisha (NSJKK) is based in Tokyo,
Japan. It was incorporated in the year 2001 to expand business in the
country. NSJKK operates as a business development and sales hub for
Japan, which is the single largest market for the Company.
d) Virstra i-technology services Ltd.
VirStra i-Technology Services Ltd. is based in Pune, India. It was
incorporated in the year 2004 as a development centre. This subsidiary
set up its own subsidiary VirStra i-Technology (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. in
Singapore in the year 2004 to expand its service operations in
Singapore.
e) Nucleus software Netherlands B.V.
Nucleus Software Netherlands B.V. (NSBV) is based in Amsterdam, The
Netherlands. It was incorporated in the year 2006 for a business
presence and growth of the European market. NSBV is a business
development and sales hub for Nucleus in Europe. During the year, your
Company made an additional investment of Ã100,000 in this subsidiary by
subscribing to its equity share capital.
f) Nucleus software Ltd.
Nucleus Software Ltd. (NSL) is based in New Delhi, India. It was
incorporated in the year 2008 for facilitating business through
operations in a Special Economic Zone. NSL acquired 17.41 acres of land
in Mahindra World Special Economic Zone, Jaipur and, in the first
phase, is co-developing a 250- seater facility, which will be ready by
June 2011, for software exports.
As per General Circular No: 2 /2011 issued by the Ministry of Corporate
Affairs, Government of India, a general exemption has been provided to
Companies for attaching the Directors Report, Balance Sheet and Profit
and Loss Account of all subsidiaries to its balance sheet, subject to
fulfilling certain conditions as stipulated in the circular. Your
Company complies with those conditions and, therefore, has been
generally exempted by the Central Government from attaching detailed
accounts of the subsidiaries, and accordingly, the financial statements
of the subsidiaries are not attached in the Annual Report. For
providing information to Shareholders, the annual accounts of these
subsidiary Companies along with related information are available for
inspection during business hours at the Companys registered office and
at the concerned subsidiarys offices.
8. Infrastructure
Your Company has offices at several locations across the globe. The
office space and seating capacity of these offices as on March 31, 2011
is detailed below:
office Location Area in seating
sq. ft. Capacity -
No. of Persons
NOIDA
Unit - I 87,423 705
Unit - II 90,265 778
Multi Facility Block 30,434 194
total 208,122 1,677
Chennai 13,524 209
Singapore 6,101 95
New Delhi 10,000 140
Pune 9,573 120
Mumbai 3,250 31
Dubai 1,290 17
Tokyo, Japan 728 10
Amsterdam, Netherlands 561 7
New Jersey, USA 410 4
total 253,559 2,310
NOIDA and Delhi premises are owned by the Company. All other office
premises are under lease.
9. SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE (SEZ) PROJECT
Nucleus Software Ltd. (NSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company,
had acquired 17.41 acres of land in a SEZ in Jaipur at a private sector
multi-product Special Economic Zone, "Mahindra World City" in the year
2008-09. SEZs are eligible for a host of fiscal benefits, incentives
and concessions both from the State and Union Government.
During the year, NSL acquired the status of Co-Developer for the above
land along with Mahindra World City, Jaipur Ltd. (MWCJL). This was
pursuant to approval granted by Board of Approvals (BOA) of the
Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Government of India, in their
meeting held on June 8, 2010, for developing, operating and marinating
the area of 17.41 acres in the SEZ. Your Company i.e. Nucleus Software
Exports Ltd., has received the approval from Ministry of Commerce and
Industries, Government of India, to set up a unit with a covered area
of 2,063 sq meters for a 250-person facility, which will be ready by
June 2011.
Your Company had two units registered under "Software Technology Parks"
in India during the year which were entitled to income tax exemption as
per applicable laws. Despite numerous industry representations, there
has been no extension of tax holiday enjoyed by units in STP/ FTZ under
Section 10A of the IT Act beyond 31 March 2011 and there is
additionally increase in the rate of Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) from
existing 15% to 18% (plus applicable surcharge and education cess) for
future years.
The tax implication for all the units in India will be higher w.e.f the
financial year 2011-12.
10. QUALITY PROCESSES
This year, your Company further strengthened its focus on quality.
Many new initiatives were launched during the year.
The year started with a renewed focus on closer interaction between
delivery and quality, which contributed to an increase of process
awareness for adoption of better practices resulting in better
productivity, reduced defect density and shorter development cycle.
Key focus of the new initiatives was automation of project health
dashboards and reports generation. A Project Management Tool- PMP which
was launched last year, was enhanced with new features, enabling the
project teams to have a better and more comprehensive perspective on
the project progress. Parameters for monitoring of project health were
revised to reflect project health from multiple view points, which
provides a closer to accurate status of the projects health to the
project team and the senior management.
Your Company understands the importance of having good processes, and
is continuously working on improving its processes by ensuring that
they meet the business objectives. There is a clear focus on
implementation of Industry Best Practices. A dedicated team is
responsible for collecting improvement suggestions from across the
organization and incorporating them in the organization standard
processes.
Defect prevention has become the prime focus and in this regard, new
trainings have been launched and project teams are being trained. This
is expected to result in further reduction of rework effort and defect
density, which are benchmarks for measuring product quality.
11. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Your Company operates in a knowledge-based industry where high
intellectual human capital leads to a significant competitive
advantage. With a global explosion in market opportunities in the IT
sector, the shortage of manpower both in numbers and skills is becoming
a prime challenge. The related issues are varied indeed:
- Recruitment of world-class workforce and their retention,
- Compensation and career planning,
- Technological obsolescence and employee turnover.
In todays world, the HR function assumes a bigger role of an HR
facilitator, one that facilitates the change processes. The HR
facilitator needs to involve the entire organisation in this process
and act as a guide, coach and counselor.
The year gone by witnessed business growth challenges and
consolidation. The Companys HR function continued its focus on
managing most of the requirements with internal resource movements and
improving productivity of the existing teams. Post-recession, the
attrition rate in the IT industry has risen again and has become one of
the major challenges faced by the industry. As the industry recovers
fully from the economic downturn, lateral hiring has reached its peak
which in turn has resulted in widespread attrition. The Company has
reworked on its freshers hiring programme. Besides depending upon
campus recruitments, it has established Nucleus School of Banking and
Technology (NSBT), as a division of your Company to provide focussed
role-based training programs specializing in the Banking & Financial
Service Industry Technology segment. In the past one
year, over two hundred NSBT trained freshers were inducted in your
Company. In future too, more trained freshers would be hired from NSBT.
During the year, new Development and Training programs were designed to
enhance skills related to Project Management, Business Analysis,
Product Knowledge and Role Realignment. Mid-term salary revision was
done during the year to rationalize compensation of the deserving
employees.
Various measures were initiated in the Company to improve employee
productivity. Project Incentive policy was rolled out during the year
to motivate employees to achieve project completions on time and
achieve higher customer satisfaction ratings. Communication with
employees was regularized through monthly open houses where open
discussions were held between the Management and the Nucleites. The new
concept of Business HR Representatives in respective IBUs was very well
received and has proved helpful in ensuring effective and positive
employee engagement.
On a consolidated basis, the employee strength as at the end of the
year stood at 1,720.
12. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO sHAREHOLDERS
Detailed information to the shareholders in the form of "Shareholders
Referencer" is provided later in this report.
13. SECRETARIAL AUDIT
In order to strengthen the internal processes of the secretarial
department of your Company, an assignment was given for a comprehensive
Secretarial Audit for the calendar year 2010, to a professional Company
Secretary firm. While the audit revealed that the Company was in
compliance of all laws/regulations, some recommendations made by the
Secretarial Auditor for adopting Best Practices are now being
implemented. This is a voluntary initiative undertaken by the Company
to adopt the best practices and procedures. Certificate obtained in
this regard is provided as Annexure A to the Report on Corporate
Governance.
The Company endeavors to comply to the extent possible and relevant
with the non mandatory Secretarial Standards issued by the Institute of
Company Secretaries of India (ICSI).
14. LIQUIDITY AND CAsH EQUIVALENTS
Your Company continues to retain its status of a debt-free Company. The
Company has been conservative in its investment policy over the years,
maintaining a reasonably high level of cash and cash equivalents which
enables the Company to completely eliminate short and medium term
liquidity risks.
Cash and cash equivalents constitute 65% of the total assets at
Rs.187.51 crore, at the year end, against Rs.162.41 crore, 60% of total
assets at the close of the previous year.
An amount of Rs.40.37 crore, as on March 31, 2011 was in bank fixed
deposits at an average interest rate of 9.05% per annum and Rs.125.76
crore in liquid schemes and fixed maturity plans of various mutual
funds. The mix between fixed deposits, liquid schemes and fixed
maturity plans is a function of the prevailing interest rates.
15. FOREIGN EXCHANGE RISK
The Indian Rupee continued to remain volatile in FY 2010-11. After
closing at 45.09 per US Dollar end of March 2010, it touched 47.70 on
the lower side in May 2010 and 44.10 on the higher
side in October 2010. It closed the financial year at 44.68 per US
Dollar, strengthened by 0.91 per cent against the US dollar during the
year ended March, 2011. Overall, there was no significant year- end
change compared to a year ago, but volatility during the year was a
major challenge.
While exchange rates are determined by macro level parameters in India,
especially inward fund flows in a limited capital account.
Convertibility scenario is incumbent upon the management to follow a
prudent policy to hedge the foreign currency risk, without taking
speculative positions. The Company has a conservative approach and does
not speculate in foreign currency markets. Forwards are held to
maturity and regular reporting and monitoring systems are in place
including quarterly updates to the Audit Committee.
During the year, the Company followed a well-defined policy of hedging
close to receivables through Forward Contracts which are designated as
Highly Probable forecast transactions. We had hedged our receivables
at higher spot rates and with Rupee appreciation in past year, this has
resulted in favourable contribution to the revenue. There have,
however, been losses below the EBITDA line due to translation of
receivables and other foreign currency current assets held in India.
At the year end, the Company had US$ 13.75 million of hedges compared
to US$ 10.40 million at the beginning of the year.
16. FiXED DEPosits
Your Company has not accepted any deposits and, as such, no amount of
principal or interest was outstanding on the date of the Balance Sheet.
17. AUDitors
The present Statutory Auditors of the Company, Deloitte Haskins &
Sells, retire at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting, and are
eligible for re-appointment. The retiring Auditors have furnished a
certificate of their eligibility for re-appointment under section 224
(1B) of the Companies Act, 1956 and have indicated their willingness to
continue.
