DIRECTORS’ REPORT The Board presents the Sixty-sixth Annual Report together with the Audited Financial Statement and the Auditor’s Report for the Financial Year ended on 31st March, 2016. Directors’ Responsibility Statement In accordance with the provisions of Section 134 (5) of the Companies Act, 2013 (“the Act”) and, based upon representations from the Management, the Board states that: a) in preparing the Annual Accounts, applicable accounting standards have been followed and there are no material departures; b) the Directors have selected accounting policies, applied them consistently and made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent 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 of the Company for the year; c) the Directors have taken proper and sufficient care in maintaining adequate accounting records in accordance with provisions of the Act for safeguarding the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting fraud and other irregularities; d) the Directors have prepared the Annual Accounts of the Company on a “going concern” basis; e) the Directors have laid down internal financial controls to be followed by the Company and such internal financial controls are adequate and were operating effectively; and f) the Directors have devised proper systems to ensure proper compliance with the provisions of all applicable laws and that such systems were adequate and operating effectively. Performance The annexed Management Discussion and Analysis forms a part of this report and covers, amongst other matters, the performance of the Company during the Financial Year 2015-16 as well as the future outlook. Corporate Governance Report The report on Corporate Governance in accordance with regulation 34(3) and schedule V(C) to the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements), Regulations, 2015, (“Listing Regulations”) along with the auditor’s certificate is attached to this Report. Dividend The Board has declared an Interim Dividend of Rs. 1.10 per Equity Share of Face Value Rs. 2 for the Financial Year 2015-16. The Interim Dividend was paid to the Shareholders on 23rd March, 2016. As per the Income Tax Act, 1961, the tax on dividends was borne by the Company. The Board recommends that the Interim Dividend of Rs. 1.10 per Equity Share already paid to Shareholders to be the Final Dividend for declaration by the Shareholders at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting, for the Financial Year 2015-16. Directors Mr. Vikram Oberoi retires by rotation at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting and being eligible, offers himself for re-appointment. The Directors recommend re-appointment of Mr. Vikram Oberoi as a Director on the Board. The six Independent Directors at the first meeting of the Board for the Financial Year 2015-16 have confirmed that they meet the criteria of independence as required under sub-section (7) of Section 149 of the Act. The Board was also of the opinion that the six Independent Directors meet the criteria of independence under sub-section (6) of Section 149 of the Act. Corporate Social Responsibility In accordance with Section 135 of the Act read with the Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014, the Company has formulated a Corporate Social Responsibility Policy in 2014-15. During the year, the Company has amended the Policy to include “caring for the elderly and addressing their health issues” in accordance with clause 19 (iii) of Schedule VII of the Act. The revised CSR Policy can be accessed on the Company’s website www.eihltd.com. The Annual Report on Corporate Social Responsibility activities for the Financial Year 2015-16 is given in Annexure 1, which forms a part of this Report. The Annexure also gives the composition of the CSR Committee. In addition to the mandatory CSR spend in accordance with the Act, the Company’s Hotels and Service Units have also taken the following CSR initiatives: a. The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata supports Calcutta Rescue and Sasha – this NGO works to educate children and for the upliftment and self-employment of women by purchasing hand-crafted products made by them; b. The Oberoi, New Delhi supports the Blind Relief Association and Mother Teresa Home. It also participates in the “Hunar se Rozgaar Tak” scheme where it gives vocational training for interns; c. The Oberoi and Trident Nariman Point, Mumbai organized Blood Donation Camps for Thalassemia patients. It also organised vocational training internships for 52 aspirants under the “Hunar se Rozgaar Tak” scheme. Furthermore, the hotel donated linen and clothes to hospitals engaged in the service of cancer patients; d. The Oberoi, Bengaluru nurtures physically challenged girls and economically challenged senior citizens in association with Cheshire Home Trust. The Hotel also celebrated the World Environment Week by planting tree saplings together with guests of the Hotel; e. The Oberoi Vanyavilas, Ranthambore was involved in the welfare of the local communities by providing life insurance and basic equipment to forest guards in Ranthambhore. The hotel also supports “Tiger Watch”, an NGO working for the conservation of tigers in Ranthambhore. The Hotel had also promoted “Dhonk”, a socially responsible enterprise that aims at creating sustainable jobs for local villagers through art. The Hotel also supports “Yash Rehabilitation Centre” for handicapped children; f. The Oberoi and Trident, Gurgaon took a number of initiatives in providing education, food and basic facilities to women and children from underprivileged backgrounds through a scheme known as “Harmony House” and “Ritanjali”. The hotels also work with the Concern India Foundation to organise workshops for the underprivileged. In addition to