Frequently Asked Questions

Anyone above the age of 18 years, who is a citizen of India, and has valid KYC documents can invest on our platform.

As an NRI, you can register, and invest in Invoice Discounting opportunities. You would have to provide KYC documents (PAN card, address proof), and you will require an NRO bank account for debiting and crediting funds.

We have a simple 3-step KYC process which includes providing your PAN card, address proof (masked Aadhaar, passport, and voter id), and bank details.

You can register by providing your mobile number. This will give you access to view opportunities listed on the platform. To start investing, you would need to complete your KYC in 3 simple steps: Enter your PAN, upload an address proof document, and provide your bank details. You are all set to start investing.

Yes, upon giving the required KYC information and verification.

Yes, there is a minimum investment specific to every opportunity.

Opportunities with detailed information and associated documents are available post-log-in or sign-up. You will have access to both active and recently closed opportunities once you log in.

All opportunities that are listed on the platform pass through our robust credit, due diligence, and risk assessment framework.

However, these investment opportunities carry varying degrees of risk. Under extreme scenarios, though unlikely, there is a possibility of losing 100% of the invested amount. Hence, we recommend that investors understand the risk associated with every opportunity thoroughly before investing.

Diversifying your investments across multiple opportunities is recommended. We also recommend that under no circumstance should an investor invest a majority of their portfolio in a single opportunity available on the platform.

Opportunities on the platform are not a replacement for your investments in FDs, mutual funds, and other asset classes. We encourage investors to look at their investments holistically and use investment opportunities on our platform to diversify their portfolios. We recommend an allocation of around 15% of your overall investment portfolio spread across multiple opportunities offered on our platform. We also strongly recommend that under no circumstance should an investor invest a majority of their portfolio in a single opportunity. You may always reach out to us at the provided details in the contact us section for further guidance/support to take an informed investment decision.

A demat account (CDSL or NSDL) helps investors hold shares and securities in an electronic format. It is unique to each market participant, and it is a 16-digit number. The Demat Account Number includes a Depository Participant ID and a Customer number with your depository participant/broker.

If you hold mutual funds, bonds, stocks, etc. check with your depository participant or broker. You will be able to locate the demat account number by going to your profile section or pulling the last statement with your broker.

Examples of depository participants or brokers include Zerodha, Grow, Upstox, HDFC Securities, ICICIdirect, Kotak Securities, SBI Securities, etc.

You can track and monitor your investments through our detailed dashboard. We will also send you information regarding your investments on a periodic basis. Our customer relations team is available on Mon-Fri from 10:30 AM-7:30 PM if you require any further assistance.

All online investments will be reflected on your dashboard within one hour of successful investment into any of the listed opportunities. If there is a payment failure but the funds have been debited from your account, please note as per RBI guidelines on all online payment failures (credit card/net banking/UPI) it would take up to 5 days for the money to be returned from the payment gateway partner.

Yes, investors will get an email confirmation on the successful allocation of non-convertible debentures/commercial paper units into your demat account.

Repayments would be credited directly into the banking account associated with your demat account (applicable for NCDs/Commercial Paper products). For Invoice Discounting, repayment would be made to the banking account provided on our platform.

Reinvestment allows you to automatically reinvest the repayments from selected investment opportunities at maturity into new similar opportunities. This maximizes your returns with minimal manual effort. This feature is currently available only for Invoice Discounting deals.

Step-by-Step Process:

1. Select an Investment Opportunity: Choose an opportunity labeled as ‘Reinvest Deal.’

2. Make Your Choice: Click on ‘Invest Now’ and decide whether to reinvest both Principal + Interest or Principal only. You also have the option to skip this step and continue investing without the reinvestment feature. Complete your investment with a funds transfer and signing of the agreement.

3. Automated process of Reinvestment: Once your existing investment matures, the repayments will be processed and deposited into your altSafe account. If you have opted for the ‘Reinvest’ option, the system will then search for similar investment opportunities to reinvest the funds. Please note that the funds will be reinvested into a new opportunity within 2 days and during this time funds will not be available for manual withdrawal or manual investments. For example, if your original investment was in the altArmour category, reinvestment will happen only within the altArmour category.