18. Directors
The Articles of Association of the Company provide that at least
two-thirds of our Directors shall be subject to retirement by rotation.
One third of these retiring Directors must retire from office at each
Annual General Meeting of the shareholders. A retiring Director is
eligible for re-election.
Mr. Janki Ballabh, Chairman and Mr. Prithvi Haldea, Director of the
Company, shall retire at the ensuing Annual General Meeting, and have
offered themselves for re-appointment.
19. CORPORATE GoVERNANCE
We, at Nucleus believe that good and effective Corporate Governance is
more of an organization culture than mere adherence to the applicable
rules. Laws alone cannot bring changes and transformation and voluntary
compliance both in form and in substance plays an important role in
developing a system of good Corporate Governance.
Good Corporate Governance and Risk Management frameworks at Nucleus put
in place over the years ensure a values-driven approach, sound business
practices, fundamentally strong control environment, strong information
systems, effective early warning mechanisms and real-time response
system.
The Company is in compliance of all mandatory requirements regarding
Corporate Governance as stipulated under Clause 49 of the listing
agreement with the stock exchange(s). For the fiscal year ending 2011,
the compliance report is provided in the Corporate Governance section
of this Annual Report. A certificate issued by the statutory auditors
of the Company on confirming compliance of the conditions of Corporate
Governance stipulated in Clause 49 of the listing agreement with the
stock exchange(s) is provided as Annexure B to the Report on Corporate
Governance.
20. POSTAL BALLOT
During the year, one special resolution was passed by the Shareholders
of the Company through Postal Ballot for alteration
of main objects of the Company and alteration of the objects incidental
or ancillary to the attainment of main objects of the Company under
Section 17 of the Companies Act, 1956. The details of the postal ballot
are mentioned in the report on Corporate Governance.
21. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) as an initiative was further
strengthened during the year. A quarterly update on the CSR activities
is placed before the Board every quarter for review. Employee
participation in such CSR initiatives is actively encouraged and
supported by the Company. A separate chapter detailing CSR activities
of the Company is provided later in this report.
22. EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLAN
Particulars 2002 Plan 2005 Plan 2006 Plan
(a) Total number of
options under the Plan 225,000 6,00,000 1,000,000
(b) Pricing formula 75% of the 100% of the 100% of the
Fair Market Fair Market Fair Market
Price as on Price as on Price as on
date of
grant date of
grant date of
grant
(c) Options granted
during the year à 3,560 Ã
(d) Options vested as
of March 31, 2011 49,550 43,920 48,002
(e) (i) Options exercised
during the year 6,250 Ã Ã
(ii) Total number of shares
arising as a result of
exercise of above 12,500 Ã Ã
options during the year*
(f) Options forfeited
during the year à 8,440 3,500
(g) Option lapsed during
the year 17,500 13,572 36,600
(h) Variation of terms of
options during the year à à Ã
(i) Amount realized by
exercise of options
during the year à à Ã
(j) Total number of options
in force as on March
31,2011 49,550 43,900 84,002
(k) Details of options
granted during the year
ended March 31, 2011 to:
(i) Senior managerial
personnel of the Company** Ã 10 Ã
(ii) any other employee who
receives a grant in any
one year of à à Ã
option amounting to 5%
or more of option granted
during that year.
(iii) identified employees
who were granted option,
during any one à à Ã
year, equal to or exceeding
1% of the issued capital
(excluding outstanding
warrants and conversion)
of the Company at the time of
grant.
(l) Weighted average exercise
price of options à 144.00 268.64
(m) Weighted average fair
value of the options à 33.13 209.49
Your Company has used intrinsic value of stock options to determine
compensation cost. If the compensation cost for the ESOPs had been
determined in a manner with the fair value approach, the Companys net
income and EPS would have been impacted as below:
Net income
As reported rs.45.76 crore
Less: Adjusted Amount Rs.0.37 crore
Adjusted Net income rs.45.39 crore
Basic and Diluted EPs
As reported
Basic Rs.14.13
Diluted Rs.14.12
After Adjustment
Basic Rs.14.02
Diluted Rs.14.01
Your Company has adopted Black Scholes option pricing model to
determine the fair value of stock options.
the significant assumptions are:
1. Risk free interest rate 7.64%
2. Expected life 1-4 years
3. Expected volatility 51.34% to
149.75%
4. Expected dividend yield 1.66%
5. Market price grant wise,
Plan wise on date of grant: (In Rs.)
ESOP (2005) 144.00
ESOP (2006) 117.00 to 568.00
23. CONSERVATION OF ENERGY, TECHNOLOGY ABSRPTION, FOREIGN EXCHANGE
EARNINGS AND OUTGO
The particulars as prescribed under subsection (1)(e) of Section 217 of
the Companies act, 1956, read with the Companies (Disclosure of
Particulars in the report of Board of Directors) Rules, 1988, are set
out in Annexure-A which forms part of this Report.
24. PARTICULARS OF EMPLOYEES
The information required under Section 217(2A) of the Companies Act,
1956 read with Companies (Particulars of Employees) Rules, 1975, and
forming part of the Directors Report for the year ended March 31, 2011
is annexed as Annexure B.
