Credit Information Companies in India

Credit Information Companies (CICs) use the consumer’s credit information data, as provided by the lending institutions to generate Credit Information Reports (CIRs) for individuals and Credit Company Reports (CCRs) for companies. CICs further calculate, generate, and issue credit scores for individuals and credit ranks for companies, as per their creditworthiness and past credit history.

List of Credit Information Companies in India – 2024

Below are the details of the four leading Credit Information Companies (CICs) or Credit Bureaus in India: TransUnion CIBIL, Equifax, Experian, and CRIF High Mark, which offer credit information services to individuals and enterprises. Read on to get more insight on these four credit bureaus.

TransUnion CIBIL

TransUnion CIBIL Limited (Formerly known as Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited) is a renowned Credit Information Company (CIC) that maintains credit information of over 1000 million individuals and businesses worldwide.

TransUnion CIBIL is considered one of the most trusted credit bureaus in India. Its range of 5000 members includes all major banks, financial institutions, Housing Finance Companies (HFCs), and NBFCs.

TransUnion CIBIL maintains one of the largest consumer credit information and generates CIBIL score that helps measure the creditworthiness of its consumers. It also generates Credit Information Reports (CIRs) CIBIL Commercial Reports (CCRs) and CIBIL Ranks for commercial entities.

Equifax India

Registered as a Credit Information Company (CIC) in India since 2010 and headquartered in Mumbai, Equifax India is a joint venture between Equifax Inc., USA, and seven leading financial institutions in India.

Equifax India collates credit information of individuals and commercial entities, as provided by the financial institutions. The credit information of consumers is further presented in the form of Credit Information Reports (CIRs) and Credit Scores that are calculated and generated by using a specific algorithm.

Equifax also manages a separate credit bureau to cater to the increasing lending and regulatory needs of Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs).

Experian India

In 2010, Experian India became the first credit bureau to receive a license under the new Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act (CICRA) 2005. Experian India offers its Experian credit report and score for use by both individuals and companies.

It offers information, marketing services, and analytical tools to individuals and commercial enterprises to make informed credit decisions.

CRIF High Mark

Headquartered in Mumbai, CRIF High Mark claims to be India’s first full-service credit bureau which offers comprehensive credit information for all borrower segments across India, including retail consumers, MSME (Micro Small, and Medium Enterprises), as well as commercial and microfinance borrowers.

Besides, providing credit reports and credit scores, CRIF High Mark also offers analytics, insights, data management, and related software solutions to banks, MFIs, NBFCs, Housing Finance Companies (HFCs), insurance companies, telecom service providers, etc.

Know How the Credit Information Companies Work

The Credit Information Company is an independent institution that collects and maintains consumers’ financial information related to their past and existing loans, credit cards, and any other credit products.

The credit information is provided to the credit information companies by the lending institutions every month. The financial information is used to generate credit score for individuals and credit report for companies.

The companies use their own and different algorithms to calculate and generate your credit score. Therefore, the credit score generated for individuals by each credit bureau may differ according to the consumer’s payment history and creditworthiness.

Who has access to a Credit Information Report?

Your Credit Information Report (CIR) is a detailed document that can only be checked by potential lenders, credit card providers, or existing lending institutions to ease your loan approval apart from you.

Individuals can also access their credit reports regularly to remain updated on their credit health. There are many platforms where checking your credit score is free of cost and you can get a detailed report every time you check your score.

It is worth noting that any entity needs your approval to check your credit report. Even the lender with whom your credit account is active cannot check your credit report without your consent.

FAQs on Credit Information Companies in India

Q. What are the Credit Information Companies in India?

Ans. The Credit Information Companies (CICs) in India are the RBI-regulated credit bureaus that are authorized entities to collect, maintain, and analyze the credit information of companies and individuals across the nation.

Q. How many Credit Information Companies are there in India?

Ans. In India, four prominent Credit Information Companies generate credit scores for individuals and credit ranks for companies or businesses. These four credit bureaus are TransUnion CIBIL, Experian, Equifax, and CRIF High Mark.

Q. What are the functions of Credit Information Companies?

Ans. Generally, Credit Information Companies gather, compile, and manage consumer credit information to further generate credit reports based on data provided by the lenders.

It holds credit transactions and payment histories of individuals and businesses regarding their past and existing loans, credit cards, or any other form of credit products.

Q. How many Credit Information Companies are regulated and authorized by the RBI?

Ans. All the four leading credit bureaus or credit information companies, named as TransUnion CIBIL, Experian, Equifax, and CRIF High Mark are regulated and authorized by the Reserve Bank of India.