Kerala has a very high penetration of auto (35 per cent) and two-wheeler (32 per cent) loans. However, very low penetration of credit cards and personal loans shows the untapped potential in the state, according to a Credit Information Bureau (India) Ltd (CIBIL) study.
ArunThukral, CIBIL's managing director, told the media here Kerala had 46 per cent credit seekers, who are less than 35 years of age. As compared with other top states, Kerala has the highest number of credit applicants who are above 45 years.
CIBIL data as of 2013 shows that the number of applications for new credit has been on a steady rise. The number of new credit applications has increased 150 per cent since 2010. This increase in the number of new credit applications and loans booked indicate an increased demand for credit and a bounce back by lending institutions in sanctioning new credit after the the 2008 downturn.
Speaking about increasing consumer awareness on CIBIL, Harshala Chandorkar, senior vice president- consumer relations, CIBIL, said, "We have seen a significant growth in consumers reaching out to us for CIBIL report from across metros as well as Tier II & III cities. There has been more than 200 per cent growth since the time we launched our consumer relations operations in 2009. This clearly indicates the rising financial awareness in the country. We are confident that this in turn will benefit both the industry and consumers as borrowers become more financially disciplined and aware of the importance of maintaining good credit histories," he said.