25. DIRECTORS RESPONSIBILITY
Pursuant to Section 217 (2AA) of the Companies (Amendment) Act, 2000
the Directors confirm that:
(i) in the preparation of the annual accounts, the applicable
accounting standards have been followed along with proper explanation
relating to material departures;
(ii) the Directors have selected such accounting policies and applied
them consistently, except where otherwise stated in the notes on
accounts, and made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and
prudent so as to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of
the Company at the end of the financial year and of the profit or loss
of the Company for that period;
(iii) the Directors have taken proper and sufficient care for the
maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the
provisions of this Act for safeguarding the assets of the Company and
for preventing and detecting fraud and other irregularities;
(iv) the Directors have prepared the annual accounts on a going concern
basis.
26. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Your Directors would like to place on record their gratitude for the
co-operation received from the Government of India, the Customs and
Excise Departments, Software Technology Park- Noida, Software
Technology Park-Chennai, Software Technology Park-Pune and all other
government agencies.
Your Directors also thank all the customers, vendors, shareholders and
bankers of the Company for their support to the Company, and wish to
place on record its sincere appreciation of the contribution made by
all the employees.
For and on behalf of the Board of Directors
NOIDA (U.P.) Janki Ballabh
May 1, 2011 Chairman
Mar 31, 2010
We have pleasure in presenting your Companys Twenty First Annual
Report, together with the Audited Statement of Accounts, for the year
ended March 31, 2010.
1. FINANCIAL RESULTS - Consolidated
(Rs. in crore)
For the Year Ended March 31, 2010 % of 2009 % of
Revenue Revenue
Revenue from Operations 291.78 100.00 328.40 100.00
Software Development Expenses 196.17 67.23 222.55 67.77
Gross Profit 95.61 32.77 105.85 32.23
Selling and Marketing Expenses 22.66 7.77 27.80 8.47
General and Administration
Expenses 18.87 6.47 28.45 8.66
Operating Profit (EBITDA) 54.08 18.53 49.60 15.10
Depreciation 11.33 3.88 13.28 4.04
Withholding Taxes Charged off 0.43 0.15 7.26 2.21
Operating Profit After Interest,
Depreciation and Withholding Taxes 42.32 14.50 29.06 8.85
Foreign Exchange Gain / (Loss) (8.03) (2.75) (7.92) (2.41)
Other Income 9.62 3.30 13.71 4.17
Profit Before Tax 43.91 15.05 34.85 10.61
Provision for Taxation
à Current 8.99 3.08 5.38 1.64
à MAT Credit Entitlement (2.15) (0.74) (2.02) (0.62)
à Fringe Benefit 0.03 0.01 0.70 0.21
à Deferred (1.36) (0.47) (1.49) (0.45)
à Earlier Year Tax -- -- 0.02 0.01
Profit After Tax 38.40 13.16 32.26 9.82
Earning Per Share (in Rs. per Equity Share
of face value Rs. 10 each)
à Basic 11.86 9.97
à Diluted 11.86 9.96
FINANCIAL RESULTS - Nucleus Software Exports Limited
(Rs. in crore)
For the Year Ended March 31, 2010 % of 2009 % of
Revenue Revenue
Revenue from Operations 194.15 100.00 209.43 100.00
Software Development Expenses 125.48 64.63 130.73 62.42
Gross Profit 68.67 35.37 78.70 37.58
Selling and Marketing Expenses 14.12 7.27 18.73 8.94
General and Administration Expenses 14.95 7.70 21.77 10.39
Operating Profit (EBITDA) 39.60 20.40 38.20 18.24
Depreciation 9.80 5.05 10.12 4.83
Withholding Taxes Charged off 0.43 0.22 7.26 3.47
Operating Profit after Interest,
Depreciation and Withholding Taxes 29.37 15.13 20.82 9.94
Foreign Exchange Gain / (Loss) (5.71) (2.94) (8.81) (4.21)
Other Income 15.63 8.05 16.56 7.91
Profit Before Tax 39.29 20.24 28.57 13.64
Provision for Taxation
à Current 6.83 3.52 3.36 1.60
à MAT Credit Entitlement -- -- (0.52) (0.25)
à Fringe Benefit 0.03 0.02 0.70 0.33
à Deferred (1.31) (0.67) (1.31) (0.63)
à Earlier Year Tax -- -- 0.19 0.09
Profit After Tax 33.74 17.38 26.15 12.49
Dividend 8.09 8.09
Ta x on Dividend 0.15 0.65
Transferred to General Reserve 3.37 2.61
Profit Retained in Profit &
Loss Account 22.13 14.80
Earning Per Share (in Rs. per
Equity Share of face value
Rs. 10 each)
à Basic 10.42 8.08
à Diluted 10.42 8.08
2. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
(a) Consolidated Operations
Your Companys revenue from operations for the year is Rs.291.78 crore
against Rs.328.40 crore in the previous year, a fall of 11%. Total
operational expenses for the year are at Rs.237.70 crore against
Rs.278.80 crore in the previous year, a reduction of 15%. Despite a
fall in revenue precipitated by global meltdown and slow recovery, the
Company was able to achieve an increase in the operating margins by 343
basis points, as it was able to put in place well in time several cost
control measures. As a result, the Operating Profit (EBITDA) achieved
was Rs.54.08 crore, 19% of revenue, against Rs.49.60 crore, 15% of
revenue in the previous year.