4. Receive the Discounting Agreement: You will receive a discounting agreement for the new opportunity containing the deal details.

5. E-sign and Reinvest: It is required to e-sign the opportunity agreement so that your reinvestment can continue without interference.

You can set your preferences for how your funds are reinvested, with options to reinvest either just the principal (or) both the principal and interest.

You can set or update your preferences from the reinvestment details page. Just click on ‘Modify‘ to adjust your preferences.

Yes, currently, the reinvest feature is available for altArmour opportunities, where your investment is secured by Trade Credit Insurance. In the future, we may expand the reinvest option to include other opportunities as well.

After you invest in a ‘Reinvest’ opportunity, all related transactions will be managed through your altSafe wallet.

When your repayment from the reinvest opportunity is received. The system will check for suitable reinvestment opportunities within 2 days of the repayment date. If a matching deal is found, you'll receive a notification to sign the agreement and proceed with the reinvestment. During the reinvestment waiting period, funds will be securely held in the escrow account and will not be earning any interest.

If no reinvestment deals are available within 2 days of repayment, the reinvestment will be closed, and the funds will be added to altSafe available balance. These funds can then be withdrawn or used for manual investment in new opportunities.

Yes, you can. Simply go to the reinvestment details page, click on the ‘Modify‘, and turn off reinvestment for that specific investment. This gives you control over where your funds are reinvested.Please note that preferences should be updated at least 7 days before the maturity of an investment.

Yes, you must sign the discounting agreement within a specified window (e.g., 24 hours). If the agreement isn’t signed within this time, the reinvestment will be closed, and the funds will not be redeployed into a new investment.

Once repayment is received, the amount is blocked in an escrow account for reinvestment. If documents aren't signed on time, the funds will be released and added to your altSafe balance, and you'll be notified.

Absolutely! You can track all your reinvestment activities on the reinvestment dashboard, where you can view details, update preferences, and manage your investments.

If a reinvestment fails (due to missing documentation, unavailable deals, or if reinvestment is turned off), you'll be notified. The funds will be released and added back to your available balance in your altSafe wallet.

No, reinvestment preferences can only be modified up to 7 days before the repayment of the investment marked as ‘Reinvest’. After this period, the preferences will be locked.

Reinvestments are typically directed into deals within the same brand (e.g., altArmour) to align with your strategy while maintaining a targeted IRR range.

Yes, investments can be made through UPI.

altSafe lets you invest in opportunities on the altGraaf Platform without any hassles. Just transfer money to your altSafe from your registered bank account and invest in any opportunity within seconds.

altSafe is visible and accessible to the users who have completed their KYC. If you are a registered user and have not completed your KYC, we request you complete your KYC and start investing with altSafe.

Once you have completed your KYC, you will be provided with unique virtual account details on your dashboard under the altSafe tab. You will then need to add the virtual account details associated with your altSafe account as a one-time beneficiary to your registered bank account, following which you can transfer funds to altSafe at your convenience.

It depends on the type of transaction you have initiated from your bank, and it may vary from bank to bank. For NEFT transactions, it may take approximately 2 hours, while RTGS will take approximately 1 hour, and IMPS usually reflects within 30 minutes.

Yes, you can. You simply need to click on “Withdraw Funds” to initiate the request. The funds will be transferred to your registered bank account within 1-2 business days.

You can withdraw/transfer any amount from the balance amount that is available in your altSafe account.

No. The withdrawal can only be received in the registered bank account.

There is no upper limit as of now and you can keep as much funds as you would require for investing in opportunities.

Yes, we recommend you make altSafe your default option to receive repayments. Go to the preferences section under the altSafe tab and choose altSafe as the default option for receiving repayments. This is only applicable to Invoice discounting deals as repayments for certain instruments such as NCDs or commercial papers are refunded back only into bank accounts tied to your demat accounts.

A virtual account is a unique account number that is exclusively allocated to you, and it is tied to your altSafe.

Yes, there is a unique virtual account number for each investor on altGraaf.

No, there is no interest earned on your balance in altSafe.

Yes, you can invest in any opportunity that is live on altGraaf via altSafe.

