New Delhi, Oct. 1 -- A personal loan journey in India usually starts the same way - an app shows a "pre-approved" offer before a single document is uploaded. It feels like a decision, but it isn't one - it's only an estimate, based on limited information. The real decision comes later, once the full personal loan application is reviewed. And it doesn't always match the offer shown at the start.

That gap usually comes down to a familiar set of factors, repeating across banks and NBFCs - credit score sensitivity, how much income is already committed elsewhere, and how many loan enquiries an applicant has made recently. Interestingly, most of these rejections are avoidable once a borrower understands what lenders are actually checking. Mean...