Profit after Ta x for the year at Rs.38.40 crore, 13% of revenue, is
higher by 19% over Rs.32.26 crore, 10% of revenue, for the previous
year.
(b) Standalone Operations
The total revenue from operations for the year is Rs.194.15 crore
against Rs.209.43 crore in the previous year, a fall of 7%. Total
operational expenses for the year are at Rs.154.55 crore against
Rs.171.23 crore in the previous year, a reduction of 10%. Operating
Profit (EBITDA) is at Rs. 39.60 crore, 20% of revenue, against Rs.38.20
crore, 18% of revenue in the previous year.
Profit after Ta x for the year at Rs.33.74 crore, 17% of revenue, is
higher by 29% over Rs.26.15 crore, 12% of revenue, in the previous
year.
3. DIVIDEND
Your Directors are pleased to recommend a dividend of 25% (Rs.2.50 per
equity share of Rs.10 each), subject to the approval by the
Shareholders at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.
The total amount of dividend payout will be Rs.8.09 crore, 21% of
consolidated profits for the year, against a payout of Rs.8.09 crore,
25% of consolidated profits in the previous year.
The Register of Members and Share Transfer Register shall remain closed
during the period starting 17th June to 24th June 2010 (both days
inclusive) for the purpose of Annual General Meeting and for payment of
dividend. The dividend, if approved at the Annual General Meeting, will
be payable to members whose names appear on the Register of Members of
the Company on June 17, 2010, being the first day of Book-Closure and
to those whose names appear as beneficial owner in the records of
National Securities Depositories Ltd. and Central Depository Services
(India) Ltd. on close of business as on June 16, 2010.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 205A (5) of the Companies Act,
1956, the Company transferred the following unpaid /unclaimed dividends
relating to the following two years to the Investor Education and
Protection Fund (IEPF) established by the Central Government.
Dividend for the Year Amount of
Unpaid Dividend
2000-2001 - Interim Dividend Rs.28,762
2000-2001 - Final Dividend Rs.74,339
2001-2002 - 1st Interim Dividend Rs.58,921
2001-2002 - 2nd Interim Dividend Rs.50,979
4. SHARE CAPITAL
The paid-up share capital as on March 31, 2010 was 32,370,024 equity
shares of Rs.10 each. There has been no increase in the paid-up share
capital of the Company during the year.
5. REVIEW OF BUSINESS & OUTLOOK
We are a Software Product Company operating in the Banking and
Financial Services Domain. Our customers are banks and non-banking
financial institutions and our products are largely in the origination
and management of "Retail Loans", and the management of corporate
liquidity by banks .The Global Financial Crisis was characterized by
near universal uncertainty about bank solvency , the collapse /rescue
of large financial institutions , severe credit squeeze, lack of
liquidity for industry and the consequent negative effect on the Real
economy. There were Government bailouts and global co-operation across
the so called developed and emerging markets. Though the 2010 global
GDP forecast is 2.7%, the recent events in the Euro zone and the need
to finance huge fiscal deficits, do underline the fragility of the
Global recovery.
The fiscal year ended March 2010 had challenges with slow decision
making by the customers and, increasing price competition. In addition,
there was a partial cancellation of a major customer order of our
subsidiary in Japan. While there is no current or future liability
arising from this partial cancellation, the learnings have been
imbibed which will make us focus on skill development and training,
appropriate to the business and cultural nuances specific to each
country that we deal with.
While the initial response by our customers, existing and prospective,
was to postpone their spending decisions, including on IT products,
there are now signs of increased interest, especially in end-to- end
solutions and for innovative product-based solutions and pricing models
to improve the offerings. Several banks and financial institutions are
now willing to commit to product orders. This trend is being witnessed
in almost all markets, including Latin America.
There are clear signs that the developing countries are now excelling
at business innovation and technology and will lead the way in the
future. This is already visible in the Mobile banking and money
exchange segments with Inclusive banking being the dominant trend to
take banking to the masses. Your Company is investing in new technology
to upgrade its existing product portfolio and at the same time looking
at new products and applications, both from an organic and an inorganic
growth perspective. Of course, the focus of your Company would continue
to be on development of software products for the Banking and Financial
Institutions.
6. NOTABLE ACCOLADES RECEIVED DURING THE YEAR
à Nucleus Softwares FinnOneTM has been ranked Worlds No 1 Selling
Lending Software product by IBS Publishing for the second consecutive
year in 2009.
à The Annual Report of Nucleus Software for year ended March 31, 2009
has been adjudged as the BEST under the category Information
Technology, Communication and Entertainment enterprises of the ICAI
Awards for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). A GOLD SHIELD was awarded to the
Company, for the second consecutive year.
à Nucleus Software has been ranked among the Top 25 companies adopting
"Good Corporate Governance Practices" by ICSI for fourth consecutive
year in 2009.
à South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) has adjudged Nucleus
Annual Report as the recipient of the Merit Position for the Best
Presented Accounts and Corporate Governance Disclosures Award 2008
under the category of Corporate Governance Disclosure.
à Forrester Research, a leading independent analyst firm, has
recognized Nucleus Software as an industry vertical specialist in their
recent report "Working with Tier Tw o Offshore Providers".