this, the hotels work with an NGO called Pallavanjali Institute which supports education, training and therapy for young adults with special needs. Audit Committee The composition of the Audit Committee is as under: • Mr. L. Ganesh - Independent Director & Chairperson; • Mr. Anil Nehru - Independent Director & Member; • Mr. S.K. Dasgupta- Independent Director & Member and • Mr. Arjun Oberoi - Managing Director, Development. For other details relating to the Audit Committee, please refer to page nos. 53 & 54. Company’s Policy on Directors’ Appointment and Remuneration and Senior Management Personnel Appointment and Remuneration. In accordance with Section 178 of the Companies Act read with Regulation 19 of the Listing Regulations, the policies on Directors’ Appointment and Remuneration and Senior Management Personnel Appointment and Remuneration which were formulated last year are enclosed as Annexures 2 and 3 and form part of this Report. The policies can also be accessed on the Company’s website www.eihltd.com. Energy Conservation Measures During the year, the Company had continued its focus on energy conservation measures that include: (a) installation of solar power generation systems; (b) replacement of incandescent and fluorescent lamps with energy efficient LED lamps; (c) installation of variable frequency drive for exhaust fans; (d) use of recycled water for cooling tower applications; (e) installation of occupancy sensors in the back of the house area; (f) installation of aerators to reduce water consumption. Besides the above, the Company also took various operational measures to reduce energy consumption by: (a) optimal use of lighting and other equipment; (b) regulating of chilled water set points according to the ambient temperature; (c) not operating guest floors during low occupancy; and (d) setting benchmarks for energy consumption by area. Actions planned for the next year include: (a) installation of solar power energy systems; (b) replacement of chillers to energy efficient chillers; (c) replacement of fresh air units; (d) upgrading Building Management System; (e) replacement of fluorescent lamps by energy efficient LED lamps; (f) installation of variable frequency drives for exhaust fans; (g) replacement of old fan coil units; (h) replacement of motors with energy efficient motors. Operational measures at the hotels driven by focused Energy Conservation Committees which continue to closely monitor and control Energy Consumption. Foreign Exchange Earnings and Outgo During the Financial Year 2015-16, the foreign exchange earnings of the Company amounted to Rs. 5,625 million as against Rs. 5,148 million in the previous year. The expenditure in foreign exchange during the Financial Year was Rs. 591 million as compared to Rs. 573 million in the previous year. Auditors The Auditors of the Company, M/s. Ray and Ray (FRN 301072E), Chartered Accountants, retire at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting and are eligible for re-appointment. Confirmation has been received from the Auditors that, if reappointed, the appointment will be within the prescribed limits. The Directors recommend the re-appointment of M/s. Ray and Ray as Auditors of the Company for the Financial Year 2016-17. Secretarial Auditor In accordance with provisions of Section 204 of the Companies Act, 2013, the Company had appointed M/s. JUS & Associates as Secretarial Auditors for the Financial Year ended 31st March, 2016. The Secretarial Audit Report does not contain any qualification, reservation or adverse remarks. The Secretarial Auditor’s Report forms part of the Annual Report. Related Party Transactions The Contracts or arrangements or transactions entered into by the Company during the Financial Year with related parties were in the ordinary course of business and are on an arm’s length basis. During the year, the Company has not entered into any contract or arrangement or transaction with Related Parties that could be considered material in accordance with the Related Party Transaction policy of the Company. The policy on Related Party Transactions, as approved by the Board, can be accessed on the Company’s website www.eihltd.com. The details of Related Party Transactions are set out in Note no. 51 and Note no. 49 to the Standalone and Consolidated Financial Statements respectively. Extract of Annual Return The Extract of the Annual Return for the Financial Year ended on 31st March, 2016 in Form MGT-9 is annexed as Annexure 4. Loan, Guarantees or Investments Particulars of loans given, investment made, guarantees given, if any, and the purpose for which the loan or guarantee and investment is proposed to be utilised are provided in the Standalone Financial Statement in Note nos. 13 & 14. Deposits During the year, the Company did not accept any deposits from public. Vigil Mechanism/Whistleblower Policy In accordance with the Section 177(9) of the Act and rules framed thereunder read with Regulation 22 of the Listing Regulations, the Company has a Whistleblower Policy in place for its Directors and Employees to report concerns about unethical behaviour, actual or suspected fraud or violation of the Company’s Code of Conduct, “The Oberoi Dharma”. The Policy provides for protected disclosures that can be made by a whistle blower through e-mail or letter to the Whistle Officer or to the Chairperson of the Audit Committee. The Whistleblower Policy is accessible on the Company’s website www.eihltd.com. During the year ended on 31st March, 2016, the Company did not receive any complaint under the scheme. Board Meetings During the year, six Board Meetings were held on 30th May 2015, 4th August 2015, 5th November 2015, 30th January 2016, 11th March 2016 and 29th March 2016. Subsidiaries, Associates and Joint Ventures The