No. Two different payment modes cannot be used together for one transaction as of now. If you need to do a transaction higher than your altSafe balance, you can add more funds to altSafe and then continue with the transaction. Alternatively, you can invest directly through net banking or UPI for the full transaction amount.

No, it is not possible to use two different altSafe accounts to invest from one investor’s altGraaf profile. In the case of family members’ accounts linked to your mobile number, investments need to be done separately.

For any issues, please connect with your relationship manager or write to us at [email protected].

All investment facilitated on our platform will be backed by permitted securities/ instruments which eventually secures the rights/ ownership/ title of the investors independent of their existence on our platform.

We charge a fee for listing the opportunities on our platform. This fee may be charged from the investor and/or borrower/counterparties and/or in the form of a spread while facilitating the traction.

Yes, we are compliant with applicable regulatory norms.

The market for alternate investments has been growing at a great pace in recent years, and as per the latest data from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), assets of Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) grew over 43% year-on-year to ₹6.41-lakh crore at the end of June 2022. While most of these are linked to growth venture capital and private equity funds, it also signifies the rise of interest for such asset classes and the need to make them more accessible.

altGraaf is not just a tech platform that connects two ends of the spectrum – fund seekers and investors – but we also curate those investment opportunities through our stringent credit risk framework thereby ensuring that only the best of opportunities by the most creditworthy fund seekers are offered to our investors. Post offering investment opportunities on the platform, we keep a tab on all the investments in the following ways:
1. Tracking and monitoring of the asset on a regular basis
2. Monitoring & verification of the asset/leasing partner’s office/deployment site
3. Compliance, reporting & management on behalf of the investors

• You get exclusive access to alternative investment opportunities that were earlier available only for the ultra-wealthy
• Opportunities offered on altGraaf are ideal for your short-term to medium-term financial goals
• You get to invest in cherry-picked high-quality opportunities
• You can earn greater risk-adjusted returns
• Your return on investments comes with a higher yield compared to other short-term and medium-term investment options

ROI is absolute growth on investment over the investment period without considering the time value of money. IRR is an effective annual return considering the time value of money. You can read more about IRR here - https://www.altgraaf.com/blogs/how-should-we-look-at-returns-the-xirr-conundrum

Capital raised by discounting invoices forms a part of working capital finance, which is essential to build, grow and run the business. Hence, this is the go-to form of raising working capital.

When businesses provide credit periods of a few weeks to a few months to clients, the company could look to raise funds through discounting invoices during this period to get cash flows that could be deployed back for more critical business needs. The funds raised are essentially a part of the working capital.

• Sales Invoice Financing (SIF) – A seller approaches the financier to discount the invoices raised by them on the buyer/customer and requests the financier to pay him upfront on behalf of the Buyer.
• Purchase Invoice Financing (PIF) - A buyer approaches the financier to discount the invoices raised on them by the seller and requests the financier to pay the seller on his behalf.

• Cheaper than raising money through equity investments.
• Doesn’t involve diluting ownership.

We provide both rated (rated by external rating agencies like CRISIL, CARE – typically for larger companies) and unrated investment opportunities for investors on our platform. Unrated products that are offered by us are put through the same stringent credit assessment process as any rated products are subjected to.

• Credit risk – The borrower’s ability to pay interest periodically and principal upon maturity.
• Liquidity risk - Ability to exit the investment before the tenure. Unlisted bonds are difficult to sell given the absence of a robust retail marketplace for the same.
• Structure risk - The structure of an instrument helps identify what recourse an investor has in case of a default. A secured NCD/bond represents a lower risk compared to an unsecured product.

Yes, all corporate and venture debt investment opportunities are backed by collateral.

Venture Debt is essentially corporate debt but given to early-stage companies. The evaluation process for the opportunity will be different, and so are the risk and returns.

Helps them to scale their business rapidly without diluting shareholding.

Helps them to scale their business rapidly with an efficient asset-light business model through leasing the assets instead of upfront capital expenditure on buying the assets.

Yes, all investment opportunities under this category are backed with hard assets.

The opportunities offered by us could be monthly or quarterly. Details of the repayment schedule will be provided to investors on all opportunities.

