WhatsApp AI Chatbot for Business in India
We build WhatsApp assistants on the Business API that reply in Hindi, Marathi and English, send your catalogue, share UPI links, log every lead in your CRM and hand the chat to a person when needed. If Meta's own free tools are enough for you, we will tell you.
Why does your business need a WhatsApp AI chatbot?
Because your customers already ask on WhatsApp, often late at night, and the business that answers first usually gets the order. A WhatsApp AI chatbot replies in seconds from your own prices and policies, books or sells, records the lead and passes the chat to staff when a person is needed. Serious bots in India run on the WhatsApp Business Platform (the API), so several staff, your CRM and your payment gateway can share one number.
Picture a furniture showroom on Ghodbunder Road in Thane. At 10:40 pm a customer types "L shape sofa price? delivery to Dombivli?" The bot sends three sofas from the catalogue, the delivery charge for that pin code and the showroom timings, asks for a name and a visit day, and writes the lead into the sales sheet. At 10 am the floor manager calls back with the whole chat in front of him.
Infoways is a web, app and AI company at B-102, Technocity, Mahape, Navi Mumbai, run by founder Amol Bonde. We set up WhatsApp bots for businesses in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Pune and work remotely across India. We start by reading a week of your real chats. For background, see our guide to AI chatbots for business.
WhatsApp problems an AI chatbot fixes
What owners tell us before we build anything.
Customers ask the price at 11 pm and buy elsewhere by morning
A parent asks about a coaching batch at night, gets no reply, and enrols at the institute that answered first.
With AI01The bot replies within seconds at any hour with the fee, timing and a demo-class slot.
We answer the same ten questions all day
A salon receptionist types the service menu and timings forty times a day while walk-in clients wait.
With AI02The bot answers those from your approved list and leaves the unusual questions to her.
Leads get lost in someone's phone
A broker's best enquiry sits unread on a junior's phone who is on leave.
With AI03The bot logs every lead in your CRM or Google Sheet with an owner and a follow-up date.
Customers say "send QR" and then never pay
An online store sends a QR, the buyer gets distracted, and nobody follows up.
With AI04The bot sends a UPI payment link for the exact order, and the gateway marks it paid so the order moves on its own.
Four staff, one WhatsApp phone
A distributor's team passes one phone around the office to answer retailers.
With AI05On the API every staff member replies from a shared inbox on the same number, and the bot assigns each chat.
Half our customers write in Hindi or Marathi
A Pune caterer's customers type "kal 50 log ka menu bhejo" while the team replies only in English.
With AI06The bot answers in the customer's own mix of Hindi, Marathi, English or Hinglish.
What changes after a WhatsApp chatbot goes live?
Today
- Enquiry at nightAnswered next morning, if at all
- Price and timing questionsStaff type them again and again
- Following upDepends on someone remembering
- Taking paymentQR screenshot, then checking the bank app
- Knowing what happenedNo count of enquiries or sales
With a WhatsApp AI chatbot
- Enquiry at nightAnswered in seconds, lead saved
- Price and timing questionsBot answers from your approved list
- Following upApproved template sent to opted-in customers
- Taking paymentUPI link, payment confirmed automatically
- Knowing what happenedWeekly report of enquiries, hand-offs and payments
Which businesses use a WhatsApp chatbot, and for what?
Clinics and diagnostic labs
Bookings, timings, fees and reminders. No medical advice; symptom questions go straight to the front desk.
Real estate
Configuration and possession answers from your approved sheet, brochures and site-visit booking.
Coaching institutes
Batch timings, fee instalments and demo classes during admission season.
Distributors and wholesalers
Stock checks, slab price lists and repeat orders pushed to your order sheet.
Online stores and D2C brands
Catalogue products, size and COD answers, order status and UPI payment before dispatch.
Salons and spas
Service menu, stylist and slot booking, review requests. See [salon software in Mumbai](/blog/salon-software-mumbai.html).
Caterers and cloud kitchens
Party and tiffin enquiries with date, head count and venue, handed to the owner to quote.
