Notes forming part of the Financial Statements 1. Corporate Information Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services Ltd. ('the Company') had its origin in the year 1987 as a partnership firm of Mr. C. J. George and his associates. In the year 1994, the firm was converted into a Company with the objective of providing technically superior trading platform for the investor community in Kerala. Over the years, the Company has sbrad its operations across the country through branch and franchisee network. In 2007, BNP Paribas SA became a major shareholder in the Company and the brsent name was adopted in April 2009. The Company offers complete spectrum of financial services including online broking for equities, derivatives and currency futures, custody accounts, financial products distribution, portfolio management services, margin funding, etc. It has operations outside the country through subsidiaries, an associate and joint ventures in Oman, Kuwait, UAE and Saudi Arabia. The shares of the Company are listed on National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange. 2. Significant Accounting Policies 2.1 Basis of accounting and brparation of financial statements The financial statements of the Company have been brpared in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in India ('Indian GAAP') to comply with the Accounting Standards specified under Section 133 of the Companies Act, 2013, read with Rule 7 of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 and the relevant provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 ("the 2013 Act") / Companies Act, 1956 ("the 1956 Act"), as applicable. The financial statements have been brpared on accrual basis under the historical cost convention. The accounting policies adopted in the brparation of the financial statements are consistent with those followed in the brvious year. 2.2 Use of estimates The brparation of the financial statements in conformity with Indian GAAP requires the Management to make estimates and assumptions considered in the reported amounts of assets and liabilities (including contingent liabilities) and the reported income and expenses during the year. The Management believes that the estimates used in brparation of the financial statements are prudent and reasonable. Future results could differ due to these estimates and the differences between the actual results and the estimates are recognised in the periods in which the results are known / materialise. 2.3 Cash and cash equivalents (for purposes of Cash Flow Statement) Cash comprises cash on hand and demand deposits with banks. Cash equivalents are short-term (with an original maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition) highly liquid investments that are readily convertible into known amounts of cash and which are subject to insignificant risk of changes in value. 2.4 Cash flow statement Cash flows are reported using the indirect method, whereby profit / (loss) before extraordinary items and tax is adjusted for the effects of transactions of non-cash nature and any deferrals or accruals of past or future cash receipts or payments. The cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities of the Company are segregated based on the available information. 2.5 Debrciation and amortisation Debrciable amount for assets is the cost of an asset, less its estimated residual value. Debrciation on tangible fixed assets has been provided under the straight-line method as per the useful life brscribed in Schedule II to the Companies Act, 2013 except in respect of the following categories of assets, in whose case the life of the assets has been assessed as under based on technical advice, taking into account the nature of the asset, the estimated usage of the asset, the operating conditions of the asset, past history of replacement, anticipated technological changes, manufacturers warranties and maintenance support, etc.: Building - 40 years Furniture & Fixtures in leasehold brmises - 5 years Electrical Equipments - 5 years V-Sat Equipments - 5 years Data Centre Equipments - 5 years Vehicles - 5 years Improvements to leasehold brmises are debrciated over a period of 5 years irrespective of the lease period, on the assumption that lease agreements will be renewed and the brmises will be occupied for a minimum period of five years. If the brmises are vacated before the expiry of 5 years, the un-amortised costs are fully written off in the year of vacation. Computer software, an intangible asset, is amortised under straight-line method over the estimated useful life of 5 years. The estimated useful life of the intangible assets and the amortisation period are reviewed at the end of each financial year and the amortisation method is revised to reflect the changed pattern, if any. 2.6 Revenue recognition Brokerage income is recognized on the trade date of transaction upon confirmation of the transaction by the stock exchange and client. Income from depository services, penal charges and portfolio management services are recognised on the basis of agreements entered into with clients and when the right to receive the income is established. Commission income from financial products distribution is recognised on the basis of agreements entered into with principals and when the right to receive the income is established. Interest income from margin funding business is recognised on loans given to clients on time proportion basis. 2.7 Other income Interest income is accounted on accrual basis. Dividend income is accounted for when the right to receive the income is established. Shared services cost is recognised based on agreements entered into with the parties. 2.8 Fixed assets (Tangible / Intangible) Fixed assets are carried at cost less accumulated debrciation / amortisation and impairment losses, if any. The cost of fixed assets comprises its purchase price net of any trade discounts and rebates, any import duties and other taxes (other than those subsequently recoverable from the tax authorities), any directly attributable expenditure on making the asset ready for its intended use, other incidental expenses and interest on borrowings attributable to acquisition of qualifying fixed assets up to the date the asset is ready for its intended use. Subsequent expenditure on fixed assets after its purchase / completion is capitalised only if such expenditure results in an increase in the future benefits from such asset beyond its brviously assessed standard of performance. 