Sitara
Sitaara Housing Finance (formerly SEWA Grih Rin Limited) is an RBI/NHB-registered affordable housing finance company that lends to underserved low-income urban and peri-urban households in India, especially women informal workers, through 85 branches across 9 states and government schemes like PMAY 2.0.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersNew Delhi, India
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sitara does
Sitara is a New Delhi-incorporated, RBI/NHB-regulated housing finance company (HFC) that provides affordable home loans and loans against property (LAP) to underserved low-income urban and peri-urban households in India, with a deliberate emphasis on women borrowers in the informal sector. Founded in 2011 as SEWA Grih Rin Limited and rebranded to Sitaara Housing Finance Limited effective January 23, 2026, the company lends to households that mainstream lenders exclude due to informal income documentation and unclear property titles, accepting alternative collateral and progressive tenure documents as a basis for underwriting. Home loans are priced at 12–17% (current PLR 17.48% as of May 2025) and LAP at 16–21% (PLR 19.58%), with monthly EMI billing, processing fees at sanction, and penal charges of ₹2 per ₹1,000 per day on overdue amounts.
The operating model is branch-led, with 85 branches across 9 Indian states (Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand) supplemented by empanelled Direct Selling Agents (DSAs), a toll-free contact centre (1800-11-3909), WhatsApp support, online inquiry forms, an EMI calculator, and a proprietary mobile application (Sitara Partner App) used by partners and agents for loan processing and customer management. Sitara participates in the government PMAY 2.0 (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna) scheme to source subsidy-eligible affordable-housing customers.
Revenue is generated almost entirely from interest income on the housing loan and LAP book, plus one-time processing/login/legal/technical fees and transactional penal/prepayment charges. Since inception the company has served over 15,000 low-income customers and has raised material growth capital across multiple rounds — Nordic Microfinance Initiative (USD 8M in July 2022, USD 20M in March 2023), British International Investment (₹120 crore in December 2023) — culminating in an announced ₹680 crore equity commitment from Arpwood Partners to acquire a majority stake (May 2024). The company is privately held (CIN U65923DL2011PLC222491), not listed, and headcount is reported in the 251–500 range.
Sitara firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sitara
- Legal name
- SEWA Grih Rin Limited
- Website
- https://sgrlimited.in
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Sitaara Housing Finance (formerly SEWA Grih Rin Limited) is an RBI/NHB-registered affordable housing finance company that lends to underserved low-income urban and peri-urban households in India, especially women informal workers, through 85 branches across 9 states and government schemes like PMAY 2.0.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Sitara is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Delhi
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices20 records
Markets served
Sitara business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Housing Loans: Interest income from home loans provided for home purchase, construction, incremental upgradation and improvement. Interest rate range 12% to 17% (floating/floating rate as per credit assessment).
- Loan Against Property (LAP): Interest income from loans secured against property for business, education and personal purposes. Interest rate range 16% to 21%.
- Processing Fees and Charges: Processing fees, login/legal/technical charges, pre-payment/foreclosure charges, and penal charges for delayed payments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Home Loan interest rate range |
| Subscription | Monthly | Loan Against Property (LAP) interest rate range |
| Transaction based/ take rate | One time | Processing Fee |
| Other | Monthly | Penal Charges |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Sitara product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sitara provides affordable housing finance to underserved low-income households, especially women informal workers, in urban and peri-urban India. Its core offerings are home loans (for purchase, construction, incremental upgradation and improvement) and loans against property (for business, education, and personal purposes), priced at floating interest rates of 12-17% for home loans and 16-21% for LAP, delivered through 85 branches across 9 states.
Product overview
Sitaara Housing Finance Limited (formerly SEWA Grih Rin Limited) is an affordable housing finance company offering a focused portfolio of home loans for purchase, construction, and improvement, as well as loans against property. The core products are complemented by a balance transfer facility, an online EMI calculator tool, and integration with government schemes like PMAY 2.0. The company targets underserved low-income households, especially women informal workers in urban and peri-urban India.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Home Loan Housing loans for home purchase, construction, incremental upgradation, and improvement, targeting underserved low-income households especially women informal workers in urban and peri-urban India. Floating interest rate range 12% to 17% (current PLR 17.48% as of May 9, 2025).
