The central bank has granted the licence under RBI’s Type II NBFC-ND classification as an investment and credit company
With the licence, Nivasa Capital will be able to extend secured mortgage credit
The startup claims to have facilitated loans worth more than ₹20 Cr till date, and has expanded to 11 additional districts in Karnataka
Housing finance startup Nivasa Finance’s subsidiary Nivasa Capital has secured the approval of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a non-banking financial company (NBFC).
The central bank has granted the licence under RBI’s Type II NBFC-ND classification as an investment and credit company. With the licence, Nivasa Capital will be able to extend secured mortgage credit. The startup intends to target borrower segments that remain outside the reach of conventional underwriting, it said in a statement.
Founded in 2025 by Samit Shetty and Hitesh Saraf, Nivasa Finance
operates as a tech-enabled home loan distribution platform, connecting borrowers with banks and NBFCs for affordable housing finance.
Its platform combines digital onboarding and lender matchmaking with doorstep service delivery and customer journeys available in Kannada. Nivasa Finance facilitates customised home loans up to ₹35 Lakh through its partner bank, with interest rates in the range of 11-18%.
The startup claims to have facilitated loans worth more than ₹20 Cr till date, and has expanded to 11 additional districts in Karnataka. Its registered corporate partners include slice Small Finance Bank, Muthoot Housing Finance Company, Jana Small Finance and Veritas Finance.
Through Nivasa Capital, the parent entity is eyeing to build a secured lending portfolio for borrowers with agricultural income, cash-paid daily wage workers, borrowers with minor title gaps in remote geographies, and multi-generational households with multiple income sources but no single clear title owner.
Its goal is to build an AI-enabled underwriting technology stack within the NBFC, establishing co-lending partnerships and adding major lenders to its intermediation platform.
“Through Nivasa Capital, we will also demonstrate entirely new underwriting pathways for borrowers who are currently excluded despite owning property, generating real income and showing strong repayment intent,” CEO Shetty said.
The development comes weeks after Nivasa Finance secured ₹25 Cr (about $2.6 Mn) in its seed funding round from investors like Prime Venture Partners, Blume Ventures, Whiteboard Capital
Earlier in April, MobiKwik also secured a NBFC licence from the RBI, to enable its wholly-owned subsidiary, MobiKwik Financial Services Private Limited to launch a new lending division that will enhance its lending capabilities, credit products’ stack and serve a broader base of consumers and merchants.
Source: Inc42 - Startups
