Lendingkart Loan App Real or Fake? An RBI Check for Business Owners

Lendingkart is real. Its business loans come from Lendingkart Finance Limited, an RBI-registered NBFC owned by the group that runs the app. So it's regulated, but whether it's a fair deal depends on your Key Fact Statement (KFS).

Before you apply, look at two things on that KFS: who the lender is, and the APR. Lendingkart's own pages quote different rates and fees, so the KFS is the only price that counts. Below, we show how to check the company yourself and what a loan costs. We also cover how to spot people faking the brand, as of November 2026.

Quick answer

• Real company: Lendingkart Technologies Private Limited of Ahmedabad runs the app. Its NBFC, Lendingkart Finance Limited, does the lending.
• On RBI's register: the NBFC is entry 3956 in RBI's list as on 30 September 2026, in the Middle Layer.
• Business owners only: you need a firm that has traded for 12 months, with ₹75,000 or more in turnover over the last three months.
• Price varies widely: the schedule of charges lists 13.5% to 35% a year, plus a fee of up to 3% and GST.
• Weak spot: recent Play reviews complain about slow NOCs, loans left open and calls to relatives.

Who runs Lendingkart and who actually lends

Two companies share the name. Lendingkart Technologies Private Limited, based in Ahmedabad, built the app and is the developer on Google Play. It owns Lendingkart Finance Limited, the NBFC that holds the RBI licence and signs your loan.

The NBFC used to be called Aadri Infin Limited. Its registered office is in Andheri East, Mumbai. Its loans are meant for micro, small and medium businesses, so a salaried person with no business won't qualify.

Control has changed hands. In October 2024, Fullerton Financial Holdings, a company owned by Singapore's Temasek, agreed to take a controlling stake. It took a majority stake in March 2025. Prashant Prakash Joshi is now the managing director and CEO.

Some loans are shared with bigger lenders. Lendingkart's co-lending list, updated in July 2026, includes Axis Bank, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, Poonawalla Fincorp and Chola. If your loan is co-lent, ask which lender holds which share before you sign.

The group also runs Upwards, a separate app for personal loans. This guide covers the Lendingkart business loan app only.

Is Lendingkart RBI registered? Five checks you can repeat

RBI licenses lenders, not apps. So you're checking two things: is the lender registered, and does it claim the app? Our own run-through was on 4 November 2026.

1. Find the lender's name. The Lendingkart website footer and your KFS both name Lendingkart Finance Limited.
2. Search RBI's list of registered NBFCs. In the list as on 30 September 2026, entry 3956 reads "Lendingkart Finance Limited (Formerly: Aadri Infin Limited)". It sits under RBI's Mumbai office, in the Middle Layer, and doesn't take deposits.
3. See if the lender owns up to the app. Lendingkart's digital lending disclosure names its website, its mobile app and the Upwards app as its digital lending apps.
4. Open RBI's directory of digital lending apps. When we tried it, the page timed out. Give it a go yourself before signing anything.
5. Look for warnings. We found no RBI penalty or caution naming Lendingkart in a search of RBI press releases. You can also search the name on Sachet, RBI's portal.

Want more detail? Our step-by-step RBI check for any loan app walks through each one.

What a Lendingkart loan costs

Lendingkart doesn't publish one clear price. Here is each figure and where it appears, as of November 2026.

The Play listing gives one worked example. You borrow ₹1,04,000 for 12 months, and ₹10,500 for charges, insurance and GST comes off first. So ₹93,500 reaches your account, and you then pay 12 EMIs of ₹9,967.

That example has a problem. Work out the APR on the ₹93,500 you actually get, and it comes to about 48%. That's far above the 22% to 32% APR printed right beside it. The EMI also matches a flat 1.25% a month, not the 28.66% a year the listing names.

Lendingkart's board policy says APR can't sit more than 8 points above the interest rate on loans under ₹5 lakh. So the Play example may be out of date. Either way, ask for the APR in writing.

Here's our own sum at a mid-band rate. Borrow ₹5,00,000 for 24 months at 24% a year. After the 3% fee, GST and the documentation charge, about ₹4,81,100 lands in your bank. The EMI is ₹26,436, and you repay ₹6,34,464 in total.