CA offices and insurance agents
Document collection and due-date reminders. Every advice question goes to the qualified person.
How does a WhatsApp AI chatbot handle one enquiry?
One chat with a coaching institute in Panvel, from first message to paid admission.
- 1
The parent writes first
She taps the WhatsApp button on your website. That opens a 24-hour window in which the bot may reply freely.
- 2
The bot answers from your data
It reads your current batch list and fee sheet, replies in her language and asks one question at a time.
- 3
It books and records
She picks a Saturday demo. The bot books it, confirms, and creates the lead in your CRM with the full chat.
- 4
A person takes over
She asks about a fee concession, so the bot assigns the chat to the counsellor on duty and stops replying.
- 5
Follow-up by template
Two days of silence closes the window, so the reminder goes as a Meta-approved template, sent only because she opted in.
- 6
Payment and report
After the demo the bot sends a UPI link, the gateway confirms payment, and the weekly report counts the admission.
Send us your last 50 WhatsApp enquiries
We will mark which ones a bot can answer, which must go to a person, and whether Meta's free Business AI already covers you. Free, with no obligation.
Meta's Business AI or a custom WhatsApp API chatbot?
Meta now offers an AI agent inside the WhatsApp Business app for eligible Indian businesses. For many owner-run shops that is the right start.
Business AI in the Business app
- Set-up
- Owner switches it on in the Tools tab, if eligible
- Answers from
- Your profile, catalogue and documents
- Languages
- Meta says all native Indian languages
- Several staff
- Meta Verified links up to 10 devices and agents
- CRM, Sheets, Tally
- No direct connection
- Payments
- In-chat UPI announced as coming soon
- Cost model
- No price in Meta's launch post; may depend on a subscription tier
Custom bot on the WhatsApp API
- Set-up
- Verified business, API number and provider; we set it up
- Answers from
- Live price lists, stock, orders, bookings, policies
- Languages
- Hindi, Marathi, English, Hinglish, tuned to your customers
- Several staff
- Shared inbox, assignment and notes
- CRM, Sheets, Tally
- Every lead and order synced
- Payments
- UPI and gateway links available now
- Cost model
- Meta per-message charges, plus provider and build
Staff replying by hand
- Set-up
- Hire and train someone
- Answers from
- Memory and lookups
- Languages
- Whatever the person speaks
- Several staff
- One phone at a time
- CRM, Sheets, Tally
- Manual entry
- Payments
- Staff send a QR
- Cost model
- Monthly salary
From Meta's India launch post (May 2026) and WhatsApp Business app features. Business Today reported that smaller businesses get the agent through select subscription tiers, so check your own app. Meta's separate agent for API numbers excludes Health, Finance, Government, Alcohol, Gambling, OTC drugs and matrimony. Timeline in our post on WhatsApp Business AI and UPI.
When does a business outgrow Meta's free WhatsApp tools?
If one person answers from one phone, the catalogue is small and most chats end in a call or a visit, stay on the Business app. Fill in the profile, catalogue and quick replies, and switch on Business AI if your app offers it.
Move to the API when several people need to answer on one number, leads must land in a CRM or sheet, you want to know automatically when a UPI link is paid, prices or stock change daily, or you need reminders sent by your system and a weekly report. Clinics, insurance agencies and finance firms may find Meta's own agent is not offered for their category, and a custom bot built within WhatsApp's rules is then the way to automate.
What rules apply to WhatsApp chatbots in India?
WhatsApp follows Meta's policies and Indian data law; SMS fallbacks follow TRAI. Status as of November 2026.
WhatsApp policy: opt-in
Message people only after they opt in, and respect every stop request, on or off WhatsApp.
How we handle it Opt-in logged with date and source; STOP unsubscribes at once
Policy: human escalation
Automated replies need a prompt, clear way to reach a person.
How we handle it Hand-off to staff, plus phone number and hours
Policy: banned goods
No selling or promoting drugs or medical and healthcare products, whatever licence you hold. A narrow over-the-counter exception exists only on the Platform in listed countries.
