Intelligent Credit Systems Reshaping the Future of Lending in India
- Marie Dcruz
- Jun 25
- 3 min read
As credit demand continues to rise across India, the need for smarter and quicker lending decisions has become central to the growth strategies of financial institutions. With new technologies enabling more precise evaluations, a shift is underway—one that combines data insights with human decision-making. Among the most impactful developments in this space is the new underwriting model launched by Poonawalla Fincorp Limited, created in collaboration with IIT Bombay.
This effort marks a significant change in how loans, especially in the consumer and MSME segments, are assessed and approved—reducing delays while strengthening risk frameworks.
A New Age of Credit Decisioning
Poonawalla Fincorp Limited, part of the Cyrus Poonawalla Group, has taken a structured and forward-looking approach to improve its credit evaluation process. The company’s new underwriting solution was developed alongside experts at IIT Bombay to reflect real-world conditions in India’s dynamic lending environment.
Rather than relying entirely on traditional systems, the solution blends multiple data points from loan applications with decision-support tools that mirror human judgment. This model has been custom-designed to support the company's focus areas—retail and MSME lending—where speed and accuracy are key.
Early projections suggest that this new system could raise productivity in retail loan processing by as much as 40%. It maintains the human-centered evaluation approach while significantly increasing the volume of applications that can be reviewed.
Evolving Toward Smarter Automation
Unlike many automated tools that treat all data the same, this model is structured to evolve. Poonawalla Fincorp plans to upgrade the system in the near future to make it self-improving. This means it will continuously learn from past data, such as approval trends and repayment performance, allowing it to improve its predictions over time.
Plans also include adding support for local language processing, fraud detection enhancements, and better communication tools to deal with customers who may not have conventional financial histories. These updates are part of the broader goal to make lending more accessible, especially to first-time borrowers and underserved segments.
This initiative fits neatly with Poonawalla Fincorp’s broader mission of improving customer experience while keeping loan processes secure and scalable.
Major Banks Also Driving Innovation in Underwriting
While Poonawalla Fincorp has made notable progress through its partnership with IIT Bombay, other large banks across India are also introducing improvements in how credit assessments are made.
HDFC Bank has introduced technology that allows for instant credit assessments for customers with pre-approved offers. Their systems rely heavily on past customer behavior and transactional data, allowing approvals in a matter of minutes for many applicants.
ICICI Bank is leveraging mobile app usage and customer interaction data to evaluate credit risk, particularly for those applying for smaller loans. This allows the bank to streamline processing and reduce the number of manual steps involved.
Axis Bank is focusing on predictive analytics to assess applicants with limited or no traditional credit history. Their internal models use income patterns, existing EMIs, and live account data to make responsible lending decisions.
Kotak Mahindra Bank has taken a slightly different approach by emphasizing real-time analysis of alternative data sources such as digital wallet transactions, payment history, and utility bills. This enables the bank to serve individuals in remote or semi-urban locations who may not have formal banking records.
Each of these institutions is contributing to a more efficient and inclusive lending ecosystem by modernizing their underwriting processes.
Why Smarter Underwriting Is the Need of the Hour
In today’s financial environment, speed alone isn’t enough. Credit decisions must also be accurate, responsible, and fair. This requires a system that not only automates approvals but also reflects the diversity of borrower profiles.
For lenders, having such systems means reduced operational burden, faster turnaround times, and improved risk control. For borrowers, it results in quicker decisions and better access to credit—especially in segments that have traditionally faced delays due to manual checks or a lack of credit history.
By building a model grounded in practical realities, Poonawalla Fincorp Limited has created a solution that prioritizes both lender needs and borrower convenience.
Conclusion
The future of lending in India is clearly moving toward smarter, faster, and more adaptive credit evaluation processes. With financial institutions like Poonawalla Fincorp leading the way by blending institutional knowledge with academic research, others in the space are also encouraged to rethink their approaches.
As more banks and NBFCs continue to refine their underwriting models, what will ultimately define success is the ability to combine speed with judgment, automation with reliability, and data with real-world understanding.
This thoughtful balance is what will shape a more accessible, secure, and growth-driven lending industry for the years ahead.
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