RBI's new directive to NBFCs; Oyo's third IPO attempt
The RBI has tightened rules on default loss guarantees (DLGs), a move that is likely to hit digital lenders hard. This and more in today's ETtech Top 5.
Also in the letter:
■ Info Edge Q4 results ■ Sarvam's LLM gets muted response■ Bengaluru tech workforce crosses 1 million
RBI tightens default loss guarantee rule; NBFCs to exclude cover on fintech-sourced loans
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) to exclude default loss guarantees (DLGs) provided by fintech partners when provisioning for bad loans.
What's changing? NBFCs will no longer factor in the typical 5% guarantee from digital lending partners to reduce provisioning on stressed loans. This marks a significant shift that could dent both origination volumes and fee income for fintechs. The RBI wants NBFCs to: Strengthen underwriting practices.
Curb systemic risks.
Avoid over-reliance on fintechs. The move follows cases where fintechs failed to honour DLGs, leaving NBFCs exposed to losses.
Who's affected? Digital lending partners such as:These firms act as lending service providers and typically offer DLGs of up to 5%, often backed by fixed deposits lien-marked in favour of NBFCs. These guarantees act as credit cushions and are usually factored into expected credit losses (ECL) calculations.
When's the deadline? NBFCs must comply by September 30, treating fintech-originated loans as if there is no credit enhancement. Some NBFCs have already begun adjusting provisions from Q4 FY25.
Also Read: Listed fintechs feel the pinch of lenders going slow on unsecured lending
The impact:
NBFCs: Higher provisions, leading to reduced appetite for fintech-originated credit.
Higher provisions, leading to reduced appetite for fintech-originated credit. Fintechs: Likely decline in originations and income.
Likely decline in originations and income. Borrowers: Stricter access to unsecured credit. This directive is part of the RBI's broader crackdown on hidden risks in India's rapidly growing digital lending ecosystem. It also serves as a nudge for NBFCs to shoulder the risk they underwrite, instead of outsourcing it.
Also Read: Stuck digital lenders look to RBI to ease unsecured loan rules
Oyo to meet bankers next week for third IPO attempt; eyes $5-7 billion valuation
Ritesh Agarwal, CEO, Oyo
Oravel Stays Ltd, the parent company of hospitality startup Oyo, is set to formally review proposals from merchant bankers next week as it prepares for a fresh attempt at an initial public offering (IPO), according to multiple people familiar with the development.
Verbatim: 'During the preliminary discussions, some bankers proposed that the company could get valued as high as $10 billion for its public issue, but the company's realistic expectation is around $6-7 billion,' a source said.
More details: The company is in talks with Indian and global banks. It aims to file its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) between August and September, with a public listing targeted for March or April 2026, according to sources.
This will be Oyo's third attempt at going public. It first filed with the Securities and Exchange Board of India in 2021, aiming for an Rs 8,430 crore IPO, but withdrew in 2022.
A second filing, made confidentially in 2023, was also withdrawn in 2024.
Recent fundraise: In August, Oyo raised Rs 1,457 crore from a group of investors at a significantly reduced valuation. In December, it secured $825 million in debt from Deutsche Bank to fund its $525 million acquisition of US motel chain Motel 6.
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Info Edge Q4 revenue rises 14% to Rs 750 crore; net profit surges 8x to Rs 678 crore
Sanjeev Bikhchandani, cofounder, Info Edge
Naukri.com parent Info Edge posted a 14% year-on-year (YoY) increase in operating revenue for the March quarter, driven by robust growth across both recruitment and non-recruitment businesses.
Financials:
Operating revenue (Q4): Rs 750 crore.
Rs 750 crore. Net profit (Q4): Rs 678 crore, up from Rs 88 crore a year ago.
Rs 678 crore, up from Rs 88 crore a year ago. Revenue (FY25): Rs 2,849 crore, up 12% YoY.
Rs 2,849 crore, up 12% YoY. Net profit (FY25): Rs 1,310 crore, more than double the Rs 594 crore reported in FY24.
Rs 1,310 crore, more than double the Rs 594 crore reported in FY24. Total expenses (FY25): Rs 539 crore, compared to Rs 469 crore in FY24. Employee benefits: Rs 331 crore. Advertising and promotion costs: Rs 100 crore.
Rs 539 crore, compared to Rs 469 crore in FY24.
Revenue breakdown:
Recruitment solutions (including Naukri.com) : Rs 542 crore, up 13% YoY.
: Rs 542 crore, up 13% YoY. 99Acres (real estate portal): Rs 106 crore, up 14%.
Rs 106 crore, up 14%. Other businesses (including Jeevansathi.com and Shiksha.com) : Rs 101 crore, up nearly 20%.
Also Read: Info Edge shareholders approve Rs 1,000 crore investment in its VC fund
Sarvam AI unveils multilingual LLM; low traction poses questions on India's AI scene
Indian AI startup Sarvam AI, the first company chosen by the government to build a homegrown foundational model, has launched its open-source large language model (LLM). However, the early reception has been muted, with only a few hundred downloads in the initial days.
About the model: Sarvam claims its LLM, Sarvam M, performs well on benchmarks in mathematics, programming, and 11 Indian languages, including Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, and Malayalam. The model supports a hybrid reasoning mode for tackling complex logical reasoning problems, as well as mathematical and coding tasks.
Additionally, it features a non-think mode for general-purpose conversation.
According to the company, Sarvam M outperforms similarly sized models on coding and math benchmarks.
No traction: The model, released on Hugging Face, recorded just over 300 downloads at launch. As of May 27, the number had increased to 1,200. The lukewarm response has reignited debate over India's place in the global AI race, particularly with rivals such as DeepSeek and OpenAI.
Frinks AI raises $5.4 million: Frinks AI has raised $5.4 million in a new funding round led by Prime Venture Partners. Founded by IIT Hyderabad alumni Aditya Agrawal, Dharmgya Sharma, and Subhra S Bhattacherjee, Frinks AI is a deep-tech startup developing next-generation vision AI systems for industrial automation and quality control.
Contineu raises $1.2 million: Deeptech startup Contineu has raised $1.2 million in a seed funding round led by SenseAI Ventures, with Piper Serica Angel Fund participating. Founded in 2023, the startup automates data entry on construction sites through its platform, utilising helmet-mounted cameras and 3D computer vision models.
Technology workforce in Bengaluru crosses one-million mark; IT city among 12 global tech hubs: CBRE
Bengaluru is now among the top 12 global technology hubs, joining the ranks of Beijing, Boston, London, New York, and Toronto, as its technology workforce has crossed the one million mark.
Details: According to a report by real estate consultant CBRE, Bengaluru's tech talent scale rivals that of the US hubs of San Francisco and New York. The city ranks fourth among the 12 tech markets in terms of the share of its working-age population.
75% of Bengaluru's falls in this productive age group.
Between 2019 and 2024, Bengaluru saw a 2.4% increase in its working population.
The city also leads in terms of AI development talent.
In 2024, Bengaluru attracted 140 venture capital (VC) deals worth $3.3 billion.
Updated On May 27, 2025, 07:30 PM IST
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