Tide rolls out in-app FDs to unlock idle SME capital

By Vriti Gothi

Tide, a financial platform for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), has launched Fixed Deposit (FD) investments directly within its app enabling entrepreneurs to grow idle working capital through secure, high-yield investment options offered by RBI-regulated banks and NBFCs.

This latest feature marks a significant step forward in Tide’s mission to digitise and democratise financial access for Indian SMEs.

The launch brings a new dimension to Tide’s integrated financial platform, allowing users to book, manage and track fixed deposits seamlessly within the same ecosystem where they already handle payments, invoicing, expense management, and compliance services. By simplifying access to investment-grade products, Tide aims to bridge the return gap in SME banking and support long-term financial resilience among India’s business community.

Designed around SME user behaviour and preferences, Tide’s FD solution offers competitive interest rates of up to 8.84% per annum*, with flexible tenure options ranging from 7 days to 60 months. The feature is fully digital—requiring no physical paperwork—and investments start at just ₹1,000, making it accessible to micro and small businesses alike.

Partnering with trusted, RBI-regulated institutions including Suryoday Small Finance Bank, Bajaj Finance Ltd., Mahindra Finance, and others, Tide ensures both regulatory compliance and deposit safety. Through secure APIs powered by technology service provider Blostem, users are redirected to a compliant investment flow where they can complete KYC, select an issuer, and receive FD receipts within 3–4 working days all without exiting the Tide app.

According to RBI data, over 85% of SME funds remain locked in low- or zero-interest current accounts, despite their capital needs. The CRISIL SME Insight Report (2022) further underscores that over 60% of SMEs prefer fixed-return instruments, given their conservative risk appetite. Tide’s FD offering addresses both challenges unlocking better yield opportunities while respecting the cautious investment behaviour typical among India’s SMEs.

With the introduction of fixed deposits, Tide moves closer to realising its vision of becoming a comprehensive financial operating system for Indian SMEs. From business onboarding (Udyam registration) to government scheme discovery, from digital payments to working capital optimisation, Tide continues to build a holistic ecosystem tailored to the evolving needs of India’s entrepreneurial economy.

By embedding investment capabilities into a unified platform, Tide not only enhances SME access to financial products, but also reinforces a values-aligned, inclusive approach to digital transformation one that is secure, scalable, and rooted in long-term value creation for small businesses across the country.