Is there any other credit bureau operating in India apart from CIBIL™

Credit Bureaus in India

Yes. There are several credit bureaus in India apart from CIBIL™. In India, there are six main credit bureaus that are registered authorised by the Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Let’s take a closer look at them.

Other Important Credit Bureaus in India Apart from CIBIL™

Equifax

Equifax got the license in 2010 to operate as a fully functional credit rating agency in India. Equifax provides products for both individuals and corporates. For individuals, it provides credit ratings and risk and portfolio scores.

At Equifax, credit scores for individuals range between 1 – 900. For corporates, the services provided by Equifax includes industry research, portfolio and risk management reports, credit fraud reports, etc. You can now easily check your latest credit score for free at Credit Mantri, the online loan analysis platform, powered by Equifax and get your credit score within minutes.

Experian

Experian was established in 2006 in India but has been operating as a fully licensed credit rating agency since 2010.  The credit bureau conducts individual as well as company analysis of the credit reports. Such reports get processed in around 20 days and are cheaper as compared to other credit bureaus operating in India. The credit rating scores at Equifax for individuals range between 300-900 with a score of 900 considered the best.

At Experian, Individuals can ask for their credit information to know their credit history while organizations can opt for reports like customer acquisition, customer targeting and engagement, etc.

CRIF High Mark

CRIF High Mark was founded in 2007 with a license to operate granted during 2010. The bureau is the only credit bureau approved by the Reserve Bank of India to operate in India. It is a highly reputed bureau and considered the only bureau in India providing a comprehensive credit rating with seamless services across different borrower classes like individuals, MSMEs, companies etc. CRIF High Mark gives credit rating analysis for both individuals and companies with a credit rating criterion between 300-850. A credit rating score of 720 and above is considered excellent while scores of 640 and below as poor.

CRISIL

CRISIL is considered one of the earliest credit bureaus in India is founded in 1987. CRISIL is a global analytical company that provides a diverse range of services like rating the companies, elaborate market-based research, policy and risk-oriented advisory services for their clients. It is present globally in many countries with major branches in Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Hong Kong, China etc. The globally acclaimed credit rating agency - Standards & Poor is one of the majority of stakeholders at CRISIL.

ICRA

ICRA was initially known as the Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency. During 2007, it got listed on BSE and NSE. The credit bureau was established primarily to undertake mutual funds related grading and ranking services, performance-based and corporate governance ratings to corporates in the real estate, construction and hospital sectors.

Credit bureaus in India and worldwide have been formed to analyze financial transactions for individuals and businesses. Credit scores are an important criterion for lenders to judge the borrower’s creditworthiness to grant/approve loans and credit cards.

CIBIL™

CIBIL™ is one of the leading authorized credit bureaus in India. It was established in 2000 with a license to operate granted in 2010 to provide a credit report based on past credit history. CIBIL™ is associated with different banks and financial institutions. Important reports provided by this bureau are:

• Credit Information Report
• CIBIL™ TransUnion Score for individuals
• CIBIL™ Company Credit Information Reports
• Portfolio Reports
• CIBIL™ Bureau Analyzer etc. for the corporates. 

The bureau provides such reports generally within a week. At CIBIL™, credit scores for individuals range between 300-900, with a score above 720 deemed as excellent. Corporates are given a performance score based on their repayment history. The higher the credit score, the greater are your chances of getting loans or credit cards sanctioned.

What is a credit bureau?

A credit bureau is an authorized body that collates and analyses your data pertaining to credit transactions like loans taken, credit cards, overdrafts etc. and their repayment timelines. The credit report generated by credit bureaus is used by banks and financial institutions to judge the creditworthiness and past loan/credit card repayment behaviour of borrowers so as to evaluate the risk factor in granting potential loans to borrowers.

Additional Reading: All You Should Know About The Credit Bureaus And Credit Scores In India

What is the significance of a good credit score?

Credit scores released by the key credit bureaus in India are integral to banks and other financial institutions for assessing the creditworthiness and risk evaluation capability of a borrower, before granting him/her potential loans. The higher credit score is also beneficial for the borrower in terms of being able to negotiate better loan terms in terms of lower interest rate, extended loan tenure and reduced equated monthly instalments (EMI’s).

What is the credit score range?

Credit scores normally are in the range between 300 – 900, wherein a score 

• >= 750 is termed as excellent showing responsible financial prudence 
• 600-750 is termed average score with a slightly high-risk affinity
• < 600 implies poor credit rating leading to rejection of loan/credit card approval.

The credit bureaus in India have different credit scoring algorithms, however, such different scores are accepted as valid.

Additional Reading: What Are The 5 Levels Of Credit Scores

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Disclaimer

The 4 credit bureaus- CIBIL™, Equifax, Experian, and CRIF highmark offer credit scores in India. The points mentioned above are true for credit scores from any bureau, not just CIBIL™.