Protium
Protium is an Indian NBFC offering Loan Against Property, Business Loans, Machinery & Equipment Finance, and Educational Institution Finance to MSMEs, self-employed professionals, and schools across 74 cities through a hybrid digital-physical platform with in-house ML underwriting.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersGoregaon, India
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Protium does
Protium Finance Limited is a Mumbai-headquartered, privately-held non-banking financial company (NBFC) operating a pan-India digital-first lending platform focused on underserved MSMEs, self-employed professionals, and educational institutions. The company offers four core products: Loan Against Property (secured, up to 80% of property value), Business Loans (unsecured up to Rs 50 lakhs), Machinery & Equipment Finance (Rs 10-300 lakhs, up to 85% of asset cost), and Educational Institution Finance under the Protium Sakshara sub-brand (Rs 25 lakhs to Rs 7.5 crores, tenors up to 15 years). The company previously operated a consumer finance sub-brand (Protium Money, paused February 2024) and a Samsung Finance+ co-branded device financing program.
The business is built on proprietary in-house technology, including machine learning models for risk assessment and credit evaluation, AI language models for customer interactions, and a scalable lending API infrastructure. Protium also integrates with OneMoney Account Aggregator for consent-based financial data and operates an ecosystem of co-lending partnerships with banks under RBI co-lending guidelines. The technology stack is differentiated from traditional NBFCs that rely on third-party loan origination and management systems.
Protium generates revenue primarily through interest income on its loan portfolio, supplemented by processing fees (e.g., Rs 399 per Samsung Finance+ loan), balance transfer margins, and top-up loan interest on existing customers. Distribution combines a 137-branch physical network across 74 cities in 17 Indian states with digital channels (website and Protium Service App), supported by Direct Selling Agents and partnership channels. As of August 2022, cumulative disbursements crossed Rs 3,000 crore and the customer base reached 8,35,000+; the company holds ACUITE AA- (Stable) ratings on Bank Loans and NCDs, and ACUITE A1+ on Commercial Paper, providing institutional debt access. Leadership includes Founder/MD & CEO Peeyush Misra and CFO Amit Gupta, alongside four Independent Directors.
Protium firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Protium
- Legal name
- Protium Finance Limited
- Website
- https://protium.co.in
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Protium is an Indian NBFC offering Loan Against Property, Business Loans, Machinery & Equipment Finance, and Educational Institution Finance to MSMEs, self-employed professionals, and schools across 74 cities through a hybrid digital-physical platform with in-house ML underwriting.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Protium industry classification
Industry- Product category
- MSME Lending
- NAICS
- Finance and Insurance (52)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159), Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- SME Term Loans & Growth Capital (FSAKAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- BaaS Platforms & Sponsor Bank Enablement (FSAGALAA)
Keywords
Where Protium is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Goregaon
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices10 records
Markets served
Protium business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Loan Interest Income: Primary revenue from interest charged on loans including Loan Against Property, Business Loans, Machinery & Equipment Finance, and Educational Institution Finance. Competitive interest rates that vary based on loan amount, tenure, and applicant profile.
- Loan Processing Fees: Processing fees charged on loan disbursements. For Samsung Finance+ loans, processing fee is INR 399/-
- Top-up Loans: Existing customers can avail top-up loans based on current eligibility criteria
- Balance Transfer: Transfer of existing loan amounts for higher loan amounts and attractive interest rates
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Business Loans up to ₹50 lakhs for MSMEs |
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Loan Against Property up to 80% of property value |
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Machinery & Equipment Finance ₹10-300 lakhs |
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Education Institutional Finance ₹25 lakhs to ₹7.5 crores |
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Samsung Finance+ Consumer Loan Processing Fee |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
Protium product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Protium Finance Limited is an India-based private non-banking financial company (NBFC) that provides secured and unsecured financing to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), self-employed professionals, and educational institutions. Its core offerings include Loan Against Property, unsecured Business Loans up to ₹50 lakhs, Machinery & Equipment Finance, and Educational Institution Finance (Protium Sakshara), distributed through 98 branches across 74 cities and a digital lending platform with proprietary underwriting and lending APIs.
Product overview
Protium is an engineering-led digital lending platform offering a portfolio of secured and unsecured financing products for MSMEs, self-employed professionals, and educational institutions across India. The core product suite includes Loan Against Property (secured by real estate collateral), Business Loans (unsecured up to ₹50 Lakhs), Machinery & Equipment Finance (up to 85% of asset cost), and Educational Institution Finance through the Protium Sakshara program. A consumer finance sub-brand called Protium Money, previously offered through brand partnerships, has been paused since February 2024. The platform also includes a Samsung Finance+ partnership program for consumer device financing. Protium positions itself as a technology-first lender with in-house proprietary systems for underwriting and credit assessment, serving customers across 74 cities through 98 branches.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Protium Sakshara: Education institutional finance program offering loans to schools, colleges, and educational institutions. Provides financing for infrastructure development, modernization, and working capital for educational establishments.
- Protium Money
Products and services
- Loan Against Property (LAP) Secured loan product where borrowers leverage residential or commercial property as collateral. Targets self-employed professionals and business owners whose business has been operational for at least 3 years, offering loan approval in 3-7 working days and disbursal in 2-7 working days, with funding up to 80% of property value.
- Business Finance / Business Loan Unsecured business loan offering up to ₹50,00,000 for sole proprietors and MSMEs. Features quick approval and disbursal, dedicated assistance throughout the process, and no hidden charges. Requires bank account, Aadhar-linked mobile number, minimum 1 year business proof, and address proof.
