To The Members of Dr. Lal PathLabs Limited
Report on the Audit of the Standalone Financial Statements
Opinion
We have audited the accompanying standalone financial statements of Dr. Lal PathLabs Limited ("the Company"), which comprise the Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2023, and the Statement of Profit and Loss (including Other Comprehensive Income), the Cash Flow Statement and the Statement of Changes in Equity for the year then ended, and 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 ("the Act") in the manner so required and give a true and fair view in conformity with the Indian Accounting Standards prescribed under section 133 of the Act read with the Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015, as amended, ("Ind AS") and other accounting principles generally accepted in India, of the state of affairs of the Company as at 31 March 2023, and its profit, total comprehensive income, its cash flows and the changes in equity for the year ended on that date.
Basis for Opinion
We conducted our audit of the standalone financial statements in accordance with the Standards on Auditing (SAs) specified under section 143(10) of the Act . Our responsibilities under those Standards are further described in the Auditor's Responsibility for the Audit of the Standalone Financial Statements section of our report. We are independent of the Company in accordance with the Code of Ethics issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) together with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the standalone financial statements under the provisions of the Act and the Rules made thereunder, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements and the ICAI's Code of Ethics. We believe that the audit evidence obtained by us is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit 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. We have determined the matters described below to be the key audit matters to be communicated in our report.
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Sr.
No.
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Key Audit Matter
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Auditor's Response
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1
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Revenue recognition - Reliance on information technology and system for controls over pricing master file
We identified reliance on information technology and system for controls over pricing master file as a key audit matter due to likelihood of material misstatement in revenue recognition, resulting from unauthorised alterations to the pricing master file, on account of high volume of patient transactions.
Refer to note 2.3 and note 27 to the standalone Ind AS financial statements.
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Principal audit procedures performed:
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• Obtained an understanding of and assessed and tested the design, implementation and operating effectiveness of relevant internal controls relating to authorisation of alterations to the pricing master file.
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• Tested the controls around the access rights to the price masters by involving information technology specialists.
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• Tested the automated controls for auto pick of the prices defined in the system based on the tests selected.
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• Tested the reports of changes in the pricing master files for completeness and accuracy by involving information technology specialists and for the selected samples of alterations during the year, verified that the changes were authorised.
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• Selected samples of the invoices and verified the billed price in respect thereof, to the underlying agreements.
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Sr.
No.
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Key Audit Matter
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Auditor’s Response
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2
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Impairment of investment in Suburban Diagnostics (India) Private Limited (‘SDIPL’): (Refer to note 6 to the standalone financial statements)
The Company has investments in SDIPL amounting to Rs. 9,590.91 million as at 31 March 2023
We considered this as key audit matter due to the significance of the investment amount involved and the Company's assessment of impairment of investment using value-in-use approach which involves significant estimations and judgements with respect to expected growth rates (including terminal growth rate) and discount rates to prepare the forecasted financial information.
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Principal audit procedures performed:
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• Evaluated the design, implementation and tested operating effectiveness of internal controls relating to review of impairment of the investment in SDIPL performed by the Management;
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• Validated the underlying cash flow forecasts prepared by the Company's management in their valuation and compared the same with the Company's approved budgets;
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• With the involvement of our valuation experts, verified the mathematical accuracy of the model and evaluated the appropriateness of the key assumptions viz. discount rate, terminal growth rate and methodology used;
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• Evaluated the sensitivity analysis performed by the management on the projections by varying key assumptions such as discount and growth rates (including terminal growth rate);
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• We have also assessed the adequacy of the related disclosure to be made in the standalone financial statements.
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Information Other than the Standalone Financial Statements and Auditor's Report Thereon
• The Company's Board of Directors is responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Management Discussion and Analysis, Director's Report including annexures to Director's Report, Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report and Report on Corporate Governance, but does not include the consolidated financial statements, standalone financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The Management Discussion and Analysis Director's Report, including annexures to Director's Report, Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report and Report on Corporate Governance 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 do not and 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 during the course of our audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.
• When we read the Management Discussion and Analysis, Director's Report, Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report and Report on Corporate Governance, if we conclude that there is a material misstatement therein, we are required to communicate the matter to those charged with governance as required under SA 720 The Auditor's responsibilities Relating to
Other Information'.
Responsibilities of Management and Those Charged with Governance for the Standalone Financial Statements
The Company's Board of Directors is responsible for the matters stated in section134(5) of the Act with respect to the preparation of these standalone financial statements that give a true and fair view of the financial position, financial performance including other comprehensive income, cash flows and changes in equity of the Company in accordance with the Ind AS and other accounting principles generally accepted in India. This responsibility also includes maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Act for safeguarding the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting frauds and other irregularities; selection and application of appropriate accounting policies; making judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and design, implementation and maintenance of adequate internal financial controls, that were operating effectively for ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the accounting records, relevant to the preparation and presentation of the standalone financial statements that give a true and fair view and are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the standalone financial statements, management is responsible for assessing the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Board of Directors either intends to liquidate the Company or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.
The Company's Board of Directors are also responsible for overseeing the Company's financial reporting process.
Auditor's Responsibility for the Audit of the Standalone Financial Statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the standalone financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with SAs will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these standalone financial statements.