Changed your mind? You can exit within 3 days of payout, though Lendingkart may keep up to 2% of the sanction amount.

Why some people think Lendingkart is fake

Most doubts grow from untidy details, not fraud. These are the ones we found:

• Two company names. Play shows Lendingkart Technologies as developer, while loans come from Lendingkart Finance. They're parent and subsidiary, which is common.
• Terms that don't match. Amount, tenure, rate and fee change from page to page, as the table shows.
• Offers that change. One reviewer got a "pre-approved" top-up message promising no paperwork. After setting up NACH, staff asked for documents anyway.
• Turned down after sharing papers. Several reviewers sent documents and were then rejected. A lender can say no after a credit check; that alone isn't a scam.
• Big losses. The NBFC lost ₹333 crore in FY26. Its loans under management dropped to ₹1,308 crore in March 2026, from ₹5,000 crore in March 2025. That's a business problem, not fraud, though approvals may be stricter.
• Data warnings. The Play data-safety section admits your data isn't encrypted while it travels. Some of it, such as location and personal details, may be shared.

What's normal? A credit bureau check, a GSTIN fetch from your PAN, video KYC with your camera, an e-NACH mandate and fees cut from the payout. None of these means the app is fake.

What borrowers say about Lendingkart on Google Play

On 4 November 2026, the app showed 3.5 stars from 23.6K reviews and 10L+ downloads. It was last updated on 26 October 2026.

New reviews are thin on the ground. We counted 120 in Google Play's newest-first feed from 3 November 2025 to 23 October 2026. Of those, 75 gave one star and 41 gave five.

The complaints that keep coming back:

• NOCs and closure papers still missing months after the last EMI
• loans shown as open, with payment links for the full amount, after every EMI was paid
• recovery calls to relatives, and one claim that call logs were used, which we couldn't verify
• disputed late charges, with one borrower saying ₹1,700 was added each month
• a login loop that keeps sending users back to the same screen
• a staff member who, one reviewer says, asked for commission

The praise is short. Five-star reviews mention a quick process with few documents, and one calls it a good app for small business owners. Many say only "good", so read the long reviews before you trust the average.

How to spot a fake Lendingkart app, agent or call

Lendingkart itself warns that fraudsters use its name on fake websites, SMS, email, WhatsApp and calls. They ask for money to clear a loan sanction, a settlement or an EMI. Here's how to tell the real thing apart.

• There's one app. Lendingkart says its only app is "Lendingkart: Business Loan App" on Google Play. Ignore APK files sent over WhatsApp or Telegram.
• No fee comes before payout. Lendingkart states that no processing fee is taken before the money is paid out, and that nobody acting for it asks for commission. Its real fees come out of the loan itself.
• Never pay a person. No genuine staff member needs money sent to a personal UPI ID, QR code or bank account.
• Ask for the agent's details. Lendingkart publishes a list of 115 active recovery agencies. Its code also says you'll get the agent's name by email or SMS before they call.
• Guard your papers. Fraudsters can also borrow in your name. In October 2026, Delhi Police arrested a key accused in one such case. A woman entrepreneur said her PAN, GST details and signature were misused to get ₹7.30 lakh from Lendingkart Finance for her firm. She learnt of it only when her CIBIL score fell, so check your credit report now and then.
• No deposits or schemes. Lendingkart doesn't take deposits, and it warns about fake investment offers in its name.

Spotted something odd? Lendingkart asks you to report it to info@lendingkart.com or the toll-free line.

What to do if something goes wrong

Save screenshots of your KFS, loan screen, bank debits and any messages first. Then work up this ladder.

