Your file may run to 200 pages. The first fifteen minutes are spent on about six of them.
Understanding the reading order helps you prepare the right things properly instead of preparing everything adequately.
The first pass
A credit officer opening a new file typically looks at, in roughly this order: the bank statement, the last two ITRs with computation, GST returns, the CIBIL or commercial bureau report, the project cost and means of finance page, and the DSCR. That is the screen. Everything else is read only if the screen holds up.
What each one is being checked for
- Bank statement — genuine business activity, credit turnover consistent with declared sales, no cheque returns, no round-tripping
- ITR and computation — declared income, whether filings are timely, whether turnover matches other records
- GST returns — turnover consistency and filing regularity
- Bureau report — repayment discipline, existing obligations, enquiries elsewhere
- Project cost and means of finance — whether the totals reconcile and the promoter contribution is credible
- DSCR — whether the project services its debt with margin
Preparing for it
Route your business receipts through the business account consistently for at least six months before applying. File returns on time even in a loss year. Resolve bureau errors before they appear in someone else’s screen. Keep an explanation ready for any unusual credit in the statement — not because it is suspicious, but because you will be asked.
None of this is about presenting a better business than you have. It is about making sure the records represent the business you actually run.
A note on figures
Scheme parameters quoted in our articles are correct to the best of our knowledge at the date of publication and are revised by circular. Verify the current position before acting on anything you read here.