How we handle it No bots that sell prescription drugs
Policy: health information
No telemedicine, and no sending or requesting health information where rules prohibit it.
How we handle it Clinic bots do bookings and fees only; no lab reports in chat
Meta terms on AI providers
From 15 January 2026, general-purpose AI assistants are allowed on the Platform only where Meta is legally required to permit them.
How we handle it Your bot answers about your business only
24-hour window and templates
Free-form replies only within 24 hours of the customer's last message; after that, approved marketing, utility or authentication templates.
How we handle it Templates drafted and categorised correctly
DPDP Act 2023 and Rules 2025
Rules notified 14 November 2025, with 18 months of phased compliance. Clear, informed consent with a notice of purpose, withdrawable any time; breach notice to affected people; penalties up to Rs 250 crore for weak security.
How we handle it Consent notice in the first message, limited retention, role-based access
TRAI TCCCPR (SMS fallback)
SMS headers carry -P, -S, -T or -G suffixes; promotional SMS must offer opt-out; no fresh consent request for 90 days after an opt-out.
How we handle it DLT-registered headers and templates for any SMS
Sources: WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy; Meta, AI providers; Meta, pricing; PIB on the DPDP Rules 2025; TRAI Press Release 11/2025. A planning summary, not legal advice.
Sample lines, written in Roman script.
Can a WhatsApp chatbot reply in Hindi, Marathi and Hinglish?
Yes. These are the details we test in every flow we set up.
Hinglish in Roman script
Customers type "kal 5 baje slot hai kya". The bot is tested on real chats like this and replies in the same mix.
Marathi reviewed by a person
A Marathi speaker checks replies before launch, since a machine-translated price list reads stiffly.
Voice notes and photos
We decide per business whether the bot transcribes voice notes or sends photos and voice straight to staff.
UPI first
On the Platform customers pay from any UPI app, with Razorpay, PayU, Billdesk, Zaakpay and Cashfree supported, per [Meta's payments docs](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/payments/payments-in/overview.md).
Area names and pin codes
People spell Ulwe as "ulve". The bot matches names and pin codes to your delivery list and asks once if unsure.
It says it is an AI
The first reply says it is an automated assistant, and "are you a bot?" always gets an honest yes and a person.
What does Infoways set up for a WhatsApp AI chatbot?
- 01A review of your real chats and a written list of what the bot answers, hands off and must never say
- 02WhatsApp Business Platform onboarding: verification, display name, number set-up or migration, provider chosen with you
- 03Answers in English, Hindi and Marathi written from your prices and policies, approved by you
- 04Catalogue sync with single-product and multi-product messages (up to 30 items each)
- 05UPI payment links or gateway integration, with payment status written back
- 06Lead and order sync to your CRM, Google Sheets, Zoho, Tally or store
- 07A shared inbox with chat assignment and hand-off rules
- 08Templates drafted and submitted, with opt-in and opt-out handled
- 09Consent notice, data retention settings and role-based access
- 10Testing on Hinglish, voice notes, wrong spellings and angry customers
- 11A weekly report, staff training and a review after the first month
What affects the cost of a WhatsApp AI chatbot in India?
Each business gets its own quote. Meta charges per delivered message, by category (marketing, utility, authentication or service) and by the customer's country code. From 1 October 2026 service replies inside the 24-hour window are charged again, after 1,000 free service messages per number per month, and so are utility templates sent inside the window. Meta Business Agent messages are billed per token from 1 August 2026, at USD 2.00 per million tokens. India accounts must move to INR billing by 31 December 2026. See Meta's pricing page and its non-template message page; rates can change at the start of each quarter.
On top of that come the solution provider's plan (or more build work on Meta's Cloud API directly), AI model usage if the bot writes its own replies, and the build: how many systems it talks to, how many languages we review, how many templates, and whether you want reports and a shared inbox. We show provider and Meta costs separately from our work.
Where a WhatsApp AI chatbot is the wrong choice
If you get ten messages a day and enjoy answering them yourself, a bot will cost more than it saves. Use the Business app and try Business AI if Meta offers it.