- Loan Against Property (LAP) Loans against property for business, education, and personal purposes, offering collateral-based financing to informal sector workers and small entrepreneurs. Floating interest rate range 16% to 21% (current PLR 19.58% as of May 9, 2025).
- Balance Transfer Balance transfer facility allowing customers to transfer existing home loans from other lenders to Sitara.
- PMAY 2.0 Housing Finance Government housing subsidy-linked home loans under PMAY 2.0, integrated with Sitara's core home loan product, targeting EWS/LIG families eligible for central-government housing subsidies.
Quantifiable outcome
- Served over 15,000 low-income customers since inception
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sitara
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sitara technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Sitara partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY 2.0)coreSitara participates in PMAY 2.0 government housing scheme to provide affordable housing finance to eligible beneficiaries.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sitara competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aadhar Housing Finance: Listed Indian HFC focused on affordable housing finance for lower-income and informal-segment households. Closest large-scale comparable to Sitara by customer profile, ticket size, and geographic mix.
- Aavas Financiers: Affordable housing finance company targeting salaried and self-employed low/middle-income households in semi-urban and urban India. Comparable by segment focus and underwriting approach to informal income profiles.
- Home First Finance Company India: Affordable housing finance company serving salaried and self-employed customers in Tier-2/3 cities. Comparable ticket sizes, customer segments, and geographic footprint to Sitara.
- Vastu Housing Finance Corporation: Affordable housing finance lender targeting lower and middle-income segments, including informal-income borrowers. Sitara's CFO (Udit Kariwala) was previously CFO at Vastu, evidencing direct operational comparability.
- Can Fin Homes: NHB-registered housing finance company with a focus on salaried and self-employed borrowers across urban and semi-urban India. Comparable HFC business model though with a higher-salaried mix.
- Bajaj Housing Finance: Large housing finance company serving salaried, professional, and self-employed segments. Multiple Sitara senior leaders (including the CEO) are Bajaj alumni, and the company competes for some overlapping self-employed informal customer profiles.
- IIFL Samasta Finance (formerly IIFL HFL via parent): Affordable housing finance focused on informal and self-employed borrowers. Comparable by target segment, ticket size, and use of alternative income assessment.
- Shriram Housing Finance: Affordable housing finance company extending the Shriram Group's reach into low-income and informal-segment home loans. Comparable business model focused on underserved Indian borrowers.
Broad incumbents
- PNB Housing Finance: Large listed HFC with a broader product mix across prime and affordable housing. Operates in many of the same geographies as Sitara but serves a wider customer spectrum with significantly lower cost of funds.
- HDFC Bank (Retail Home Loans): India's largest mortgage lender with deep retail branch reach and the lowest cost of funds in the system. Anchors the affordable-housing market that Sitara targets at the upper-quality end of the informal segment, defining competitive pricing pressure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sitara social profiles
Digital presenceSitara compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Sitara financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sitara leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Sitara funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sitara M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sitara
What does Sitara do?
Sitara provides affordable housing finance to underserved low-income households, especially women informal workers, in urban and peri-urban India. Its core offerings are home loans (for purchase, construction, incremental upgradation and improvement) and loans against property (for business, education, and personal purposes), priced at floating interest rates of 12-17% for home loans and 16-21% for LAP, delivered through 85 branches across 9 states.
Is Sitara a public or private company?
Sitara is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Sitara founded?
Sitara was founded in 2011. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Sitara based?
Sitara is headquartered in New Delhi, India, in the Asia region.
How does Sitara make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Housing Loans are the primary driver. The others are loan Against Property (LAP) and processing Fees and Charges.
Who are Sitara's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aadhar Housing Finance, Aavas Financiers, Home First Finance Company India, Vastu Housing Finance Corporation, Can Fin Homes, Bajaj Housing Finance, IIFL Samasta Finance (formerly IIFL HFL via parent) and Shriram Housing Finance. Broad incumbents are PNB Housing Finance and HDFC Bank (Retail Home Loans).
Does Sitara have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sitara.