Crisil, the provider of ratings, data, research, analytics and solutions, has invested Rs 33.25 crore to acquire a minority stake in Online PSB Loans Limited (OPL). In December 2024, Crisil had announced its intention to invest.

OPL is a digital credit infrastructure company that develops and integrates advanced technologies, transforming the credit ecosystem through end-to-end automation. The company facilitates ease of credit delivery to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and retail borrowers through unique analytics and artificial intelligence/machine learning-based solutions, enabling faster credit decision making.

OPL is one of India’s largest digital lending platforms meeting the needs of the evolving lending ecosystem.

Says Amish Mehta, Managing Director and CEO, Crisil, “MSMEs contribute nearly a third of India's gross domestic product, half of its exports, and are the largest employment generator after agriculture. The sector will thus be a material driver of India’s growth over the long term. At present, the MSME credit ecosystem is undergoing digitalisation and formalisation through various government and private sector initiatives. OPL’s offerings enable financial institutions to enhance their MSME lending infrastructure. The investment in OPL strengthens our positioning in the MSME sector and enables innovative offerings.”

OPL's existing group of shareholders include several prominent financial institutions including public and private sector banks, credit bureaus and government organisations.

Says Jinand Shah, Managing Director and CEO, OPL, “OPL is an innovative, fully integrated digital ecosystem that augments digital credit infrastructure of large institutions such as banks, and offers innovative, customised solutions for the growth and development of small and medium businesses. Crisil’s domain expertise as the foremost provider of research, ratings and analytics will enable OPL to accelerate our journey of transforming India’s MSME credit ecosystem and making it future-ready.”