Company has three Indian Subsidiaries which are also Joint Ventures, namely, Mumtaz Hotels Ltd, Mashobra Resort Ltd and Oberoi Kerala Hotels and Resorts Ltd. The Company’s overseas Subsidiaries are EI H Flight Services Ltd, Mauritius, EIH International Ltd, BVI, EI H Holdings Ltd, BVI, J&W Hongkong Ltd, Hongkong, EI HH Corporation Ltd, Hongkong, EI H Investments NV, Netherlands, EI H Management Services BV, Netherlands, PT Widja Putra Karya, Indonesia, PT Waka Oberoi Indonesia, Indonesia and PT Astina Graha Ubud, Indonesia. The Company has an Associate Company, namely, EI H Associated Hotels Ltd and Joint Venture Companies, Mercury Car Rentals Private Ltd and Oberoi Mauritius Ltd. A Report on the performance and financial position of each of the Subsidiaries, Associate and Joint Venture Companies are provided in the Annexure to the Consolidated Financial Statement and hence not repeated here for the sake of brevity. The policy on material subsidiaries as approved by the Board last year is given on the Company’s website www.eihltd.com. Directors/Key Managerial Personnel (KMP) Remuneration a) the number of permanent employees on the rolls of the Company at the end of the Financial Year is 4,135; b) the average increase in remuneration of employees for the Financial Year 2015-16 over the previous year is 11.1%. c) the remuneration of KMP’s are considered based on the remuneration policy followed for other senior executives. Increase in remuneration is sanctioned by the Management based on the Company performance and the individual’s performance. Performance of the Company is given in first page of the Director’s Report as well as in Management Discussion and Analysis. Individual change in remuneration is given on page no. 22. d) the percentage increase in the median remuneration of employees in the Financial Year is 5.14%. e) the Market Capitalisation of the Company as on 31st March, 2016 is Rs. 59,614.69 million compared to Rs. 61,386.56 million i.e a decrease of Rs. 1,771.87 million. The PE ratio as at the close of the Financial Year is 58.60 as against 63.40 in the previous Financial Year. f) the average percentage increase in remuneration of employees of the Company other than the managerial personnel is 11.1%. Percentage increase in salaries of managerial personnel is 3.48%. g) the major variable component in the Executive Directors remuneration is commission on profits calculated in accordance with the provisions of Section 197 and 198 of the Act. The commission varies depending on the profit of the Company for the relevant Financial Year. During the year, there is no employee in the Company who is drawing remuneration in excess of the highest paid Director. It is hereby affirmed that the remuneration of Directors and KMP’s are as per the Remuneration Policy of the Company. Internal Financial Control and Risk Management Systems Compliance of the above is given in the Management Discussion & Analysis on page nos. 46 & 47. Board Evaluation Pursuant to the provisions of the Act and Regulation 17(10) of the Listing Regulations, a Board Evaluation Policy has been put in place. A structured questionnaire covering various aspects of the Board’s functioning, Board culture, performance of specific duties by Directors and contribution to the Board proceedings was circulated to the members of the Board. Based on the responses received, the Board as a whole, the Committees, the Chairperson and individual Directors were separately evaluated in the separate meeting of the Independent Directors and at the Meeting of the Board of Directors. The process of review of Non-Independent Directors and the Board as a whole and also its committees were undertaken in a separate meeting of Independent Directors without the attendance of Non-Independent Directors and members of the management. At the meeting, the performance of the Chairman of the Company was reviewed taking into account the views of the Executive Directors and Non-Executive Directors and Independent Directors. The meeting also assessed the quality, quantity and timeliness of the flow of information required for the Board to perform its duties properly. The entire Board of Directors, excluding the Director being evaluated, evaluated the performance of each Independent Director. The Directors have expressed their satisfaction with the evaluation process. Based on the findings from the evaluation process, the Board will continue to review its procedures and effectiveness in the Financial Year ahead with a view to practising the highest standards of Corporate Governance. Significant and Material orders, if any During the year, there were no significant or material orders passed by the regulators, courts or tribunals impacting the going concern status and the Company’s operation in future. Sexual Harassment During the Financial Year 2015-16, there were no complaints of Sexual Harassment. Particulars of Employees The information required under Section 197 of the Act read with Rule 5 of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration) Rules, 2014 is Annexed and forms a part of this Report. Cautionary Statement Risks, uncertainties or future actions could differ materially from those expressed in the Directors’ Report and the Management Discussion and Analysis Report. These statements are relevant on the date of this Report. We have no obligation to update or revise any statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Therefore, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements. Acknowledgement The Board takes this opportunity to thank all employees for their commitment, dedication and co-operation. For and on behalf of the Board Vikram Oberoi Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer P.R.S. Oberoi Executive Chairman Gurgaon 26th May, 2016 |