To the Members of Marico Limited
Report on the Audit of the Standalone Financial Statements
Opinion
We have audited the standalone financial statements of Marico Limited (the "Company") and its and employee welfare trust which comprise the standalone balance sheet as at March 31, 2023, and the standalone statement of profit and loss (including other comprehensive income), standalone statement of changes in equity and standalone statement of cash flows for the year then ended, and notes to the standalone financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.
In our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the aforesaid standalone financial statements give the information required by the Companies Act, 2013 ("Act") in the manner so required and give a true and fair view in conformity with the accounting principles generally accepted in India, of the state of affairs of the Company as at March 31,2023, and its profit and other comprehensive income, changes in equity and its cash flows for the year ended on that date.
Basis for Opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with the Standards on Auditing (SAs) specified under Section 143(10) of the Act. Our responsibilities under those SAs are further described in the Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Standalone Financial Statements section of our report. We are independent of the Company in accordance with the Code of Ethics issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India together with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the standalone financial statements under the provisions of the Act and the Rules thereunder, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements and the Code of Ethics. We believe that the audit evidence obtained by us is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion on the standalone financial statements.
Key Audit Matters
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgment, were of most significance in our audit of the standalone financial statements of the current period. These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the standalone financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters.
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Revenue Recognition
Refer note (d) of Significant Accounting Policies and Note 18 to the standalone financial statements
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The key audit matter
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How the matter was addressed in our audit
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Revenue is recognised based on the arrangement with customers.
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In view of the significance of the matter we applied the following audit procedures in this area, among others to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence:
• Evaluated appropriateness of the Company's revenue recognition accounting policies by comparing with applicable accounting standards.
• Tested design, implementation and operating effectiveness of the Company's general IT controls and key IT/ manual application controls over the Company's systems which govern recording of revenue in the general ledger accounting system.
• Performed substantive testing by selecting samples of revenue transactions recorded, and verifying the underlying documents i.e. sales invoices and shipping documents.
• Inspected, on a sample basis, key customer contracts to identify terms and conditions for sale.
• Tested manual journals posted to revenue to identify unusual items.
• Performed analytical procedures on sales such as trend analysis to identify any unusual fluctuations.
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Revenue is recognised when control of the underlying products has been transferred to the customer. There is a risk of revenue being overstated due to the pressure management may feel to achieve performance targets.
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Uncertain Tax Position
Refer note (g) of Significant Accounting Policies and Note 25 and 31 to the standalone financial statements
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The key audit matter
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How the matter was addressed in our audit
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The Company operates in a complex tax jurisdiction with certain tax exemptions/ deductions that may be subject to challenges and audits by tax authorities. There are significant open tax matters under litigation with tax authorities
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In view of the significance of the matter we applied the following audit procedures in this area, among others to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence:
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Judgement is required in assessing the level of provisions and disclosure of contingent liabilities required in respect of uncertain tax position that reflects management's best estimates of the most likely outcome based on the facts available.
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i. For uncertain tax positions, inspected select correspondences with tax authorities.
ii. Evaluated management's judgment regarding the expected resolution of matters with various tax authorities, based on external tax expert/counsel opinions and the use of past experience, where available with the tax authorities.
iii. Involved tax specialists to evaluate the status of ongoing tax litigations and judgemental tax positions in tax returns and their most likely outcome, basis their expertise, industry outcomes and company's own past experience in respect of similar matters.
iv. Evaluated the adequacy of financial statement disclosures in respect of the tax provision /adjustments and contingencies.
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Other Information
The Company's Management and Board of Directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Company's annual report, but does not include the financial statements and auditor's report thereon. The Company's annual report is expected to be made available to us after the date of this auditor's report.
Our opinion on the standalone financial statements does not cover the other information and we will not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the standalone financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information identified above when it becomes available and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the standalone financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.
When we read the annual report, if we conclude that there is a material misstatement therein, we are required to communicate the matter to those charged with governance and take necessary actions, as applicable under relevant laws and regulations.
Management's and Board of Directors'/Board of Trustees' Responsibilities for the Standalone Financial Statements
The Company's Management and Board of Directors are responsible for the matters stated in Section 134(5) of the Act with respect to the preparation of these standalone financial statements that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs, profit/ loss and other comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows of the Company in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in India, including the Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) specified under Section 133 of the Act. The responsiblity also includes maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Act for safeguarding of the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting frauds and other irregularities; selection and application of appropriate accounting policies; making judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and design, implementation and maintenance of adequate internal financial controls, that were operating effectively for ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the accounting records, relevant to the preparation and presentation of the standalone financial statements that give a true and fair view and are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the standalone financial statements, the Board of Directors are responsible for assessing the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Board of Directors either intends to liquidate the company or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.
The respective Board of Directors/Board of Trustees are responsible for overseeing the financial reporting process of each company/trust.
Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Standalone Financial Statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the standalone financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud
We communicate with those charged with governance of the Company regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.
We also provide those charged with governance with a statement that we have complied with relevant ethical requirements regarding independence, and to communicate with them all relationships and other matters that may reasonably be thought to bear on our independence, and where applicable, related safeguards.