A fixed deposit lets you invest a lump sum for a fixed tenure at a guaranteed interest rate. You earn interest on your deposit, which compounds over time, and you receive both the principal and accumulated interest at maturity. Banks and financial institutions offer FDs as a low-risk investment option, making them ideal for achieving financial goals with certainty.

Even though there are a lot of other options in the market, FDs offer you guaranteed returns with lower risk. They preserve your capital, offer liquidity and predictable interest, and balance market-linked investments. Since they might not always beat inflation, you can just as conveniently use FDs for short-term goals or building emergency funds. For growth, you can diversify with some higher-yield options, but it is always a smart idea to balance your portfolio’s risk with FDs.

Providers offer various FD types, like standard FDs with fixed returns, tax-saving FDs qualifying for Section 80C deductions, and senior citizen FDs, granting higher interest rates. Flexi FDs link to your savings account for automatic investments, while NRI FDs cater to non-resident Indians. You can choose the type that aligns with your financial objectives.

Fixed deposits come with tenures from 7 days to 10 years. Short-term FDs provide liquidity for immediate needs, while long-term FDs maximize returns through compounding. You should select a comfortable tenure that matches your financial goals.

You can open an FD account as long as you are a citizen of India (resident or non-resident), any company, partnership firm, business, senior citizen, or minor etc. You will need some basic documents like proof of identity, proof of address, and proof of date of birth. Please note that the detailed process and documentation can differ for different providers.

Actually, not only banks but NBFCs and India Post Offices can also offer fixed deposits. As per Section 451(c) of the RBI Act, Non-Banking Financial Corporations can carry the business of a financial institution without a full banking license. They offer FDs and other services like savings & investment plans, lending schemes, insurance, etc. FDs with companies like Shriram Transport Finance Company are called corporate FDs, offering higher interest rates.

A payout account is the one where your fixed deposit investments will be credited on maturity. This is the account where you shall receive your money back. For reasons related to safety and security, you are required to add your bank account details to receive the payout.

The compounding frequency for Fixed Deposits varies by institution. For banks, interest is compounded quarterly. At Bajaj, the compounding frequency is annual, while at Shriram, interest is compounded monthly.

CYKC stands for Central Know Your Customer, an initiative by the Govt. of India. It helps simplify the lengthy customer onboarding process by making all relevant KYC information available in one place.
Consent is required to fetch the data since it is your information. We use this information to ensure safer and faster onboarding.

Video KYC is mandatorily required as per RBI guidelines, as a verification step for all investors.
In the rare case of your Video KYC process failing, there's no need to worry. You can retry investing within 2 days of booking the FD during banking hours.

Since it is the last step of verifying your identity in booking the FD successfully and it might need some time for you to prepare for it, the money is deducted and invested with the bank so that you don’t lose time in earning interest. Your interest starts accumulating from the time of payment.
In case the video KYC process is not completed, the bank will refund your money within 7 working days.

In the rare case where your payment fails but the amount has been deducted from your account, there's no need to worry. Your money will be refunded to the source account within 2 to 4 working days.

Most banks allow you to withdraw an FD partially, but their terms vary, and you might incur penalties, reducing the applicable interest rate. Some banks offer special FDs without withdrawal penalties after a lock-in period. If you need liquidity, try Flexi FD or ladder your deposits. Make sure to check withdrawal rules before investing to avoid unexpected charges or losses.

Yes, you can prematurely withdraw your FD after the lock-in period is complete.
In such cases, your interest rate does not change, but the duration for which you receive interest on the FD amount changes since the rate is applicable only for the tenure for which you held the FD. This means that your net interest rate will be the applicable interest rate minus the penalty applied.

No, we do not charge any processing charges on FD withdrawals. You can simply withdraw the amount at maturity and receive it directly in the source account.

Interest earned from FDs is taxed according to the respective tax slabs. For instance, if you fall in the 20% bracket and book a ₹1 lakh FD at 6% interest, your total interest for the year will be ₹6,000. You will need to pay 20% taxes on that, amounting to ₹1,200.

Currently, the platform does not support this functionality. TDS is only deducted if your total interest from all income sources exceeds ₹40,000 (common citizens) or ₹50,000 (senior citizens).