PAUL MERCHANTS LIMITED Report on the Audit of the Standalone Financial Statements

Opinion

We have audited the accompanying standalone financial statements of PAUL MERCHANTS LIMITED ("the Company") which comprise the Balance Sheet as at March 31, 2023, the Statement of Profit and Loss (including Other Comprehensive Income), the Statement of Changes in Equity and the Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended, and notes to standalone financial statements including a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information (hereinafter referred to as the "Standalone Financial Statements").

In our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the aforesaid standalone financial statements give the information required by the Companies Act, 2013 (the "Act") in the manner so required and give a true and fair view in conformity with the Indian Accounting Standards prescribed under section 133 of the Act read with the Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015, as amended, ("Ind AS") and other accounting principles generally accepted in India, of the state of affairs of the Company as at March 31, 2023, the profit and total 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 Companies Act, 2013 (the Act). Our responsibilities under those Standards are further described in the Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Standalone Financial Results 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 financial results under the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 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 we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. Our opinion is not modified in respect of this matter.

Key Audit Matters

Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgment, were of most significance in our audit of the standalone financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2023 (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.

Information Other than the Standalone Financials Statements and Auditor's Report thereon (Other Information)

The Company's Board of Directors is responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Board's Report and other connected reports forming part of the Annual Report of the Company but does not include the standalone financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The reports containing the other information as above are expected to be made available to us after the date of this auditor's report.

Our opinion on the 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 reports containing the other information if we conclude that there is a material misstatement therein we are required to communicate the matter to those charged with governance under SA 720 'The Auditor's Responsibilities Relating to Other Information'.

Responsibility of Management and Those Charged with Governance for the Standalone Financial Results

The Company's Board of Directors is responsible for the matters stated in section 134(5) of the Act with respect to the preparation of these standalone financial statements that give a true and fair view of the financial position, financial performance, including other comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows of the Company in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in India, including Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) specified under

Section 133 of the Act. This responsibility also includes maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Act for safeguarding of the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting frauds and other irregularities; selection and application of appropriate accounting policies; making judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and design, implementation and maintenance of adequate internal financial controls that were operating effectively for ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the accounting records, relevant to the preparation and presentation of the standalone financial results that give a true and fair view and are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the standalone financial results, 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 Board of Directors are also responsible for overseeing the Company's financial reporting process.

Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Standalone Financial Results

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the standalone financial results 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 results.

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 results, 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 Board of Directors.

• Conclude on the appropriateness of the Board of Directors' 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 financial results 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 results, including the disclosures, and whether the financial results 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.

Other Matters

During the year ended 31^st March 2023, the Company has transferred its entire stake in Horizon Remit SDN. BHD., Malaysia, Joint Venture Company ("JV") to M/s Al Jadeed Investment International SPC, Sultanate of Oman ("the buyer").

The company has represented and as per our perusal of the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement, the earlier shareholders of the JV including the company were to ensure that there was no outstanding non-current liability on books of the JV on the date of transfer to the buyer. In accordance with such terms, company was obligated to contribute a total amount of USD 121200 towards its share in the total outstanding liabilities of the JV. As such, company had instructed the buyer to transfer company's share of sale proceeds amounting to USD 34380 (Rs. 25,56,497/-) directly to the creditors of the JV while balance USD 86820 was to be discharged separately by the company.

The company had sought approval of the RBI for both such netting off to the extent of USD 34380 and outward remittance of balance USD 86280, however RBI had not acceded to Company's request vide communication dated 1.9.2022. Regarding the netting off of USD 34380, company has explained that payment outside India for discharge of debt is covered within the definition of repatriation as per Foreign Exchange Management (Realisation, Repatriation & Surrender of Foreign Exchange) Regulations, 2015 and therefore it shall again make an application to seek approval of RBI. Regarding balance USD 86820, the company has recognised an equivalent current liability, USD 86820 (Rs. 71,29,034/- as of 31.3.2023) in its standalone balance sheet for the year ended 31.3.2023. However, the payment of the same remains subject to approval from

RBI upon fresh application to be made by the company. Our opinion on the standalone financial statements is not modified in respect of the above matters.

Report on Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements

1. As required by the Companies Auditor's Report Order, 2020 ("the Order"), as amended, issued by the Central Government of India in terms of sub-section (11) of section 143 of the Act, we give in the "Annexure A" 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 purpose 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 and proper returns adequate for the purpose of our audit have been received from the branches not visited by us.

c. The Balance Sheet, the Statement of Profit and Loss including other comprehensive income,

the statement of changes in equity and the Cash Flow Statement dealt with by this Report are in agreement with the books of accounts.

d. In our opinion, the aforesaid Standalone financial statements comply with the Accounting Standards specified under section 133 of the Act, read with Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015.

e. On the basis of written representations received from the directors as on March 31, 2023 taken on record by the Board of Directors, none of the directors are 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 over financial reporting of the Company and the operating effectiveness of such controls, refer to our separate Report in "Annexure B".

g. With respect to the other matters to be included in the Auditors' report in accordance with section 197(16) of the Act, in our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the remuneration paid/provided by the Company to its directors during the year is in accordance with the provisions of section 197 read with Schedule V to the Act; and

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, 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;

ii. The Company did not have any long-term contracts including derivative contracts for which there were any material foreseeable losses.

iii. There were no amounts which were required to be transferred to the Investor Education and Protection Fund by the Company.

iv. With respect to reporting required under clause (g) of Rule 11 of the companies (Audit and Auditors) Amendment Rules, 2021 regarding maintenance of audit trail in accounting software, as per proviso to rule 3(1) of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 the requirement is mandatory for the company only w.e.f. April 1, 2023 and therefore reporting under this clause is not applicable.

v. The management has represented that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, other than as disclosed in the notes to the accounts, 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, whether, 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;

vi. The management has represented, that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, other than as disclosed in the notes to the accounts, 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, whether, 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;

vii. Based on such audit procedures that we have 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 (v) and (vi) above contain any material mis-statement.

viii. Based on the representations received by us and audit procedures conducted by us, the company has not declared any dividend during the year and the same is as per provisions of Section 123 of Companies Act, 2013.

For RAJIV GOEL & ASSOCIATES CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS Firm Reg. No.- 011106N

SD/-

^{DATE: 23}.°⁵.²⁰²³ rohit goei

Place: CHANDIGARH (PaRtNER)

M. No. 091756

UDIN:23091756BGZDEB8461