List of Credit Rating Agencies in India with Headquarters – Download Free PDF
List of Credit Rating Agencies in India with Headquarters – Download Free PDF

Credit Rating Agencies in India with Headquarters

Download List of Credit Rating Agencies in India with Headquarters. If you are preparing for Banking, SSC, Railways, UPSC, State Level Exams, and other competitive Exams, you are bound to find a few questions on Current Affairs in your General Awareness section on the Credit Rating Agencies in India. Credit Rating Agencies play an important role in the financial ecosystem by evaluating the creditworthiness of entities such as companies, governments, and financial instruments. In Credit Rating Agencies in India like Ind-Ra, CRISIL, ICRA, and CARE have been instrumental in fostering investor confidence and ensuring transparency in financial markets and contribute significantly to the stability and growth of the economy. In India Credit Rating Agencies (CRAs) are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

Today, here we are providing you a Credit Rating Agencies in India with Headquarters in PDF format. These Credit Rating Agencies in India and Headquarters are also part of Static GK and Current Affairs. So follow this newly complete list of Credit Rating Agencies in India  and get good marks in the General Awareness section in the upcoming exams like SBI PO/Clerk, IBPS O/Clerk, PCS, UPSC, SSC, Railways and other state level exams.

List of Credit Rating Agencies in India (CRAs)

A Credit Rating Agency is a company that assigns ratings to debtors according to their ability to pay back the debt in a timely manner. These agencies provide highly essential risk assessment reports and analytical solutions and assign a definitive credit score to both individuals as well as organizations. These reports are considered important for getting a loan. There are seven top credit rating agencies in India namely-

  • CRISIL
  • ICRA
  • CARE
  • Brickwork Rating
  • India Rating and Research Pvt. Ltd
  • Infomerics Valuation and Acuité Ratings
  • SMERA.

What is a Credit Rating?

A credit rating is an assessment of the creditworthiness of a borrower in general terms or with respect to a particular debt or financial obligation. A credit rating can be assigned to any entity that seeks to borrow money — an individual, corporation, state or provincial authority, or sovereign government. A credit rating agency (CRA) is a company that assigns credit ratings, which rate a debtor’s ability to pay back debt by making timely principal and interest payments and the likelihood of default. There are six credit rating agencies registered under SEBI namely, CRISIL, ICRA, CARE, SMERA, Fitch India, and Brickwork Ratings.

CRAs were set up to provide independent evidence and research-based opinion on the ability and willingness of the issuer to meet debt service obligations, quintessentially attaching a probability of default to a specific instrument. Evaluating the creditworthiness of an instrument comprises of both qualitative and quantitative assessments, making credit rating far from a straightforward mathematical calculation.

Major Functions of Credit Rating Agencies

  • Rate companies, state governments, local government bodies, non-profit organizations, countries, securities, and special purpose entities.
  • Provides the report making it easier for the lender to analyze and come to an informed decision.
  • Assess an individual’s or a company’s creditworthiness
  • Adequacy of cash flow
  • Provides market position of the company within the industry
  • Helps in Public policy formation
  • Does the evaluation of Industrial risks
  • Performs a financial analysis based on accounting quality
  • Provides a solid basis for risk and return
  • Facilitates the protection of earnings

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List of Credit Rating Agencies in India and Headquarters

1. Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL)
Name of Rating Agency Year of Establishment Headquarters
CRISIL 1987 Gurgaon, India
  • CRISIL is India’s first credit rating agency, with a market share of more than 60%.
  • It was promoted by ICICI Ltd, UTI, and other financial institutions.
  • In 1988, it commenced its operations.
  • In 1995, in partnership with National Stock Exchange, CRISIL developed CRISIL500 Equity Index.
  • CRISIL’s businesses operate from 8 countries: the USA, Argentina, Poland, the UK, India, China, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
  • In 1996, it allied with the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Ratings Group and in the next year, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Ratings Group acquired 9.68% shares in it.
2. Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India (ICRA)
Name of Rating Agency Year of Establishment Headquarters
ICRA 1991 Mumbai, India
  • It is India’s second credit rating agency.
  • It was promoted by the Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI), and other leading financial/investment institutions.
  • ICRA originally named as Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India Limited (IICRA India) is independent and professional investment information and credit rating agency in India.
3. Credit Analysis & Research Limited (CARE)
Name of Rating Agency Year of Establishment Headquarters
CARE 1993 Mumbai, India
  • CARE is India’s third Credit Rating Agency.
  • It commenced its operations in April 1993.
  • It was mainly promoted by IDBI along with Canara Bank, UTI, and other financial and lending institutions.
  • It offers credit ratings in the following areas: Debt ratings, Bank loan ratings, Issuer ratings, Corporate governance, Recovery ratings, Financial sector, and Infrastructure ratings.

