Applore

AI-assisted credit intelligence for a ₹1,000+ Cr NBFC.

Digitised underwriting that scales an SME lending book.

ClientCSL Finance
IndustryNBFC · SME Lending
EngagementAI lending platform · phased rollout
Overview

CSL Finance is a specialised NBFC providing credit to SMEs and high-growth businesses across India. A significant portion of its borrowers operate in seasonal or semi-organised sectors underserved by traditional banks. Over time, CSL developed a strong proprietary credit framework capable of assessing these unconventional income profiles — but it relied on manual spreadsheets and fragmented workflows. As the loan book scaled past ₹1,000+ crore, those processes began limiting speed and consistency. We digitised the methodology into a centralised AI-assisted platform.

The problem

The structural limitations

The credit team relied on a complex framework of weighted parameters, qualitative assessments, and financial indicators captured manually across multiple files. The model produced strong outcomes, but the structure around it was heavily manual.

  • 01

    Manual calculation of risk parameters increased processing time per loan file

  • 02

    Inconsistent data entry across applications affected accuracy and audit readiness

  • 03

    Multiple spreadsheets and reports fragmented the underwriting workflow

  • 04

    Limited processing capacity restricted how many applications credit officers could evaluate per month

  • 05

    The system needed to preserve CSL’s ability to assess seasonal, fluctuating, or unconventional income — not flatten it into a generic scoring model

Approach

How we solved it.

AI-assisted credit intelligence platform: digitised scoring engine, Excel parsing for applicant data, validated structured inputs, one-click PDF credit reports, and alternative income modelling.

An NBFC with ₹1,000+ Cr AUM lending to SMEs with seasonal and unconventional income. Their proprietary credit model lived on manual spreadsheets and didn’t scale.

What we built

The layers that make the change stick.

Intelligence and engineering applied where they drive measurable change.

  1. 01

    Digitised Credit Intelligence Framework

    CSL’s internal evaluation logic — weighted averages, risk indicators, qualitative scoring — was transformed into a structured Scoring & Analysis Engine that automatically calculates credit scores and generates a standardised Risk Assessment Summary for every file.

  2. 02

    Credit Team Co-Pilot

    An Excel parsing engine lets officers upload applicant spreadsheets and pre-fills the application automatically. Intelligent dropdowns and validated inputs replace open-text fields, ensuring structured, audit-ready data.

  3. 03

    One-Click Credit Reports

    Once an evaluation is complete, the platform generates a comprehensive PDF credit report summarising profile, scoring breakdown, and final recommendation — ready for credit committee review.

  4. 04

    Non-Traditional Borrower Profiles

    Credit teams can capture alternative indicators — business cycles, inventory flows, sector-specific revenue fluctuations — preserving CSL’s ability to confidently fund borrowers traditional models would overlook.

Impact

Results that changed the operating reality.

0%

Faster loan file processing

0×

Application handling capacity

Zero

Manual data-entry errors

0%

Standardised underwriting framework

  • FullAudit traceability per file
The platform converted a manual underwriting process into a scalable digital credit intelligence system. More importantly, the digitised framework lets CSL confidently fund entrepreneurs with seasonal or unconventional income profiles — expanding access to capital for underserved SMEs.
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AI-assisted credit intelligence for a ₹1,000+ Cr NBFC. — Applore