During September 2025, Indian credit card spends reached a record ₹2.17 trillion, with over 42% of consumers spending ₹50,000 or more on festive purchases. Between April 2021 and November 2022, the RBI received 12,903 complaints regarding digital lending apps and recovery agents. Under RBI directions, regulated entities and recovery agents are prohibited from using intimidation, persistent or anonymous calls, inappropriate messages, or making recovery calls and visits before 8:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. The text highlights a case study of a Chennai professional earning ₹35,000 a month who faced ₹45,300 in monthly EMIs and approximately ₹1.83 crore in total unsecured debt after a failed business before seeking help from SingleDebt.
Dussehra celebrates the victory of good over evil. Yet the festive season is also when Indians lean most on their Credit Cards: over 42% of consumers spent ₹50,000 or more on festive purchases using credit cards, and card spends hit a record ₹2.17 trillion in September 2025.
When income doesn’t stretch to cover the bills, the real “villain” looks ordinary: unaffordable payments and Recovery Agent calls. It isn’t rare either, as RBI received 12,903 complaints on digital lending apps and recovery agents between April 2021 and November 2022.
At SingleDebt, we believe financial difficulty should never be a reason for shame. Just as Dussehra marks a fresh start, the first step is to look honestly at what you owe, what you can pay and what choices are available.
The RBI has directed regulated entities and their Recovery Agents not to use intimidation or harassment. This includes persistent, threatening or anonymous calls, inappropriate messages, and recovery calls or visits before 8:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m.
Also Read:
How to Stop Harassment from Recovery Agents
How to Get Out of Credit Card Debt in India – The Complete Guide
Key Takeaways
- Festive spending can quietly add to Credit Card balances that are already hard to repay.
- Recovery Agents can contact you about overdue EMIs, but only within RBI rules. Keep records if contact turns threatening.
- Debt Management can bring multiple debts into one affordable repayment plan, depending on your income and creditors.
- Missed payments hurt your Credit Score, while regular, timely payments help it recover over time.
Festival Season and Your Credit Card: Celebrate Without the After Effects
From Navratri to Diwali, new clothes, gifts, sweets, travel and sale offers add up quickly. Celebrating with loved ones matters. The trouble begins when purchases go on a card that already carries an unpaid balance, or when “No Cost EMI” offers pile onto existing EMIs. A few weeks of celebration can turn into months of repayment.
A few habits help:
- Set a festival budget before shopping, and decide how much, if any, goes on your Credit Card.
- Prioritise what matters most to your family rather than chasing every sale.
- Check how a new EMI fits alongside the ones you already pay.
- If your card carries an unpaid balance, use cash or a debit card.
The goal isn’t to give up celebration. It is to make sure the joy of the festival doesn’t become next year’s debt.
Why Can Credit Card Debt Become a Bigger Problem?
Like Ravana’s ten heads, debt rarely stays one problem. It can start with an unexpected expense, a festive splurge or a month when income falls short. You carry the unpaid balance forward, and soon another expense, another due date and perhaps personal loans or other EMIs join it.
At that point, the question is whether your income can cover all your repayments as well as basics like rent, ration and school fees. If you are using new borrowing to pay existing dues, pause and look at the complete picture.
When Does a Recovery Agent Cross the Line?
| Recovery situation | What borrowers should know |
| Calls about overdue EMIs | Lenders or authorised Recovery Agents may contact borrowers about outstanding dues. |
| Persistent calls | Repeated calls that become harassing are not acceptable. |
| Threatening or anonymous calls | Recovery communication must not involve intimidation or threats. |
| Contacting family or friends | Inappropriate contact or public humiliation is not acceptable. |
| Calls before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. | RBI directions restrict recovery calls during these hours. |
| Threatening messages or inappropriate communication | Keep records and raise the matter with the lender if necessary. |
What Can You Do When You Cannot Keep Up With Your Payments?
Every victory begins with knowing what you are up against. Add up your monthly income and essential expenses, then list your Credit Card balances, EMIs and overdue amounts. This shows whether repayments are merely difficult or beyond what you can afford.
If you can’t keep up, ask your lender about a revised repayment arrangement. Avoid taking another loan to cover an old payment, as it can leave you with a bigger burden. With several debts, professional repayment planning may help.
How Does Debt Management Work With Multiple Dues?
With several Credit Cards and loans pulling you in different directions, it is hard to know where to start. Debt Management looks at all your debts together, weighing your income, essential expenses and dues against what you can reasonably pay.
For some borrowers, a Debt Management Plan (DMP) may be considered, involving a repayment arrangement worked out with multiple creditors. It is not one-size-fits-all. What is possible depends on your income, necessary expenses, type of debt and creditors, so understand the terms before agreeing.
Can Credit Card Debt Affect Your Credit Score?
Yes. Your Credit Score reflects your repayment behaviour, so missed or delayed payments can affect it. That doesn’t mean taking on more debt just to keep every payment going. If repayments are already unaffordable, another loan only increases what you eventually owe.
The good news is that a Credit Score is not fixed. Once you are on a manageable repayment plan, regular, timely payments can gradually rebuild it. Like lamps lit one by one for the festive season, each on-time payment adds a little more light. Before agreeing to any arrangement, ask how it may affect your credit history and future borrowing.
A Real-Life SingleDebt Case: When EMIs Exceeded Income
A Chennai professional earning ₹35,000 a month was struggling with ₹45,300 in monthly EMIs after a failed business. His total unsecured debt had reached approximately ₹1.83 crore, along with pressure from recovery calls and possible legal action. He approached SingleDebt, where our financial, legal and paralegal teams worked together on his repayment difficulties and recovery concerns, helping him move from constant pressure towards a clearer way forward.
Read the full SingleDebt case study
How Can SingleDebt Help?
Debt can happen for many reasons, including a failed business, loss of income or unexpected expenses, and SingleDebt does not judge how you got here. Our Empathy-Trained Consultants review your income, expenses and debts and explain the services relevant to your situation. Where recovery concerns or legal notices are involved, our legal and paralegal teams also support you.
This Dussehra, Don’t Fight Debt Alone
Even Ravana was fought against with an army.. You don’t have to fight your debt alone, or solve it in one day.
If Credit Card debt, multiple EMIs or Recovery Harassment are taking the joy out of your festive season, talk to SingleDebt’s Empathy-Trained Consultants about your options. Let this Dussehra be the start of your own victory towards a debt-free life.
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