15 June 2015

Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited (CIBIL)


Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited is India’s first Credit Information Company (CIC) founded in August 2000. CIBIL collects and maintains records of an individual’s payments pertaining to loans and credit cards. These records are submitted to CIBIL by member banks and credit institutions, on a monthly basis. This information is then used to create Credit Information Reports (CIR) and credit scores which are provided to credit institutions in order to help evaluate and approve loan applications. CIBIL was created to play a critical role in India’s financial system, helping loan providers manage their business and helping consumers secure credit quicker and on better terms.

CIBIL collects and maintains records of an individual‘s payments pertaining to loans and credit cards. These records are submitted to CIBIL by banks and other lenders, on a monthly basis. This information is then used to create Credit Information Reports (CIR) and credit scores which are provided to lenders in order to help evaluate and approve loan applications.

Since, the credit score and CIR not only helps loan providers identify consumers who are likely to be able to pay back their loans, but also helps them to do this more quickly and economically. This translates into faster loan approvals.
Until recently, there was little visibility and transparency with regards to the loan approval process and the elements that loan providers used to evaluate your loan application. Since, CIBIL has made your credit score and CIR available to you, you will be able to see how valuable a customer you are to loan providers.
CIBIL empowers both loan providers and individuals to see their world more clearly and hence, take better and more informed decisions.
For credit grantors to gain a complete picture of the payment history of a credit applicant, they must be able to gain access to the applicant's complete credit record that may be spread over different institutions. CIBIL collects commercial and consumer credit-related data and collates such data to create and distribute credit reports to its Members which are credit institutions and banks in India. CIBIL’s over 1300 strong member base includes all leading public & private sector banks, financial institutions, non-banking financial companies and housing finance companies.
CIBIL’s products, especially the Credit Information Report (CIR) and CIBIL TransUnion Score are very important in the loan approval process. Once the loan provider has decided which set of loan applicants to evaluate, it analyzes the CIR / Score in order to determine the applicant’s eligibility. Eligibility basically means the applicants ability to take additional debt and repay additional outflows given their current commitments. Post completion of these first 2 steps the loan provider will request for the applicants income proof and other relevant documents in order to finally sanction the loan.
The CIR and Credit Score not only help loan providers identify consumers who are likely to be able to pay back their loans, but also help them to do this more quickly and economically. This translates into faster loan approvals for consumers. An individual with a credit score above 750 has better bargaining power with the lenders, since he is perceived as a responsible borrower. Since consumers can now access their Credit Scores and CIRs directly from CIBIL at the cost of INR 500, they can see for themselves how they are perceived by the lenders before applying for a loan. Hence, CIBIL empowers both loan providers and individuals to see their financial and credit history more clearly and hence, take better and more informed decisions.


CIBIL is ISO 27001:2005 certified- the most recognized security standard in the world. CIBIL is one of the 1000 companies in the world, which have achieved ISO 27001 certification, and one of the first few in India.