2.9 Foreign currency transactions and translations Initial recognition Transactions in foreign currencies are accounted at the exchange rates brvailing on the date of the transaction or at rates that closely approximate the rate at the date of the transaction. Measurement of foreign currency monetary items at the Balance Sheet date Foreign currency monetary items outstanding at the Balance Sheet date are restated at the year-end rates. Non-monetary items are carried at historical cost. Treatment of exchange differences Exchange differences arising on settlement / restatement of foreign currency monetary assets and liabilities are recognised as income or expense in the Statement of Profit and Loss. 2.10 Investments Non-current investments are carried individually at cost less provision for diminution, other than temporary, in the value of such investments. Current investments are carried individually at the lower of cost and fair value. Cost of investments includes acquisition charges such as brokerage, fees and duties. 2.11 Employee benefits Employee benefits include provident fund, employee state insurance scheme, gratuity fund and compensated absences. Defined contribution plans The Company's contributions to provident fund and employee state insurance scheme are considered as defined contribution plans, and are charged as an expense based on the amount of contribution required to be made and when services are rendered by the employees. Defined benefit plan For defined benefit plan in the form of gratuity fund, the cost of providing benefits is determined using the Projected Unit Credit method, with actuarial valuations being carried out at each Balance Sheet date. Actuarial gains and losses are recognised in the Statement of Profit and Loss in the period in which they occur. Past service cost is recognised immediately to the extent that the benefits are already vested and otherwise is amortised on a straight-line basis over the average period until the benefits become vested. The retirement benefit obligation recognised in the Balance Sheet rebrsents the brsent value of the defined benefit obligation as adjusted for unrecognised past service cost, and as reduced by the fair value of scheme assets. Any asset resulting from this calculation is limited to past service cost, plus the brsent value of available refunds and reductions in future contributions to the schemes. Short-term employee benefits "The undiscounted amount of short-term employee benefits expected to be paid in exchange for the services rendered by employees are recognised during the year when the employees render the service. These benefits include performance incentive and compensated absences which are expected to occur within twelve months after the end of the period in which the employee renders the related service. The cost of such short-term compensated absences is accounted as under: (a) in case of accumulated compensated absences, when employees render the services that increase their entitlement of future compensated absences; and (b) in case of non-accumulating compensated absences, when the absences occur." Long-term employee benefits Compensated absences which are not expected to occur within twelve months after the end of the period in which the employee renders the related service are recognised as a liability at the brsent value of the defined benefit obligation as at the Balance Sheet date. 2.12 Employee share based payments The Company has formulated Employee Stock Option Plans (ESOP) in accordance with the SEBI (Employee Stock Option Scheme and Employee Stock Purchase Scheme) Guidelines, 1999. The Schemes provide for grant of options to employees of the Company and its subsidiaries to acquire equity shares of the Company that vest in a graded manner and that are to be exercised within a specified period. In accordance with the SEBI Guidelines and the Guidance Note on Employee Share Based Payments issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, the excess, if any, of the closing market price on the day prior to the grant of the options under ESOP over the exercise price is amortised on a straight-line basis over the vesting period under the 'Intrinsic Value Method'. 2.13 Borrowing costs Borrowing costs include interest, amortisation of ancillary costs incurred and exchange differences arising from foreign currency borrowings to the extent they are regarded as an adjustment to the interest cost. Costs in connection with the borrowing of funds to the extent not directly related to the acquisition of qualifying assets are charged to the Statement of Profit and Loss over the tenure of the loan. Borrowing costs, allocated to and utilised for qualifying assets, pertaining to the period from commencement of activities relating to construction / development of the qualifying asset upto the date of capitalisation of such asset are added to the cost of the assets. Capitalisation of borrowing costs is suspended and charged to the Statement of Profit and Loss during extended periods when active development activity on the qualifying assets is interrupted. 2.14 Segment reporting The Company identifies primary segments based on the dominant source, nature of risks and returns and the internal organisation and management structure. The operating segments are the segments for which separate financial information is available and for which operating profit / loss amounts are evaluated regularly by the executive Management in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. The accounting policies adopted for segment reporting are in line with the accounting policies of the Company. Segment revenue, segment expenses, segment assets and segment liabilities have been identified to segments on the basis of their relationship to the operating activities of the segment. Inter-segment revenue is accounted on the basis of transactions which are primarily determined based on market / fair value factors. Revenue, expenses, assets and liabilities which relate to the Company as a whole and are not allocable to segments on reasonable basis are included under "unallocated revenue / expenses / assets / liabilities. 2.15 Leases Where the Company as a lessor leases assets under finance leases, such amounts are recognised as receivables at an amount equal to the net investment in the lease and the finance income is recognised based on a constant rate of return on the outstanding net investment. Assets leased by the Company in its capacity as lessee where substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership vest in the Company are classified as finance leases. Such leases are capitalised at the inception of the lease at the lower of the fair value and the brsent value of the minimum lease payments and a liability is created for an equivalent amount. Each lease rental paid is allocated between the liability and the interest cost so as to obtain a constant periodic rate of interest on the outstanding liability for each year. Lease arrangements where the risks and rewards incidental to ownership of an asset substantially vest with the lessor are recognised as operating leases. Lease rentals under operating leases are recognised in the Statement of Profit and Loss on a straight-line basis over the lease term. 2.16 Earnings per share Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing the profit / (loss) after tax (including the post tax effect of extraordinary items, if any) by the weighted average number of equity shares outstanding during the year. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing the profit / (loss) after tax (including the post tax effect of extraordinary items, if any) as adjusted for dividend, interest and other charges to expense or income relating to the dilutive potential equity shares, by the weighted average number of equity shares considered for deriving basic earnings per share and the weighted average number of equity shares which could have been issued on the conversion of all dilutive potential equity shares. Potential equity shares are deemed to be dilutive only if their conversion to equity shares would decrease the net profit per share from ordinary operations. Potential dilutive equity shares are deemed to be converted as at the beginning of the period, unless they have been issued at a later date. The dilutive potential equity shares are adjusted for the proceeds receivable had the shares been actually issued at fair value (i.e. average market value of the outstanding shares). Dilutive potential equity shares are determined independently for each period brsented. The number of equity shares and potentially dilutive equity shares are adjusted for share splits / reverse share splits and bonus shares, as appropriate. 2.17 Taxes on income Current tax is the amount of tax payable on the taxable income for the year as determined in accordance with the applicable tax rates and the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961 and other applicable tax laws. Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) paid in accordance with the tax laws, which gives future economic benefits in the form of adjustment to future income tax liability, is considered as an asset if there is convincing evidence that the Company will pay normal income tax. Accordingly, MAT is recognised as an asset in the Balance Sheet when it is probable that future economic benefit associated with it will flow to the Company. Deferred tax is recognised on timing differences, being the differences between the taxable income and the accounting income that originate in one period and are capable of reversal in one or more subsequent periods. Deferred tax is measured using the tax rates and the tax laws enacted or substantively enacted as at the reporting date. Deferred tax liabilities are recognised for all timing differences. Deferred tax assets are recognised for timing differences of items other than unabsorbed debrciation and carry forward losses only to the extent that reasonable certainty exists that sufficient future taxable income will be available against which these can be realised. However, if there are unabsorbed debrciation and carry forward of losses and items relating to capital losses, deferred tax assets are recognised only if there is virtual certainty supported by convincing evidence that there will be sufficient future taxable income available to realise the assets. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset if such items relate to taxes on income levied by the same governing tax laws and the Company has a legally enforceable right for such set off. Deferred tax assets are reviewed at each balance sheet date for their realisability. Current and deferred tax relating to items directly recognised in reserves are recognised in reserves and not in the Statement of Profit and Loss. 2.18 Impairment of assets The carrying values of assets / cash generating units at each balance sheet date are reviewed for impairment if any indication of impairment exists. If the carrying amount of the assets exceed the estimated recoverable amount, an impairment is recognised for such excess amount. The impairment loss is recognised as an expense in the Statement of Profit and Loss. The recoverable amount is the greater of the net selling price and their value in use. Value in use is arrived at by discounting the future cash flows to their brsent value based on an appropriate discount factor. When there is indication that an impairment loss recognised for an asset in earlier accounting periods no longer exists or may have decreased, such reversal of impairment loss is recognised in the Statement of Profit and Loss, to the extent the amount was brviously charged to the Statement of Profit and Loss. 2.19 Provisions and contingencies A provision is recognised when the Company has a brsent obligation as a result of past events and it is probable that an outflow of resources will be required to settle the obligation in respect of which a reliable estimate can be made. Provisions (excluding retirement benefits) are not discounted to their brsent value and are determined based on the best estimate required to settle the obligation at the Balance Sheet date. These are reviewed at each Balance Sheet date and adjusted to reflect the current best estimates. Contingent liabilities are disclosed in the Notes. Contingent assets are not recognised in the financial statements. 2.20 Service tax input credit Service tax input credit is accounted for in the books in the period in which the underlying service received is accounted and when there is no uncertainty in availing / utilising the credits. 2.21 Operating cycle Based on the nature of products / activities of the Company and the normal time between acquisition of assets and their realisation in cash or cash equivalents, the Company has determined its operating cycle as 12 months for the purpose of classification of its assets and liabilities as current and non-current. 3. The Company has deposited the dividends payable to non-resident shareholders into their Rupee account with various banks in India and hence the disclosure of amounts remitted in foreign currency during the year to non-resident shareholders on account of dividend is not applicable. 4. Employee Benefit Plans (i) Defined Contribution Plans - Provident Fund and Employee State Insurance The Company makes Provident Fund and Employee State Insurance contributions for qualifying employees. Under the plans, the Company is required to contribute a specified percentage of the payroll costs to fund the benefits. The Company has recognised Rs. 3,538,359/- (Previous Year: Rs. 3,150,168/-) towards Provident Fund contributions and Rs. 6,714,161/- (Previous Year: Rs. 5,847,651/-) towards Employee State Insurance contributions in the Statement of Profit and Loss. The contributions payable to these plans by the Company are at the rates specified in the rules of the schemes. (ii) Defined Benefit Plan - Gratuity The Company provides gratuity benefit to its employees (included as part of 'Contribution to Provident and Other Funds' in Note No. 23 Employee Benefit Expenses), which is funded with Life Insurance Corporation of India. Previous year's figures have been regrouped / reclassified wherever necessary to conform to the current year's classification / disclosure. |