7. SUBSIDIARIES
The Company has following wholly owned subsidiaries:
Name of Subsidiary Location
à Nucleus Software Solutions Pte. Ltd. Singapore
à Nucleus Software Inc. USA
à Nucleus Software Japan Kabushiki Kaiga Japan
à VirStra I- Technology Services Ltd. India
à Nucleus Software Netherlands B.V. Netherlands
à Nucleus Software Ltd. India
Step Down Subsidiary of Nucleus Software Exports Ltd.
à VirStra I- Technology (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. Singapore
During the year, your Company made an additional investment of C
100,000 in Nucleus Software Netherlands B.V., by subscribing to its
equity share capital. The Company also received an interim dividend of
Rs. 7 crore from VirStra i-Technology Services Ltd., a wholly owned
subsidiary.
In order to rationalize operations, the Board of Directors of your
Company, in the previous financial year, decided closure of two wholly
owned subsidiaries viz. Nucleus Software (Australia) Pty Ltd.,
Australia, and Nucleus Software (HK) Ltd., Hong Kong, subject to
necessary regulatory approvals. During the year, Nucleus Software (HK)
Ltd., Hongkong, was de-registered as per the applicable laws of Hong
Kong and Nucleus Software (Australia) Pty Ltd., Australia was
de-registered on April 5, 2010 as per the applicable laws of Australia.
As per Section 212 of the Companies Act, 1956, a Company is required to
attach the Directors Report, Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Account
of all subsidiaries to its balance sheet. Your Company has been
presenting the audited consolidated accounts in the Annual Report in
the past in accordance with Indian GAAP, which give a full and fair
presentation of the Companys financials in keeping with global best
practices. Accordingly, your Company applied to the Central Government
for an exemption from attaching detailed accounts of the subsidiaries.
The Government has granted exemption to the Company from Section 212 of
the Companies Act, 1956 and accordingly, the financial statements of
the subsidiaries are not attached in the Annual Report.
For providing information to Shareholders, the annual accounts of these
subsidiary Companies along with related information are available for
inspection during business hours at the Companys registered office and
at the concerned subsidiarys offices.
8. INFRASTRUCTURE
Your Company has offices in several locations across the globe. The
office space and seating capacity of these offices is detailed below:
Office Location Area in Sq. ft. Seating Capacity
- No. of Persons
Noida
Unit - I 87,423 705
Unit - II 90,265 778
Multi Facility Block 30,433 194
Total 208,122 1,677
Chennai 13,524 209
Singapore 12,379 201
New Delhi 10,000 140
Pune 9,573 120
Mumbai 3,250 31
Dubai 1,290 17
Japan 431 5
Amsterdam 561 7
USA 410 4
Total 259,540 2,411
Noida and New Delhi premises are owned by the Company and the other
office premises are under lease.
9. SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE (SEZ) PROJECT
Nucleus Software Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, had
acquired 17.41 acres of land in a SEZ in Jaipur at a private sector
multi-product Special Economic Zone, "Mahindra World City" in the year
2008-09. SEZs are eligible for a host of fiscal benefits, incentives
and concessions both from the State and Union Government.
On account of the economic downturn, the Company decided to defer the
plans for commencing operations at the SEZ. The basic infrastructural
work has now commenced and we expect to commission a 250-person
facility before March, 2011.
10. QUALITY PROCESSES
Your Company continues its focus on Quality. To further augment this,
during the year, your Company engaged external consultants to
familiarize Project Managers with Best Practices of the industry.
On-job handholding sessions were organized to enhance key
process/metrics concepts of the practitioners. The Capability Maturity
Model Integration (CMMI) initiative progressed as per schedule with the
appraisal of implementation status of various process areas required
for Maturity Level 3. This helped in further institutionalization of
processes across the organization in a sustained manner.
A Project Management tool- PMP, which was developed in-house, was
launched during the year for better planning and management of product
development, implementation of projects. Extensive training on PMP and
related tools was conducted to make users come up the curve within a
short period. New and enhanced process steps were formulated to
eliminate waste and improve efficiencies. These were included in the
in-house software process standards and have been made applicable to
all the employees.
Your Company is also focusing on a high-quality "Voice of Customer"
(Customer Satisfaction Rating) system. A centralized business analyst
pool has been created to interact with customers to ensure that their
requirements are clearly documented and understood, and are
communicated to the Delivery Team. During the year, your Company also
created a Delivery Assurance Group to facilitate development and
implementation of standard processes.
11. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Your Company strongly believes that it is only investing in people that
will make your Company scale new heights,
which in turn would ensure better performance and sustainability of the
Company, the society, the economy and the environment. Being a
knowledge-based industry, a high intellectual capital lends competitive
advantage to a firm; intellectual capital that comprise of human
capital and intellectual assets.
The year witnessed new challenges as the IT sector in India started
recovering from a severe recession and IT companies started recruiting
once again. During the year, your Companys HR team focused on
providing cost-efficient solutions and leveraging economies of scale
through manpower planning (ramp up and ramp down), compensation and
benefits, to align with the business in hand and the future pipeline.
Employee retention strategies were worked out for key resources.
Regular communication with Nucleites, open houses and understanding and
resolving their concerns was a major activity during the year. A
special interim appraisal for employees was also carried out during the
year.
