Report on the Standalone Ind AS Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying standalone Ind AS financial statements of CARE Ratings Limited (formerly known as ‘Credit Analysis and Research Limited’) (“the Company”), which comprise the Balance Sheet as at March 31, 2018, 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.

Management’s Responsibility for the Standalone Ind AS Financial Statements

The Company’s Board of Directors is responsible for the matters stated in section 134(5) of the Companies Act, 2013 (‘the Act’) with respect to the preparation of these standalone Ind AS 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 accounting principles generally accepted in India, including the Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) prescribed under section 133 of the Act read with the Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015, as amended.

This responsibility 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; 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 Ind AS financial statements that give a true and fair view and are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the 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 management either intends to liquidate the Company or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s Responsibility

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these standalone Ind AS financial statements based on our audit.

We have taken into account the provisions of the Act, the accounting and auditing standards and matters which are required to be included in the audit report under the provisions of the Act and the Rules made thereunder.

We conducted our audit of the standalone Ind AS financial statements in accordance with the Standards on Auditing specified under Section 143(10) of the Act. Those Standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the standalone Ind AS financial statements are free from material misstatement.

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the standalone Ind AS financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the standalone Ind AS financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the Company’s preparation and fair presentation of the standalone Ind AS financial statements that give a true and fair view in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of the accounting estimates made by the Company’s Directors, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the standalone Ind AS financial statements.

We are also responsible to 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 entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in the auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify the opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of the auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause an entity to cease to continue as a going concern.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion on the standalone Ind AS financial statements.

Opinion

In our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the standalone Ind AS financial statements give the information required by the Act in the manner so required and give a true and fair view in conformity with the accounting principles generally accepted in India including the Ind AS, of the state of affairs of the Company as at March 31, 2018, and its profit, total comprehensive income, the changes in equity and its cash flows for the year ended on that date.

Report on Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements

1. As required by the Companies (Auditor’s Report) Order, 2016 (“the Order”) issued by the Central Government of India in terms of section 143(11) of the Act, we give in the “Annexure 1” a statement on the matters Specified in paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Order.

2. As required by section 143(3) of the Act, we report that:

(a) We have sought and obtained all the information and explanations which to the best of our knowledge and belief were necessary for the purposes of our audit.

(b) In our opinion, proper books of account as required by law have been kept by the Company so far as appears from our examination of those books;

(c) The Balance Sheet, the Statement of Profit and Loss, the Cash Flow Statement and the 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 Ind AS financial statements comply with the Indian Accounting Standards prescribed under Section 133 of the Act, read with the Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015, as amended;

(e) On the basis of written representations received from the directors as on March 31, 2018, and taken on record by the Board of Directors, none of the directors is disqualified as on March 31, 2018, 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 over financial reporting of the Company and the operating effectiveness of such controls, refer to our separate Report in “Annexure 2” to this report;

(g) With respect to the other matters to be included in the Auditor’s Report in accordance with Rule 11 of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014, in our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us:

(i) The Company has disclosed the impact of pending litigations on its financial position in its standalone Ind AS financial statements - Refer Note 27 to the standalone Ind AS financial statements

(ii) The Company had made provision, as required under the applicable law or accounting standards, for material foreseeable losses, if any, on long-term contracts including derivative contracts - Refer Note 28 to the standalone Ind AS 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; and

(iv) The disclosure requirement in the standalone Ind AS financial statements as envisaged in Notification G.S.RS.308(E) dated March 30, 2017 as to holdings as well as dealings in Specified Bank Notes during the period from November 08, 2016 to DecembeRs.30, 2016 is relating to F.Y 2016-17 and hence no disclosure on the same has been given - Refer Note 44 to the financial statements.

1. (a) The Company has maintained proper records showing full particulars, including quantitative details and situation of fixed assets.

(b) All fixed assets have not been physically verified by the management during the year but there is a regular programme of verification which, in our opinion, is reasonable having regard to the size of the Company and the nature of its assets. According to the information and explanation given to us, no material discrepancies were noticed on such verification

(c) According to the information and explanations given to us and on the basis of our examination of the records of the Company, the title deeds of immovable properties are held in the name of the Company.

2. The Company does not hold any inventory or securities as stock in trade, hence clause 3(ii) of the Order is not applicable to the Company.

3. According to the information and explanations given to us, the Company has not granted any loans, secured or unsecured to companies, firms, Limited Liability Partnerships or other parties covered in the register maintained under Section 189 of the Act. . Accordingly, the provisions of clause 3 (iii) (a), (b) and (c) of the Order are not applicable to the Company.

4. In our opinion and according to the information and explanations given to us, provisions of Section 185 and 186 of the Act in respect of loans to directors including entities in which they are interested and in respect of loans and advances given, investments made and, guarantees, and securities given have been complied with by the Company.

5. The Company has not accepted any deposits from the public.

6. According to the information and explanations given to us, the Company is not required to maintain any cost records prescribed by the Central Government under sub-section (1) of Section 148 of the Act.