4. Acuite Ratings & Research (earlier SMERA Ratings Limited)

Established in 2011, earlier known as Small Medium Enterprises Rating Agency Of India Limited is now known as Acuite Rating & Research. It has two key divisions – Bond Ratings and SME Ratings. It evaluates the credibility of existing MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium enterprises).

Small and Medium Enterprises Rating Agency of India Limited (SMERA)
Name of Rating Agency Year of Establishment Headquarters
SMERA 2005 Mumbai, India
  • SMERA is a credit rating agency in India that was set up for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).
  • It was established in 2005 by SIDBI, Dun & Bradstreet Information Services India Private Limited (D&B), and some chief banks in India.
  • In 1999, SMERA has been registered under the Securities and Exchange Board of India and is only the sixth rating agency in India to rate issues such as IPO, bonds, commercial papers, security receipts, and others.
  • As an external credit assessment institution (ECAI), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) accredited SMERA to rate bank loan ratings under Basel II guidelines.
5. Brickwork Ratings India Private Limited
Name of Rating Agency Year of Establishment Headquarters
BWR 2007 Bangalore, India
  • Brickwork Ratings is a credit rating agency in India which was established in 2007.
  • It is also accredited by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and empaneled by NSIC.
  • It offers Bank Loan, NCD, Commercial Paper, MSME ratings, and grading services.
  • It also plays a significant role in the grading of real estate investments, hospitals, educational institutions, tourism, NGOs, IREDA, MFI, and MNRE.
  • BWR is responsible for rating bank loans, municipal corporations, a capital market instruments, financial institutions, SME’s and corporate governance ratings.
6. India Ratings and Research Pvt. Ltd. (Ind-Ra)
Name of Rating Agency Year of Establishment Headquarters
Ind-Ra 1995 Mumbai, India

Formerly known as Fitch Ratings India Pvt. Ltd., determines credit ratings for corporate issuers, financial institutions, managed funds, project finance companies, structured finance companies, and urban local bodies. Headquartered in Mumbai, it also has other branch offices in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, and Kolkata.

7. Infometrics Valuation and Rating Pvt. Ltd.
Name of Rating Agency Year of Establishment Headquarters
1986 New Delhi, India

Founded by former finance professionals, bankers, and administrative services personnel,  Infometrics Valuation and Rating Pvt Ltd is an RBI-accredited and SEBI-registered credit rating agency. It offers an unbiased assessment and evaluation of the creditworthiness of banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), small and medium scale units (SMUs), and large corporates. It aims to reduce any kind of information asymmetry amongst lenders and investors. It has transparency as its core value and thus, endeavors to provide accurate and comprehensive reports and credit ratings to all its clients.

Get Your Free PDF HereWho Regulate Credit Rating Agencies in India

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed tighter regulations for credit rating agencies in India. Credit Rating Agencies in India will need to disclose the probability of default of the companies they rated. They need to be more transparent about their methodologies. SEBI has proposed the establishment of a “rating sub-committee.” This committee will oversee CRAs and monitor compliance with regulations. SEBI has also proposed that CRAs be held more accountable for their ratings. CRAs need to pay compensation to investors who suffer losses as a result of incorrect ratings. SEBI has also proposed that CRAs not be permitted to provide advisory services to companies they rate. CRAs will also need to disclose the extent of their ownership and the shareholding pattern of their parent companies.

SEBI’s Detection for CRAs – Credit Rating Agencies in India

  • The regulator directed that rating agencies must now disclose the liquidity position of a company being rated.
  • If the rating is assigned on the assumption of cash inflow, the agencies would need to disclose the source of the funding.
  • Rating agencies must disclose their rating history and how the ratings have transitioned across categories.
  • Credit rating firms will also have to analyze the deterioration of liquidity and also check for asset liability mismatch.

Rating Scale used by Credit Rating Agencies in India (ICRA, CARE & CRISIL)

Credit Rating Agencies (CRAs) are institutions that assess the ability of an entity to meet its financial obligations. They provide ratings, such as AAA, AA, A, and so on, which reflect the credit risk associated with a particular entity or instrument. A higher rating indicates lower credit risk and vice versa. These ratings serve as a critical tool for investors, lenders, and policymakers in evaluating the financial health of borrowers. Following are the rating scale used by ICRA, CARE & CRISIL

Rating Definition CRISIL ICRA CARE
Highest Safety CRISIL AAA ICRA AAA CARE AAA
High Safety CRISIL AA ICRA AA CARE AA
Adequate Safety CRISIL A ICRA A CARE A
Moderate Credit Risk CRISIL BBB ICRA BBB CARE BBB
Moderate Default Risk CRISIL BB ICRA BB CARE BB
High Default Risk CRISIL B ICRA B CARE B
Very High Default Risk CRISIL C ICRA C CARE C
Default CRISIL D ICRA D CARE D

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