Focus was imparted on managing manpower requirements with the internal
movement of resources, at the same time maintaining and improving
productivity of the existing teams. Selective hiring was done for
skills not available internally and temporary and contract staff were
hired for short-term requirements of the projects.
Project Management and Business Analysis competencies were further
strengthened through new hiring and series of training sessions which
culminate in internal competency assessments (ICA) and certifications.
Extensive skill enhancement programs were conducted for technology and
framework knowledge of products, and product knowledge was captured and
translated into Computer-Based Trainings (CBTs).This ensured the
building of knowledge repository at the organization level.
12. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO SHAREHOLDERS
Detailed information to the shareholders in the form of "Shareholders
Referencer" is provided later in this report.
13. SECRETARIAL AUDIT
In order to strengthen the internal processes of the secretarial
department of your Company, an assignment was given for a comprehensive
Secretarial Audit to a professional Company Secretary firm. While the
audit revealed that the Company was in compliance of all
laws/regulations, some recommendations made by the Secretarial Auditor
for adopting Best Practices are now being implemented.
14. LIQUIDITY AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Your Company continues to retain its status of a debt-free Company. It
has been consistently following a conservative investment policy over
the years, maintaining a reasonably high level of cash and cash
equivalents, which enable the Company to completely eliminate short and
medium term liquidity risks.
Our liquidity position continue to be strong with cash and cash
equivalents reaching 60% of our total assets at Rs.162.40 crore at the
year end, against Rs.122.18 crore, 51% of total assets at the close of
the previous year.
During the year, working capital requirements, capital expenditure and
dividend payments were more than adequately covered by the internal
cash accruals. An amount of Rs.38.68 crore, as on March 31, 2010 was in
bank fixed deposits at an average interest rate of 4.69% per annum net
of tax, and Rs.95.66 crore was in Liquid and Liquid Plus schemes of
various mutual funds, in dally dividend schemes with full liquidity.
The mix between deposits and liquid mutual funds is a function of the
prevailing interest rates.
15. FOREIGN EXCHANGE RISK
The Indian Rupee strengthened by 11 per cent against the US dollar
during the year ended March, 2010, from Rs.50.74 per Dollar end-March
2009 to Rs.45.09 per Dollar end-March 2010.
With continued foreign capital inflows, largely portfolio investments,
seeking participation in the country, with the second highest GDP
growth rate in the world, the Rupee also appreciated by 5.5 per cent
against the Pound Sterling, 9.44 per cent against the Euro and 7.35 per
cent against the Japanese Yen.
However, this firming Rupee on the back of rising foreign investments
in Indias fast growing economy, poses a challenge to the industry,
which is substantially export- oriented. At a macro level, high
inflation, continuing current account deficit and the fiscal deficit do
indicate a weakening of Rupee. However, the exchange rate continues to
be influenced by short term flows and there is a loss in
competitiveness especially with China, which has held the exchange rate
steady for almost 18 months.
While the Company cannot directly influence the exchange rates, it is
incumbent upon the management to follow a prudent policy to hedge the
foreign currency risk, but without taking speculative positions. The
Company has a conservative approach and does not speculate in foreign
currency markets. Forwards are held to maturity and regular reporting
and monitoring systems are in place including quarterly updates to the
Audit Committee.
During the year, the Company followed a well-defined hedging policy of
hedging close to receivables through Forward Contracts which are
designated Highly Probable Forecast Transactions. With Rupee
appreciation, this has resulted in favorable contribution to the
revenue. There have, however , been losses below the EBITDA line due to
translation of receivables and other foreign currency current assets
held in India.
At the year end, the Company had US$ 10.40 million of hedges compared
to US$ 9.15 million at the beginning of the year.
16. FIXED DEPOSITS
Your Company has not accepted any deposits and, as such, no amount of
principal or interest was outstanding on the date of the Balance Sheet.
17. AUDITORS
The present Statutory Auditors of the Company, B S R & Co, retire at
the forthcoming Annual General Meeting, and are eligible for
re-appointment.
The Board of Directors have formally approved a Policy for Rotation of
Statutory Auditors of the Company in their meeting held on January 17,
2010. According to the Policy, the Statutory Auditors of the Company
will have a maximum tenure of 6 years. The first proposal for rotation
of Statutory Auditors for the year 2010-11 has been recommended by the
Board to the Shareholders in the forthcoming Annual General Meeting of
the Company, for their approval, pursuant to the receipt of Special
Notice from a member of the Company in terms of Section 190 to be read
with Section 225(1) of the Companies Act, 1956, proposing the
appointment of Deloitte Haskins & Sells, Chartered Accoutants, New
Delhi as Statutory Auditors of the Company from the conclusion of the
ensuing Annual General Meeting till the conclusion of the next Annual
General Meeting. Deloitte Haskins & Sells have expressed their
willingness to act as Statutory Auditors of the Company, if appointed,
and have further confirmed that the said appointment would be in
conformity with the provisions of Section 224(1B) of the Companies Act,
1956.
Ensuring quality and independent audit has been a long- standing
objective of good Corporate Governance at Nucleus. Adoption of the
Rotation Policy will be a significant move in that direction. It is
also expected to improve Auditors independence and enhance audit
quality.
18. DIRECTORS
The Articles of Association of the Company provide that at least
two-thirds of our Directors shall be subject to retirement by rotation.