- Machinery & Equipment Finance Equipment financing solution for MSMEs to acquire machinery and equipment while maintaining working capital. Loan ticket sizes from ₹10 Lakhs to ₹300 Lakhs, tenors of 12-60 months, and funding up to 85% of asset cost with collateral first charge only on machinery funded. Targets Light Engineering, Food Processing, Plastic/Injection Moulding, Pharma, Textile, and Printing sectors.
- Educational Institution Finance (Protium Sakshara) Specialized financing for educational institutions including schools (Kindergarten to 12th Grade) and colleges (Nursing, B.Ed, Pharma, Veterinary, and 113+ courses). Loan amounts range from ₹25 Lakhs to ₹7.5 Crores with flexible tenors up to 15 years for expansion, modernization, and infrastructure development.
- Samsung Finance+ Program Co-branded financing program with Samsung enabling consumers to purchase Samsung devices on EMI. Features loan processing fee of ₹399, EMI due date on 3rd of every month, and supports pre-closure without charges. Available through the Samsung Finance+ mobile application.
Quantifiable outcome
- Loan approval in 3-7 working days
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Protium
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Protium technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability1 record
Feature4 records
Protium partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SamsungcoreSamsung Finance+ partnership allowing consumers to purchase Samsung electronics on EMI through Protium's lending platform. Processing fee INR 399 per loan. Product available through Samsung Finance+ app.
- FlipkartminorFlipkart partnership with terms and conditions for consumer financing arrangements. Partnership terms documented on Protium website.
- MeeshominorMeesho partnership with terms and conditions for financing arrangements. Partnership terms documented on Protium website.
- NISA (National Independent Schools Association)coreProtium Sakshara became official financing partner for NISA to offer financing to all affiliated schools. Partnership announced Feb 2022 at NISA School Leadership Summit.
- TRSMAminorPartnership with Telangana Residential Schools Management Association (TRSMA) for effective financial management at schools at EdEx 2021 School Leadership Summit.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Protium competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bajaj Finance: One of India's largest NBFCs with a deep MSME/SME lending franchise including business loans, LAP, and equipment financing. Compares to Protium across customer segment (MSME) and product mix (secured business loans), but at significantly larger scale and broader product breadth.
- IIFL Finance: Diversified Indian NBFC with material SME lending book including LAP and business loans. Overlaps with Protium's LAP and MSME focus, but operates at much larger scale and broader product diversification including housing finance and gold loans.
Direct peers
- Lendingkart: Digital-first NBFC focused on MSME working capital and business loans in India using data-driven underwriting. Direct competitor in the online MSME lending space targeting small businesses and self-employed professionals—overlapping customer segment with Protium's Business Loan product.
- Flexiloans: Fintech-NBFC providing collateral-free business loans to MSMEs and professionals via a digital platform. Directly comparable in targeting self-employed borrowers with minimal documentation, mirroring Protium's quick-approval business loan approach.
- Indifi Technologies: Digital lending platform offering MSME and SME loans across multiple verticals including equipment finance and working capital. Comparable to Protium's vertical-specific lending approach with technology-led underwriting for underserved Indian SMEs.
- UGRO Capital: Listed Indian NBFC exclusively focused on MSME lending with data-analytics-driven underwriting and co-lending partnerships. Direct comparable to Protium on customer segment (MSME), underwriting philosophy (data-driven), and growth model (co-lending with banks).
- MAS Financial Services: Listed Indian NBFC focused on MSME financing including business loans, LAP, and equipment finance. Comparable to Protium in target segment, product mix, and Indian mid-market focus—though operating at slightly larger scale with public listing.
- Five Star Business Finance: Indian NBFC providing secured business loans primarily to small business owners using property as collateral. Direct overlap with Protium's LAP product and similar customer base of self-employed business owners seeking property-backed credit.
Emerging players
- Neogrowth Credit: Indian digital lender providing business loans and credit to SMEs and retailers. Comparable to Protium's smaller-ticket MSME lending with similar technology-driven underwriting approach, though operating in slightly different retail/SMB segments.
Regional players
- CreditAccess Grameen: Listed Indian NBFC focused on microfinance and small business loans in semi-urban and rural India. Comparable to Protium in serving underbanked SME customers but with stronger rural/microfinance focus versus Protium's urban MSME emphasis.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Protium social profiles
Digital presenceProtium compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Protium financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Protium leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Protium subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Protium funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Protium 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 Protium
What does Protium do?
Protium Finance Limited is an India-based private non-banking financial company (NBFC) that provides secured and unsecured financing to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), self-employed professionals, and educational institutions. Its core offerings include Loan Against Property, unsecured Business Loans up to ₹50 lakhs, Machinery & Equipment Finance, and Educational Institution Finance (Protium Sakshara), distributed through 98 branches across 74 cities and a digital lending platform with proprietary underwriting and lending APIs.
Is Protium a public or private company?
Protium is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Protium founded?
Protium was founded in 2019. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Protium based?
Protium is headquartered in Goregaon, India, in the Asia region.
How does Protium make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Loan Interest Income is the primary driver. The others are loan Processing Fees, top-up Loans and balance Transfer.
Who are Protium's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bajaj Finance and IIFL Finance. Direct peers are Lendingkart, Flexiloans, Indifi Technologies, UGRO Capital, MAS Financial Services and Five Star Business Finance. Neogrowth Credit is listed as an emerging player. CreditAccess Grameen is listed as a regional player.
Does Protium have an API?
No public API is recorded for Protium.
What industry is Protium in?
Protium's product category is MSME Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAGAB, SME Term Loans & Growth Capital, with a secondary code of FSAGALAA, BaaS Platforms & Sponsor Bank Enablement. Its NAICS code is 52 and its SIC code is 6159.