As part of an audit in accordance with SAs, we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit. We also:
• Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the standalone financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
• Obtain an understanding of internal financial control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. Under section143(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 standalone financial statements in place and the operating effectiveness of such controls.
• Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the management.
• Conclude on the appropriateness of management's use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor's report to the related disclosures in the standalone financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor's report. However, future events or conditions may cause the Company to cease to continue as a going concern.
• Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the standalone financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the standalone financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
Materiality is the magnitude of misstatements in the standalone financial statements that, individually or in aggregate, makes it probable that the economic decisions of a reasonably knowledgeable user of the standalone financial statements may be influenced. We consider quantitative materiality and qualitative factors in (i) planning the scope of our audit work and in evaluating the results of our work; and (ii) to evaluate the effect of any identified misstatements in the standalone financial statements.
We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.
We also provide those charged with governance with a statement that we have complied with relevant ethical requirements regarding independence, and to communicate with them all relationships and other matters that may reasonably be thought to bear on our independence, and where applicable, related safeguards.
From the matters communicated with those charged with governance, we determine those matters that were of most significance in the audit of the 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 Section 143(3) of the Act, based on our
audit we report that:
a) We have sought and obtained all the information and explanations which to the best of our knowledge and belief were necessary for the purposes of our audit.
b) In our opinion, proper books of account as required by law have been kept by the Company so far as it appears from our examination of those books.
c) The Balance Sheet, the Statement of Profit and Loss including Other Comprehensive Income, the Cash Flow Statement and Statement of Changes in Equity dealt with by this Report are in agreement with the books of account.
d) In our opinion, the aforesaid standalone financial statements comply with the Ind AS specified under Section 133 of the Act.
e) On the basis of the written representations received from the directors as on 31 March, 2023 taken on record by the Board of Directors, none of the directors is disqualified as on 31 March, 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 standalone financial statements of the Company and the operating effectiveness of such controls, refer to our separate Report in "Annexure A". Our report expresses an unmodified opinion on the adequacy and operating effectiveness of the Company's internal financial controls with reference to standalone financial statements.
g) With respect to the other matters to be included in the Auditor's Report in accordance with the requirements of section 197(16) of the Act, as amended,
In our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the remuneration paid by the Company to its directors during the year is in accordance with the provisions of section 197 of the Act.
h) With respect to the other matters to be included in the Auditor's Report in accordance with Rule 11 of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014, as amended in our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us:
i. The Company has disclosed the impact of pending litigations on its financial position in its standalone financial statements - Refer note 37 to the standalone financial statements;
ii. The Company did not have any long-term contracts including derivative contracts for which there were any material foreseeable losses - Refer note 52 to the standalone financial statements.
iii. There has been no delay in transferring amounts, required to be transferred, to the Investor Education and Protection Fund by the Company - Refer note 53 to the standalone financial statements.
iv. (a) The Management has represented that,
to the best of it's knowledge and belief, as disclosed in note 48h to the 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 persons or entities, including foreign entities ("Intermediaries"), with the understanding, whether recorded in writing or otherwise, that the Intermediary shall, directly or indirectly lend or invest in other persons or entities identified in any manner whatsoever by or on behalf of the Company ("Ultimate Beneficiaries") or provide any guarantee, security or the like on behalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries.
(b) The Management has represented, that, to the best of it's knowledge and belief, as disclosed in note 48i to the financial statements, no funds have been received by the Company from any persons or entities,
including foreign entities ("Funding Parties"), with the understanding, whether recorded in writing or otherwise, that the Company shall, directly or indirectly, lend or invest in other persons or entities identified in any manner whatsoever by or on behalf of the Funding Party ("Ultimate Beneficiaries") or provide any guarantee, security or the like on behalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries.
(c) Based on the audit procedures performed that have been considered reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances, nothing has come to our notice that has caused us to believe that the representations under sub-clause (i) and (ii) of Rule 11(e), as provided under (a) and (b) above, contain any material misstatement.
v. The final dividend proposed in the previous year, declared and paid by the Company during the year is in accordance with section 123 of the Act, as applicable.
The interim dividend declared and paid by the Company during the year and until the date of this report is in compliance with section 123 of the Act.
As stated in note 20 to the standalone financial statements, the Board of Directors of the Company has proposed final dividend for the year which is subject to the approval of the members at the ensuing Annual General Meeting. The dividend proposed is in accordance with section 123 of the Act, as applicable.
vi. Proviso to Rule 3(1) of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 for maintaining books of account using accounting software which has a feature of recording audit trail (edit log) facility is applicable to the Company w.e.f. April 1, 2023, and accordingly, reporting under Rule 11(g) of Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014 is not applicable for the financial year ended March 31,2023.
2. As required by the Companies (Auditor's Report) Order, 2020 ("the Order") issued by the Central Government in terms of Section 143(11) of the Act, we give in "Annexure B" a statement on the matters specified in paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Order.
For Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP
Chartered Accountants (Firm's Registration No. 117366W/W-100018)
Jitendra Agarwal
Partner
Place: New Delhi (Membership No. 087104)
Date: 11 May, 2023 (UDIN: 23087104BGYKXH7058)
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