One third of these retiring directors must retire from office at each
Annual General Meeting of the shareholders. A retiring Director is
eligible for re-election.
Mr. Arun Shekhar Aran and Mr. Sanjiv Sarin, Directors of the Company,
shall retire at the ensuing Annual General Meeting, and have offered
themselves for re-appointment.
Mr. Janki Ballabh was appointed as an Additional Director and Chairman
of the Board on November 15, 2008. The shareholders at the Annual
General Meeting held on July 8, 2009, approved his appointment as a
Director liable to retire by rotation. At the same time, Mr. Ballabh
was re- elected as the Chairman of the Board by the Board of Directors.
Mr. Suresh Joshi, a Non-Executive Director liable to retire by rotation
at the Annual General Meeting held on July 8, 2009, vacated his office
as he did not offer himself for re- appointment due to his advancing
age.
19. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Good Corporate Governance and Risk Management frameworks at Nucleus put
in place over the years ensure a value-driven approach, sound business
practices, fundamentally strong control environment, strong information
systems, effective early warning mechanisms and real-time response
system.
We, at Nucleus, believe that good and effective Corporate Governance is
more of values and culture and not just compliance of laws and
regulations in general, and Corporate Governance guidelines in
particular. It is true that the law alone cannot bring changes and
transformation. Voluntary compliance both in form and in substance, and
going beyond that, plays an important role in developing a system of
good Corporate Governance.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), released in December 2009, the
voluntary guidelines on Corporate Governance, drawn from best
practices. Although voluntary in nature, listed companies are expected
to be proactive in compliance and provide reasons of non-compliance of
any section, if any. Although your Company is already compliant with
most of the sections, the Corporate Governance Committee of your
Company has charted the plan for implementation of some of the new
suggestions. The section-wise response to these Guidelines is provided
later in this report.
In recognition of the Corporate Governance policies and practices
implemented both in form and substance, your Company was short listed
as one of the Top 25 Companies adopting "Good Corporate Governance
Practices" by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India for the
fourth consecutive year in 2009.
20. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)
A new renewed area of focus for your Company during the year was
Corporate Social responsibility (CSR). On the basis of directions
provided by the Board of Directors, many programmes have been initiated
to promote CSR activities. A separate chapter detailing CSR activities
of the Company is provided later in this report.
Your Company has used intrinsic value of stock options to determine
compensation cost. If the compensation cost for the ESOPs had been
determined in a manner with the fair value approach, the Companys net
income and EPS would have been impacted as below:
Net Income
As Reported Rs. 33.74 crore
Less: Adjusted
Amount Rs. 0.82 crore
Adjusted Net Income Rs. 32.92 crore
Basic and Diluted EPS
As Reported
Basic Rs.10.42
Diluted Rs.10.42
After Adjustment
Basic Rs.10.17
Diluted Rs.10.17
Your Company has adopted Black Scholes option pricing model to
determine the fair value of stock options.
The significant assumptions are:
1. Risk free interest rate 8.00%
2. Expected life 1-4 years
3. Expected volatility 42.06% to 149.75%
4. Expected dividend yield 0.84%
5. Market price grant wise,
Plan wise on date of grant: (In Rs.)
ESOP (2002) 193.95 to 505.00
ESOP (2005) 357.00 and 320.00
ESOP (2006) 117.00 to 568.00
22. CONSERVATION OF ENERGY, TECHNOLOGY ABSORPTION, FOREIGN EXCHANGE
EARNINGS AND OUTGO
The particulars as prescribed under subsection (1)(e) of Section 217 of
the Companies act, 1956, read with the Companies (Disclosure of
Particulars in the report of Board of Directors) Rules, 1988, are set
out in Annexure-A which forms part of this Report.
23. PARTICULARS OF EMPLOYEES
The information required under Section 217(2A) of the Companies Act,
1956 read with Companies (Particulars of Employees) Rules, 1975, and
forming part of the Directors Report for the year ended March 31, 2010
is annexed as Annexure-B.
24. DIRECTORS RESPONSIBILITY
Pursuant to Section 217 (2AA) of the Companies (Amendment) Act, 2000
the Directors confirm that:
(i) in the preparation of the annual accounts, the applicable
accounting standards have been followed along with proper explanation
relating to material departures;
(ii) the Directors have selected such accounting policies and applied
them consistently, except where otherwise stated in the notes on
accounts, and made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and
prudent so as to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of
the Company at the end of the financial year and of the profit or loss
of the Company for that period;
(iii) the Directors have taken proper and sufficient care for the
maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the
provisions of this Act for safeguarding the assets of the Company and
for preventing and detecting fraud and other irregularities;
(iv) the Directors have prepared the annual accounts on a going concern
basis.
25. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Your Directors would like to place on record their gratitude for the
co-operation received from the Government of India, the Customs and
Excise Departments, Software Technology Park-Noida, Software Technology
Park-Chennai, Software Technology Park-Pune and all other government
agencies.
Your Directors also thank all the customers, vendors, shareholders and
bankers for their support to the Company. The Board, in specific,
wishes to place on record its sincere appreciation of the contribution
made by all the employees towards the continued growth of the Company.
For and on behalf of the Board of Directors
Noida (U.P.) Janki Ballabh
April 25, 2010 Chairman
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