Experian launches Grameen Score in India to empower rural lending and
accelerate financial inclusion
Helping rural individuals and self-help groups access formal credit
easily and responsibly
Mumbai, 4
November 2025: Experian Credit Information Company of India, one
of India’s leading credit bureaus, has launched the Experian Grameen
Score, a new credit scoring model designed to make access to formal credit
easier for people in rural areas. The initiative aims to empower rural
consumers by enabling Credit Institutions to gain a more accurate understanding
of their repayment behaviour and overall financial well-being.
The new
scoring system aligns with the Government of India’s vision to expand financial
inclusion and the Reserve Bank of India’s directive to enhance credit access
for underserved communities. It enables Credit Institutions to serve rural customers
confidently and responsibly, supporting more families in their journey toward
formal credit access.
The Experian
Grameen Score has been developed keeping in mind the unique challenges and
opportunities in rural India, where many individuals, women entrepreneurs, and
self-help groups demonstrate strong financial discipline but limited visibility
within the formal credit system. The score uses data that reflects the
financial patterns of rural life, such as repayment behaviour on small loans,
the mix of credit products typically used in villages, and migration trends
between rural and urban areas.
By providing
a clearer picture of a borrower’s ability to repay, the score supports more
accurate risk assessment and faster decision-making by lenders. This can help
individuals and groups to be considered for loans for agriculture, small
businesses, education, housing, and other essential needs.
Commenting on
the score, Manish Jain, Chairman of Experian Credit Information Company of
India, said, “The
Experian Grameen Score aligns with India’s agenda of inclusive growth. By
helping institutions assess credit risk more effectively in rural areas, we are
not only improving access to finance but also supporting the development of a
more resilient and transparent credit ecosystem.”
“Experian’s
Grameen Score reflects our commitment to innovation with purpose. By combining
robust data analytics and local market understanding, we are enabling financial
institutions to lend confidently in rural India, helping bridge the credit gap
and supporting sustainable economic growth.” He added.
What Experian
Grameen Score means for consumers
· Easier
access to credit: Individuals in rural areas can now be assessed more
accurately, even if they have limited or no previous credit history.
· Fairer
loan decisions: The score enables lenders to assess borrowers based on
responsible financial behaviour and repayment history, ensuring fair and
data-driven credit decisions beyond traditional urban benchmarks.
· Tailored
borrowing costs: By strengthening risk assessment, the score helps lenders
tailor interest rates appropriately, promoting affordability and trust in
credit access.
· Support
for women and self-help groups: The model recognises the growing role of
women entrepreneurs and collectives in rural lending, reinforcing national
efforts toward inclusive and equitable financial growth.
The Experian
Grameen Score ranges from 300 to 900, similar to consumer bureau score,
making it simple to understand and use across financial institutions.
With the
Grameen Score, Experian continues to strengthen its role as a trusted partner
in India’s financial ecosystem. By using data and analytics responsibly,
Experian aims to help more rural individuals and communities access formal
credit and create opportunities for financial growth. This initiative
reinforces the company’s purpose - to enable individuals and institutions to make
smarter, fairer, and more informed credit decisions.
About Experian
Experian is a global data and technology company, powering opportunities
for people and businesses around the world. We help to redefine lending
practices, uncover and prevent fraud, simplify healthcare, deliver digital
marketing solutions, and gain deeper insights into the automotive market, all
using our unique combination of data, analytics and software. We also assist
millions of people to realise their financial goals and help them to save time
and money.
We operate across a range of markets, from financial services to
healthcare, automotive, agrifinance, insurance, and many more industry
segments.
We invest in talented people and new advanced technologies to unlock the
power of data and to innovate. As a FTSE 100 Index company listed on the London
Stock Exchange (EXPN), we have a team of 25200 people across 32 countries. Our
corporate headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland. Learn more at experianplc.com.
