(Commonwealth_India) Tide, a financial technology company based in the UK, is quietly reshaping the way small businesses in India manage their finances. When it first entered the country in 2021, it didn’t arrive with a big, splashy launch. Instead, it set up a product and engineering hub in Hyderabad, building the foundations of something bigger. Fast forward a few years, and India has become not just a market but the center of Tide’s global growth. More than half of its members now come from here, and the company is betting that India’s micro and small businesses—run by everyday shopkeepers, artisans, freelancers, and women entrepreneurs in smaller towns—will define its future.
At the heart of Tide’s pitch is a simple promise: to take the financial headache away from business owners who don’t have the luxury of accountants or finance teams. Most of Tide’s members are people who spend their days keeping shops running, managing workers, or serving customers, with little time left for ledgers and paperwork. Through its app, Tide brings everything together—payments, invoicing, accounting, credit, and even insurance. “We save them time, save them money, and provide them with access to the right services,” says Gurjodhpal Singh, CEO of Tide India.
Unlike traditional banks, Tide doesn’t hand out loans directly. Instead, it connects business owners to the lenders most likely to say yes. For a struggling shopkeeper or freelancer, this matchmaking approach can mean the difference between getting a loan approved or rejected. It’s about helping entrepreneurs find the right door to knock on, without wasting time or facing disappointment.
Insurance is another area where Tide is trying to change old habits. Rather than selling bulky, long-term plans, it has introduced small, affordable policies—fraud protection, phone accident cover, and others—that cost as little as ₹100–200 a month. Singh compares it to the way sachets transformed consumer goods, making products affordable and accessible to millions. “We can sell small-ticket, short-term policies digitally, something traditional agents don’t find profitable,” he explains.
What really fuels Tide’s growth in India is the country’s ongoing shift from cash to digital. With UPI payments everywhere, GST rules pushing businesses towards compliance, and lenders demanding digital footprints, small businesses are being nudged—sometimes forced—into formalization. Singh puts it bluntly: “It’s nearly impossible to run a cash-only business now.” For Tide, this transition is an opportunity to step in and guide entrepreneurs through the change.
Interestingly, most of this growth isn’t happening in Mumbai or Delhi, but in smaller towns—places where digitization is still a work in progress. Tier-III, IV, and V towns are where Tide sees its biggest impact, often among women-led businesses. Through partnerships with groups like We Hub in Telangana and the Northeast Handlooms Association, and by running masterclasses in cities such as Agra, Jaipur, Mysore, and Pune, the company is trying to meet small businesses where they are, not where the tech world assumes them to be.
India is the birthplace of some of Tide’s most innovative ideas before they expand globally. One example is a tool for “structured partners,” designed for freelancers and gig workers like taxi drivers, artisans, or tour guides. This tool helps freelancers and gig workers manage their cash flow and payments with larger companies, addressing issues that are unique to India but applicable globally. “If we can solve them here, we can scale them globally,” Singh says.
Behind this growth is also a supportive environment. Singh credits both Indian and UK regulators for helping Tide settle in smoothly, noting how Invest India and the UK High Commission backed its entry. Looking ahead, he believes the proposed India–UK Free Trade Agreement could unlock new opportunities for Tide’s members, especially small exporters who need simpler financial tools for cross-border trade.
What’s striking is Tide’s discipline. At a time when many fintechs have chased the consumer market with heavy spending, Singh says Tide has stayed firmly focused on micro and small businesses. Even during the pandemic, when the temptation was to pivot, Tide stuck to its mission. This focus has insulated the company from volatility—it has remained profitable in the UK, continued hiring during downturns, and is now investing heavily in India and Germany.
“We are a stable business,” Singh says with quiet confidence. “We’ve weathered the pandemic, the funding winter, and all the economic turbulence by sticking to our strategy. The MSME segment is strong, and we’re building for the long term.”
Instead of chasing headlines, Tide seems to be chasing trust—among the millions of small entrepreneurs across India who don’t need flashy apps but reliable partners to help them grow.
