Credit Ratings Scale (2024)

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Note

• The above rating scale also applies to ratings on bank loans and other instruments.
  
• CRISIL Ratings may apply modifiers {“+” (plus) / "-" (minus)} with the rating symbols for the categories 'CRISIL AA' to 'CRISIL C'. The modifiers reflect the comparative standing within the category.
  
• CRISIL Ratings may assign rating outlooks for ratings from 'CRISIL AAA' to 'CRISIL B'. Ratings on Rating Watch will not carry outlooks. A rating outlook indicates the direction in which a rating may move over a medium-term horizon of one to two years. A rating outlook can be 'Positive', 'Stable', or 'Negative'. A 'Positive' or 'Negative' rating outlook is not necessarily a precursor of a rating change. CRISIL Ratings may place an outstanding rating on Rating Watch if the issuer announces a merger or acquisition, or de-merger of some business that may impact the credit profile of the rated debt instrument. Ratings may also be placed on watch if the issuer’s credit profile is impacted on account of an action by regulators, or when the impact of specific events on the credit profile cannot be accurately assessed at the point when they occur, and additional information may be necessary for CRISIL Ratings to fully ascertain the creditworthiness of the rated instrument. CRISIL Ratings may place a rating on watch, with positive, negative or developing implications. A listing under rating watch does not imply that a rating will necessarily change, nor is it a prerequisite for rating change.
• A prefix of 'PP-MLD' indicates that the instrument is a principal-protected market-linked debenture. The terms of such instruments indicate that while the issuer promises to pay back the face value/principal of the instrument, the coupon rates of these instruments will not be fixed, and could be linked to one or more external variables such as commodity prices, equity share prices, indices, or foreign exchange rates
• A prefix of 'Provisional' indicates that the rating centrally factors in the completion of certain critical steps/documentation by the issuer for the instrument, without these the rating would either have been different or not assigned ab initio.
• From June 2022, fixed deposit (FD) programmes are rated on the 20-point long-term rating scale. Prior to that, CRISIL Ratings assigned ratings to the FD programmes on a 14-point scale. Please follow this link to refer to previously used 14-point FD rating scale.

Rating Scale

Note

• The above rating scale also applies to ratings on bank loans and other instruments.
  
• CRISIL Ratings may apply modifier {"+" (plus)} with the rating symbols for the categories 'CRISIL A1' to 'CRISIL A4'. The modifier reflects the comparative standing within the category.
• A prefix of 'PP-MLD' indicates that the instrument is a principal-protected market-linked debenture. The terms of such instruments indicate that while the issuer promises to pay back the face value/principal of the instrument, the coupon rates of these instruments will not be fixed, and could be linked to one or more external variables such as commodity prices, equity share prices, indices, or foreign exchange rates.
• A prefix of 'Provisional' indicates that the rating centrally factors in the completion of certain critical steps/documentation by the issuer for the instrument, without these the rating would either have been different or not assigned ab initio.

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Note

• CRISIL Ratings may apply modifiers {"+" (plus) / "-" (minus)} with the rating symbols for the categories 'CRISIL AA (SO)' to 'CRISIL C (SO)'. The modifiers reflect the comparative standing within the category.
  
• CRISIL Ratings may assign rating outlooks for ratings from 'CRISIL AAA' to 'CRISIL B'. Ratings on Rating Watch will not carry outlooks. A rating outlook indicates the direction in which a rating may move over a medium-term horizon of one to two years. A rating outlook can be 'Positive', 'Stable', or 'Negative'. A 'Positive' or 'Negative' rating outlook is not necessarily a precursor of a rating change. CRISIL Ratings may place an outstanding rating on Rating Watch if the issuer announces a merger or acquisition, or de-merger of some business that may impact the credit profile of the rated debt instrument. Ratings may also be placed on watch if the issuer's credit profile is impacted on account of an action by regulators, or when the impact of specific events on the credit profile cannot be accurately assessed at the point when they occur, and additional information may be necessary for CRISIL Ratings to fully ascertain the creditworthiness of the rated instrument. CRISIL Ratings may place a rating on watch, with positive, negative or developing implications. A listing under rating watch does not imply that a rating will necessarily change, nor is it a prerequisite for rating change.
• A prefix of 'PP-MLD' indicates that the instrument is a principal-protected market-linked debenture. The terms of such instruments indicate that while the issuer promises to pay back the face value/principal of the instrument, the coupon rates of these instruments will not be fixed, and could be linked to one or more external variables such as commodity prices, equity share prices, indices, or foreign exchange rates.
• A prefix of 'Provisional' indicates that the rating centrally factors in the completion of certain critical steps/documentation by the issuer for the instrument, without these the rating would either have been different or not assigned ab initio.

​

Note

• CRISIL Ratings may apply modifier {"+" (plus)} with the rating symbols for the categories 'CRISIL A1(SO)' to 'CRISIL A4(SO)'. The modifier reflects the comparative standing within the category.
• A prefix of 'PP-MLD' indicates that the instrument is a principal-protected market-linked debenture. The terms of such instruments indicate that while the issuer promises to pay back the face value/principal of the instrument, the coupon rates of these instruments will not be fixed, and could be linked to one or more external variables such as commodity prices, equity share prices, indices, or foreign exchange rates.
• A prefix of 'Provisional' indicates that the rating centrally factors in the completion of certain critical steps/documentation by the issuer for the instrument, without these the rating would either have been different or not assigned ab initio.

​

Note

• The above rating scale also applies to ratings on bank loans and other instruments.
  
• Modifiers {"+" (plus) or "-" (minus)} will be used with the rating symbols for thecategories 'CRISIL AA (CE)' to 'CRISIL C (CE)'. The modifiers reflect the comparative standing within the category.
  

​

Note

• The above rating scale also applies to ratings on bank loans and other instruments.
  
• Modifier {“+” (plus)} will be used with the rating symbols for the categories 'CRISIL A1 (CE)' to 'CRISIL A4 (CE)'. The modifier reflects the comparative standing within the category.
  

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Note

• Modifiers {"+" (plus) / "-"(minus)} can be used with the rating symbols for the categories 'CRISIL AA' to 'CRISIL C'. The modifiers reflect the comparative standing within the category.
  
• From December 2022, Corporate Credit Rating are rated on the 20-point long-term rating scale. Prior to that, CRISIL Ratings assigned ratings to the Corporate Credit Rating on a 21-point scale. Please follow thislink(Box 3: CRISIL Ratings' rating scales) to refer to previously used 21-point CCR rating scale.