From the matters communicated with those charged with governance, we determine those matters that were of most significance in the audit of the standalone financial statements of the current period and are therefore the key audit matters. We describe these matters in our auditor's report unless law or regulation precludes public disclosure about the matter or when, in extremely rare circumstances, we determine that a matter should not be communicated in our report because the adverse consequences of doing so would reasonably be expected to outweigh the public interest benefits of such communication.
Report on Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements
1. As required by the Companies (Auditor's Report) Order, 2020 ("the Order") issued by the Central
Government of India in terms of Section 143(11) of the Act, we give in the "Annexure A" a statement on the matters specified in paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Order, to the extent applicable.
2 A. As required by Section 143(3) of the Act, based on our audit and on the consideration of [report/ reports] of the other [auditor/auditors] on separate/ consolidated financial statements of such joint operation(s)/employee welfare trust(s) as [was/ were] audited by other [auditor/auditors], as noted in the "Other Matters" paragraph, we report, to the extent applicable, that:
a. We have sought and obtained all the information and explanations which to the best of our knowledge and belief were necessary for the purposes of our audit.
b. In our opinion, proper books of account as required by law have been kept by the Company so far as it appears from our examination of those books.
c. The standalone balance sheet, the standalone statement of profit and loss (including other comprehensive income), the standalone statement of changes in equity and the standalone statement of cash flows dealt with by this Report are in agreement with the books of account.
or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with SAs will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these standalone financial statements.
As part of an audit in accordance with SAs, we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit. We also:
• Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the standalone financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. Under Section 143(3)
(i) of the Act, we are also responsible for expressing our opinion on whether the company has adequate internal financial controls with reference to financial statements in place and the operating effectiveness of such controls.
• Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the Management and Board of Directors.
• Conclude on the appropriateness of the Management and Board of Directors use of the going concern basis of accounting in preparation of standalone financial statements and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor's report to the related disclosures in the standalone financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor's report. However, future events or conditions may cause the Company to cease to continue as a going concern.
• Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the standalone financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the standalone financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
d. In our opinion, the aforesaid standalone financial statements comply with the Ind AS specified under Section 133 of the Act.
e. On the basis of the written representations received from the directors of the Company as on March 31,2023 taken on record by the Board of Directors of the Company , none of the directors of the Company is disqualified as on March 31,2023 from being appointed as a director in terms of Section 164(2) of the Act.
f. With respect to the adequacy of the internal financial controls with reference to financial statements of the Company and the operating effectiveness of such controls, refer to our separate Report in "Annexure B".
B. With respect to the other matters to be included in the Auditor's Report in accordance with Rule 11 of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014, in our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us
a. The Company has disclosed the impact of pending litigations as at March 31, 2023 on its financial position in its standalone financial statements - Refer Note 14 and Note 31 to the standalone financial statements.
b. The Company did not have any long-term contracts including derivative contracts for which there were any material foreseeable losses.
c. There has been no delay in transferring amounts, required to be transferred, to the Investor Education and Protection Fund by the Company.
d (i) The management of the Company has represented to us that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, other than as disclosed in the Note 37 to the standalone financial statements, no funds have been advanced or loaned or invested (either from borrowed funds or share premium or any other sources or kind of funds) by the Company to or in any other person(s) or entity(ies), including foreign entities ("Intermediaries"), with the understanding, whether recorded in writing or otherwise, that the Intermediary shall directly or indirectly lend or invest in other persons or entities identified in any manner whatsoever by or on behalf of the Company ("Ultimate Beneficiaries") or provide any guarantee, security or the like on behalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries.
(ii) The management of the Company has represented to us that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, as disclosed in the Note 37 to the standalone financial statements, no funds have been received by the Company from any person(s) or entity(ies), including foreign entities ("Funding Parties"), with the understanding, whether recorded in writing or otherwise, that the Company shall directly or indirectly, lend or invest in other persons or entities identified in any manner whatsoever by or on behalf of the Funding Parties ("Ultimate Beneficiaries") or provide any guarantee, security or the like on behalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries.
(iii) Based on the audit procedures performed that have been considered reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances, nothing has come to our notice that has caused us to believe that the representations under sub-clause (i) and (ii) of Rule 11(e), as provided under (i) and (ii) above, contain any material misstatement.
e. The dividend declared or paid during the year by the Company is in compliance with Section 123 of the Act
f. As proviso to rule 3(1) of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 is applicable for the Company only with effect from April 01, 2023, reporting under Rule 11 (g) of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014 is not applicable.
C. With respect to the matter to be included in the Auditor's Report under Section 197(16) of the Act:
In our opinion and according to the information and explanations given to us the remuneration paid by the Company to its directors during the current year is in accordance with the provisions of Section 197 of the Act. The remuneration paid to any director by the Company is not in excess of the limit laid down under Section 197 of the Act. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has not prescribed other details under Section 197(16) of the Act which are required to be commented upon by us.
For B S R & Co. LLP
Chartered Accountants Firm's Registration No.:101248W/W-100022
Sadashiv Shetty
Partner
Place: Mumbai Membership No.: 048648
Date: May 05, 2023 ICAI UDIN: 23048648BGWAND9800
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