A 600 score does not block you from borrowing — it makes borrowing expensive. Here is what actually moves the number, and how long each step takes.
A CIBIL score below 650 rarely means outright rejection. It means a higher rate, a smaller sanction and a shorter tenure. On a ₹20 lakh loan, the gap between a 650 profile and a 780 profile is frequently two percentage points, which is several lakh rupees over the full term.
Fix your credit utilisation first
Utilisation — the share of your card limit you actually use — is the fastest lever you control. Lenders react badly above 30%. Paying a card down from 80% to 25% utilisation typically shows up in your score within one or two billing cycles, which makes it the highest-return action available to you.
Never miss a payment, even a small one
Payment history carries the most weight of any factor. A single 30-day delinquency can cost 50 to 80 points and stays on the report for years. Set auto-debit for at least the minimum due on every card and loan; a missed ₹500 minimum damages your file exactly as a missed ₹50,000 EMI does.
Stop applying to multiple lenders at once
Every formal application creates a hard enquiry. Several inside a few weeks reads as credit hunger and pushes the score down precisely when you need it up. This is the single most common self-inflicted wound we see, and it is the reason we assess your profile before approaching any lender.
Do not close your oldest card
Length of credit history matters. Closing the card you have held longest shortens your average account age and removes its limit from your utilisation calculation, so the score can drop twice over. Keep it open with a small recurring spend.
Dispute the errors — there are more than you think
A meaningful share of reports carry an error: a closed loan showing open, a payment marked late that was not, or an account that is not yours. You can raise a dispute with CIBIL directly at no cost, and corrections typically resolve in about 30 days. Pull your report before you apply, not after you are declined.
A realistic timeline
Utilisation improvements can register within 30 to 60 days. Error corrections take roughly a month once raised. Rebuilding after a delinquency takes 12 to 18 months of clean conduct. Anyone promising to move you from 600 to 750 in a week is selling something that does not exist.
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