Bengaluru, Dec. 9 -- As he prepared to call a debtor, Manoj, an adviser at Bengaluru-based debt collection startup DPDzero, saw a message flash across his screen. Borrower sentiment: distressed. A second later, a more specific prompt appeared relaying the borrower's previous communication: Medical issue reported. Proceed carefully.

The borrower hadn't answered the adviser's call that morning. But he had responded to an automated interactive voice response (IVR), leaving a short message that said his daughter was in the hospital.

So, when Manoj called, he did not open with the overdue amount, and instead said, "Sir, how is your daughter doing?"

He noticed an immediate shift in the tone of the conversation. By the end of the call, the bo...