1. Customer support. Call 1800 572 0202, message +91 77788 67631 on WhatsApp or email care@lendingkart.com. Use your registered number or email. Lendingkart allows 15 days at this level.
2. Grievance officer. Write to Ketan Sali at grievance.redressal@lendingkart.com or call +91 63588 74622. He takes calls from 10.30 am to 6 pm on weekdays.
3. Principal Nodal Officer. Next is Sayanendu Chatterjee at nodalofficer@lendingkart.com or +91 7069087586. After that, write to Magesh Iyer at COO.escalation@lendingkart.com.
4. RBI. Still stuck after 30 days? Take it to RBI. The Integrated Ombudsman accepts complaints online at cms.rbi.org.in, and its helpline is 14448.
5. Fraud or threats. If someone took money in Lendingkart's name or threatens you, call 1930, the cybercrime helpline, and tell the police.

Every contact we checked is on our Lendingkart customer care page. For other lenders, use our customer care number directory.

Should you use Lendingkart?

Lendingkart may suit you if:

• you run a proprietorship, partnership, LLP or company that's at least 12 months old
• you need ₹1 lakh to ₹50 lakh for stock or working capital, with no collateral
• you might repay early, since unsecured business loans have no foreclosure fee

Look elsewhere if:

• you want money for personal use, not your business
• your firm is a trust, NGO or charity, or is under a year old
• the APR on your KFS sits near the top of the band

Get one or two other quotes before you sign, and compare the rupee totals. FlexiLoans, NeoGrowth and Aye Finance also lend to small firms. Ratings and the full charge list are in our full Lendingkart review, and more lenders are in the BankCreds review library.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lendingkart real or fake?

Lendingkart is real. Lendingkart Technologies Private Limited runs the app, and its NBFC, Lendingkart Finance Limited, lends the money. That NBFC is on RBI's register as on 30 September 2026, and we found no RBI caution against it. Being real doesn't make every offer cheap, so read the APR on your KFS.

Is Lendingkart RBI registered?

Yes, through its lender. Lendingkart Finance Limited, once called Aadri Infin Limited, is entry 3956 in the September 2026 edition of RBI's register of NBFCs. It is in the Middle Layer under RBI's Mumbai office and doesn't take deposits. The app itself needs no licence, because the NBFC does the lending.

What interest rate does Lendingkart charge?

Its schedule of charges sets 13.5% to 35% a year for unsecured business loans. Other Lendingkart pages say rates start at 17.25% a year, and the Play listing says 1.25% a month. On top, expect a processing fee capped at 3% plus GST, and a flat ₹1,200 for documents. Your exact rate depends on your risk grade.

What is the Lendingkart customer care number?

The toll-free number is 1800 572 0202, open 10 am to 7 pm, Monday to Saturday, except the 2nd and 4th Saturdays. WhatsApp support is on +91 77788 67631, and the email address is care@lendingkart.com. For complaints, the grievance officer is Ketan Sali on +91 63588 74622.

What should I do about Lendingkart recovery calls or fake calls?

First check your dues with Lendingkart directly, since a genuine agent may call after a missed EMI. Its code says agents should call only between 8 am and 7 pm, and that you'll get the agent's details first. If calls reach relatives or turn abusive, complain in writing. For threats or money taken by a fake agent, call 1930.

How do I close a Lendingkart loan early?

Ask customer support for a foreclosure statement and pay it. Unsecured business loans carry no foreclosure charge, but you can only close after the first EMI is paid in full. Payments can take up to 48 working hours to show. Lendingkart says the NOC usually follows within 10 days, so follow up if it doesn't.

Who owns Lendingkart now?

Fullerton Financial Holdings, a company owned by Singapore's Temasek, took a majority stake in March 2025. Founder Harshvardhan Lunia stepped down as managing director in June 2025, and Prashant Prakash Joshi now leads as managing director and CEO. The NBFC itself is owned by Lendingkart Technologies Private Limited.

Sources: Lendingkart website, interest-rate, eligibility, schedule-of-charges, digital lending, complaint and fraud pages, November 2026; Lendingkart Finance policy on interest rate and charges, May 2026; Lendingkart Fair Practices Code, LSP, recovery agency and co-lending lists, July to October 2026; Lendingkart annual report for FY26, September 2026; RBI register of NBFCs, edition dated 30 September 2026; the Lendingkart Play Store page, its data safety section and dated user reviews, November 2025 to November 2026; Inc42, May 2026; Asianet Newsable and ANI, October 2026.