In 2025, the Company Credit Report (CCR) has become one of the most important documents for Indian MSMEs applying for loans. But here’s the problem—most business owners don’t know how to read it the way banks and NBFCs do. And that’s exactly why many get rejected despite having strong turnover or profits.

Understanding your CCR like a credit officer can help you identify risks, correct errors, and build a strategy to improve your CIBIL MSME Rank (CMR) before applying for credit.

This guide breaks down how to read a CCR report line by line—just like lenders do.

What Is a Company Credit Report (CCR)?

A CCR is a comprehensive credit profile of your business, compiled by bureaus like TransUnion CIBIL, Experian, or CRIF High Mark. It is built using monthly data submitted by banks, NBFCs, and fintech lenders under RBI reporting norms.

The report includes:

• Business identification details

• List of current and past credit facilities

• Repayment history and overdue accounts

• DPD (Days Past Due) pattern

• Credit utilization

• CMR Rank (if applicable)

• Inquiry history (who pulled your report and when)

Each lender reviews this report before sanctioning or rejecting your loan application.

Section-by-Section Breakdown of a CCR Report

1. Company Information

This section includes your legal business name, PAN, registration details, entity type (e.g., Pvt Ltd, LLP), and address.

Lenders check this to confirm you’re a legitimate and verified business. Mismatched PAN or business names often delay approvals, so ensure these match with your loan documents and MCA records.

2. Credit Summary

Here, you’ll find the total number of:

• Active and closed loans

• Secured vs unsecured facilities

• Outstanding balance

• Total credit exposure

• Number of lenders

This summary helps banks quickly assess your total liability and credit diversity. A well-balanced mix of credit types is seen as positive.

If your credit exposure is above ₹10 lakh and you’ve been active for 12+ months, this section also displays your CMR Rank issued by CIBIL.

3. Account Information (Loan-Wise Breakdown)

This is the most important section. Each credit facility (OD, CC, term loan, machinery loan, etc.) is listed with details such as:

• Lender name

• Type of facility

• Sanctioned amount

• Current outstanding

• Monthly EMI

• Last payment date

• DPD buckets (0, 30+, 60+, 90+ days late)

Lenders scrutinize this to check:

• Repayment discipline: Frequent 30+ DPD means higher risk

• Over-utilization: Constant use of 80–100% of OD/CC limits shows cash stress

• Evergreening: Taking new loans to repay old ones is a red flag

Maintaining 0 DPD and <50% utilization consistently is crucial for a good CMR.

4. Days Past Due (DPD) Grid

This part displays a monthly repayment status for each account, showing how many days the payment was overdue. Codes like:

• 000 – On-time

• 030 – 30 days late

• 060 – 60 days late

• XXX – No data submitted

• STD – Standard

• SUB – Substandard (high risk)

A banker will instantly scan the grid to spot patterns of delay. Just one “060” in the last six months may lead to a rejection.

This is why business owners must review DPDs monthly and avoid bounced EMIs, as explained on Investopedia.

5. Credit Utilization Pattern

For OD/CC limits, this section shows:

• Total limit sanctioned

• Amount utilized

• Highest usage in last 6 months

Banks look for a healthy utilization ratio, ideally under 50%. Using your entire limit often indicates working capital strain and raises the risk profile.

As per CIBIL guidelines, utilization history directly influences your CMR score.

6. Enquiry Information

This lists all the institutions that have pulled your CCR in the last 12 months, along with the date, loan type, and amount.

Too many inquiries in a short period suggests “credit shopping,” which may negatively affect your CMR. Keep your loan applications minimal and targeted.

You can track this through CIBIL’s dashboard by registering your business PAN.

7. CMR (CIBIL MSME Rank)

If your business has ₹10L+ credit exposure and 12+ months of history, your report will include a CMR Rank between 1 and 10.

CMR-1 to CMR-4 is considered low risk, which most banks prefer. CMR-5 to CMR-6 is moderate risk, and CMR-7 to CMR-10 is high risk.

Even if your profit margins are good, a poor CMR Rank may lead to rejection, or the loan being priced at a higher interest rate.

8. Irregular Accounts or Defaults

This final section highlights any accounts flagged as:

• Written-off

• Settled

• NPA (Non-performing asset)

• Restructured due to COVID or financial hardship

These accounts drastically reduce your CMR and are usually automatic rejection triggers unless fully resolved and documented.

How Bankers Read CCR Differently Than Business Owners

While MSMEs focus on turnover or repayment dates, bankers evaluate:

• Trends of delayed payments (even if resolved later)

• Consistency across all credit lines

• CMR movement over last 6–12 months

• Presence of too many NBFC or unsecured loans

• Patterns of debt cycling

Understanding this helps you pre-empt rejection and work on problem areas early.

Tips to Keep Your CCR Bank-Ready in 2025

• Download your CCR every quarter from CIBIL

• Check DPD grids and utilization trends carefully

• Ensure all EMI and OD payments are on time

• Dispute any incorrect entries using the CIBIL dispute portal

• Maintain credit diversity (term loans + OD/CC + machinery loans)

• Limit loan inquiries and avoid applying at multiple places at once

FAQs on Reading a CCR Report

Can I access my company’s CCR directly?
Yes, via CIBIL’s Company Credit Report portal using your business PAN.

What is the ideal CMR for getting a loan from a bank?
CMR-1 to CMR-4 is considered safe by most traditional banks.

How many days of DPD are acceptable?
Ideally zero. Even a 30+ DPD once or twice a year can affect your CMR.

How long do bounced EMIs stay in my CCR?
Up to 24 months. Consistent timely repayment is needed to overwrite past delays.

Do all lenders report to CIBIL?
Most RBI-registered lenders do. However, some small NBFCs or fintechs may only report to other bureaus like Experian or CRIF.

Final Word

Your CCR is the financial fingerprint of your business. Reading it like a banker gives you the power to fix issues before they cost you a loan. In 2025, loan decisions are data-driven—so take control of your report, not just your revenue.