Design Thinking & Problem Solving for TransUnion CIBIL

Context

Credit in India is no longer a niche financial concept. From education loans to home ownership, from credit cards to small business financing, millions of Indians rely on credit to enable life decisions and aspirations.

At the centre of this ecosystem lies a three-digit numeric summary, the CIBIL score, that reflects on an individual’s creditworthiness based on their financial behaviour, repayment history, and credit usage patterns.

Over time, this score has become a critical first checkpoint for lenders. A higher score improves access, speeds up approvals, and unlocks better financial opportunities. On the other hand, a lower score can limit access or delay decisions.

Despite its importance, awareness and understanding of CIBIL remain uneven across the country. For many, it is:
∙misunderstood
∙only checked during urgency
∙seen as complex or intimidating

India today presents a unique landscape - rapid financial inclusion, increasing access to credit, and a growing base of first-time borrowers. Yet, the behaviour required to build and maintain a healthy credit profile is not widely internalised. This creates a gap between access to credit and readiness for credit.

Challenges - But…times, they were changing

Awareness & Misconceptions: A large section of the population does not fully understand what a CIBIL score is, how it is built, or how it impacts their financial journey. Misplaced notions often lead to avoidance rather than engagement.

Behaviour & Habit Formation: Credit health is not a one-time activity; it requires consistent, disciplined behaviour over time. However, most individuals engage with their credit profile only when there is an immediate need.

First-Time Borrowers: A growing number of young Indians are entering the credit ecosystem for the first time. They often lack guidance on how to build a strong credit foundation early in life.

Trust & Perception: TransUnionCIBIL is often perceived as a gatekeeper rather than an enabler. This perception creates hesitation instead of confidence.

Access to Simple, Engaging Education:: While tools and resources exist, they are not always engaging, accessible, or designed for diverse audiences across regions, languages, and digital familiarity.

Trouble - What participants were asked to hack and solve

TransUnion CIBIL – Key Strategic Questions

How can we make credit awareness visible in everyday conversations?
How can we build widespread awareness and understanding of credit behaviour across Indian households?
How can we shift perception from fear or confusion to confidence and control?
How can we encourage individuals to actively monitor and improve their credit health as a regular habit?
How can we design experiences, platforms, or interventions that simplify credit education and drive consistent engagement?
How can we make credit health relevant across life stages — from students to working professionals to families?

Reimagining Existing Tools

Additionally, how can existing tools such as CIBIL Saksham be reimagined to become more engaging, intuitive, and impactful for younger audiences?

Their work/solutions were to cover the following:

What is the core idea or movement that repositions TransUnion CIBIL in the minds of people?
How does this idea translate into a clear communication and engagement strategy across audiences?
What are the key messages and narratives that will resonate with different user groups?
How is the idea brought to life visually and experientially across platforms (ads, activations, pop-ups, OOH, social media, website or microsite ideas, posters, and digital display banners)?

What kind of brand language, identity, or system supports this movement?
What are the key features, interventions, or touchpoints proposed?
How will this solution drive real engagement and behaviour change at scale while remaining efficient and practical to implement?