7. (a) The Company is generally regular in depositing with appropriate authorities undisputed statutory dues including provident fund, employees’ state insurance, income-tax, service tax, Goods and Services tax, value added tax and other material statutory dues applicable to it.

(b) According to the information and explanations given to us, no undisputed amounts payable in respect of provident fund, employees’ state insurance, income-tax, service tax, Goods and Services tax, value added tax and other material statutory dues were outstanding, at the year end, for a period of more than six months from the date they became payable.

As informed, the Company is not liable to pay sales-tax, duty of custom, duty of excise and cess during the year.

(c) According to the information and explanations given to us, no undisputed amounts payable in respect of income-tax, service tax, value added tax and other material statutory dues that have not been deposited with the appropriate authorities on account of any dispute except the following:

8. According to the information and explanations given to us and on the basis of our examination of the records of the Company, there are no loans taken from financial institutions, government and banks nor has the Company issued any debentures, hence clause 3(viii) of the Order is not applicable.

9. According to the information and explanations given to us, the Company has not raised any term loans during the year. Accordingly, the provision of clause 3(ix) of the Order is not applicable to the Company.

10. Based upon the audit procedures performed for the purpose of reporting the true and fair view of the financial statements and according to the information and explanations given to us by the management, we report that no fraud by the Company or no fraud on the Company by the officers and employees of the Company has been noticed or reported during the year.

11. According to the information and explanations given to us, the managerial remuneration has been paid / provided in accordance with the requisite approvals mandated by the provisions of Section 197 read with Schedule V to the Act.

12. In our opinion and according to the information and explanations given to us, the Company is not a nidhi company. Therefore, the provisions of clause 3(xii) of the order are not applicable to the Company.

13. According to the information and explanations to us and based on our examination of the records of the Company, transactions with the related parties are in compliance with Section 177 and 188 of the Act where applicable and the details have been disclosed in the standalone Ind AS financial statements, as required by the applicable accounting standards.

14. According to the information and explanations given to us and based on our examination of the records of the Company, the Company has not made any preferential allotment or private placement of shares or fully or partly convertible debentures during the year under review and hence, reporting requirements under clause 3(xiv) of the Order are not applicable to the Company.

15. According to the information and explanations given to us, the Company has not entered into any non-cash transactions with directors or persons connected with him as referred to in Section 192 of the Act.

16. According to the information and explanations given to us, the provisions of section 45-IA of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 are not applicable to the Company.

Report on the Internal Financial Controls under Clause (i) of Sub-section 3 of Section 143 of the Companies Act, 2013 (“the Act”)

We have audited the internal financial controls over financial reporting of CARE Ratings Limited (formerly known as ‘Credit Analysis and Research Limited’) (“the Company”) as of March 31, 2018 in conjunction with our audit of the standalone Ind AS financial statements of the Company for the year ended on that date.

Management’s Responsibility for Internal Financial Controls

The Company’s Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining internal financial controls based on the internal control over financial reporting criteria established by the Company considering the essential components of internal control stated in the Guidance Note on Audit of Internal Financial Controls over Financial Reporting issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (the “Guidance Note”). These responsibilities include the design, implementation and maintenance of adequate internal financial controls that were operating effectively for ensuring the orderly and efficient conduct of its business, including adherence to the Company’s policies, the safeguarding of its assets, the prevention and detection of frauds and errors, the accuracy and completeness of the accounting records, and the timely preparation of reliable financial information, as required under the Act.

Auditor’s Responsibility

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal financial controls over financial reporting based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with the Guidance Note and the Standards on Auditing as specified under section 143(10) of the Act, to the extent applicable to an audit of internal financial controls. Those Standards and the Guidance Note require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether adequate internal financial controls over financial reporting was established and maintained and if such controls operated effectively in all material respects.

Our audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the adequacy of the internal financial controls system over financial reporting and their operating effectiveness. Our audit of internal financial controls over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal financial controls over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgement, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion on the internal financial controls system over financial reporting.

Meaning of Internal Financial Controls over Financial Reporting

A Company’s internal financial control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A Company’s internal financial control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that;

a) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company;

b) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorisations of management and directors of the Company; and

c) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorised acquisition, use, or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Inherent Limitations of Internal Financial Controls over Financial Reporting

Because of the inherent limitations of internal financial controls over financial reporting, including the possibility of collusion or improper management override of controls, material misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected. Also, projections of any evaluation of the internal financial controls over financial reporting to future periods are subject to the risk that the internal financial control over financial reporting may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Opinion

In our opinion, the Company has, in all material respects, an adequate internal financial controls system over financial reporting and such internal financial controls over financial reporting were operating effectively as at March 31, 2018, based on the internal control over financial reporting criteria established by the Company considering the essential components of internal control stated in the Guidance Note on Audit of Internal Financial Controls Over Financial Reporting issued by the ICAI.

For Khimji Kunverji & Co

Chartered Accountants

ICAI FRN-105146W

Gautam V Shah

Partner (F-117348)

Place: Mumbai

Date: May 22, 2018