MUMBAI: Until quite recently, Vaishakh Sudhakaran was burdened with debts. Without any savings to fall back on after the company he was working for shut down, he was “stuck” when he could not find another job. Eventually, he took multiple loans ranging from 5,000 to 30,000 rupees (US$52 to US$314) from different platforms. She had also started taking loans a few years ago, when she “had nothing” and could not even afford basic necessities. “I didn’t have any other option but those loans (via lending apps),” she said.