It is also wrong where every chat needs judgement or a licence: treatment, which policy to buy, tax positions, legal disputes. The bot can collect details and book a call with the right person, and we configure it to refuse advice. It cannot sell prescription drugs, message people who never opted in, or quote correct prices from a sheet nobody updates. Someone on your team has to own the content.
Find out what a WhatsApp chatbot would do for your business
Fill in the short form with your business type and top customer questions. In one business day you get a plain plan: stay on Meta's free tools or move to the API, what to automate, what to hand to staff, and your cost drivers.
- Office in Mahape, Navi Mumbai
- Reply within one business day
- Accounts and data in your name
WhatsApp AI chatbot questions businesses ask us
What is the difference between the WhatsApp Business app and the WhatsApp Business API?
The Business app is Meta's free phone app, run from one phone with a few linked devices. The API, which Meta calls the WhatsApp Business Platform, connects your number to software, so several staff, a CRM, a payment gateway and an AI bot can work on it together. Meta charges per delivered message on the API.
Is Meta's Business AI on WhatsApp free?
Meta launched Business AI in the WhatsApp Business app for eligible Indian small businesses in May 2026, and its launch post lists no price. Business Today reported in July 2026 that smaller businesses get the agent through select WhatsApp Business subscription tiers. Open the Tools tab and look for Your Business AI to see what your account is offered.
Do I need a new number for a WhatsApp API chatbot?
Not always. An existing number can often move from the Business app to the API, though it then works through your provider instead of the phone app. Some businesses keep the old number on the app and use a new one for the bot. We check your case and explain what changes for staff before anything moves.
Can the chatbot message customers who have not messaged me?
Only if they opted in, and only with a Meta-approved template. WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy requires opt-in and requires you to honour every stop request. Free-form replies are possible only within 24 hours of the customer's last message, so reminders and offers outside that window go as templates, which Meta charges for.
How does WhatsApp chatbot pricing work in India?
Meta charges per delivered message, with rates by category and the customer's country. From 1 October 2026 each business number gets 1,000 free service messages a month, then service replies are charged. You also pay your provider and, for an AI bot, the model usage. Our set-up fee depends on integrations, so we quote each project separately.
Can a WhatsApp chatbot take UPI payments?
Yes, on the WhatsApp Business Platform. Meta's India payments documentation says customers can pay with any UPI app, and lists Razorpay, PayU, Billdesk and Zaakpay for deep integration plus Razorpay, PayU and Cashfree for payment links. The gateway reports the payment back, so the order closes without anyone checking a bank app.
Will the bot reply in Hindi and Marathi?
Yes. We write and test replies in English, Hindi, Marathi and Hinglish, and the bot answers in the language the customer uses. A native speaker reviews the Hindi and Marathi content before launch. If someone writes in a language you do not support, the bot says so politely and offers a person.
Can a clinic or diagnostic lab use a WhatsApp chatbot?
For bookings, timings, fees, directions and reminders, yes. WhatsApp's policy rules out telemedicine and sharing health information where rules prohibit it, and Meta's own API agent excludes the Health category. Our clinic bots never give medical advice, never send lab reports in chat and pass every symptom question to staff.
What happens when the bot does not know an answer?
It tells the customer it will check with the team, assigns the chat to a person and stops replying. WhatsApp's policy requires a clear route to a human when you automate. Every unanswered question appears in the weekly report, so we can add the answer or mark the topic as staff only.
Will customers know they are talking to an AI?
Yes. The first reply says the customer is chatting with an automated assistant, and the bot answers honestly whenever someone asks if it is a bot. Typing a word such as "agent" at any time reaches a person, and the hand-off message says when staff reply.
Does the DPDP Act apply to my WhatsApp chatbot?
If the bot collects names, numbers or other personal data in India, yes. The DPDP Rules 2025 were notified on 14 November 2025 with 18 months for phased compliance. You need a clear consent notice stating the purpose, an easy way to withdraw consent, reasonable security and a plan to tell people about a breach.
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