Category Archives: Technology

Vapi raises $50M Series B as it reaches 1 billion calls, powering the next generation of enterprise voice AI

San Francisco, CA – May 13: voice AI startup Vapi announced a $50 million funding round to make all calls extraordinary.  When a customer calls a business, they aren’t looking for another channel. They’re looking for an outcome. But most phone experiences still run on rigid phone trees, scripts, and deterministic systems that can’t listen, adapt, or resolve issues the way a human can. Voice is where intent is highest and expectations are clearest. Vapi, the leading platform for deploying configurable voice agents at scale, was built to make that channel extraordinary. 

Following a 10x in enterprise ARR growth, the Series B round was led by Peak XV with participation by M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund, Kleiner Perkins, Bessemer Venture Partners, and earlier investors, bringing total funding to $72 million.

Nearly $3 trillion in global sales are projected to be at risk in 2026 due to bad customer experiences. And despite years of investment in chatbots, automation, and self-service portals, customer satisfaction scores haven’t increased. Since 2022, they’ve actually dropped by 2%, and haven’t meaningfully moved since 2017. The problem isn’t that businesses aren’t trying. It’s that the systems behind most customer interactions were never designed to listen, adapt, or meet people where they are. Vapi believes the fastest way to earn trust and resolve issues has always been a real conversation. Voice AI can finally make those conversations happen at scale.

Enterprise customers include Amazon Ring, Kavak, ServiceTitan, New York Life, and Intuit. Amazon Ring uses Vapi to handle inbound customer inquiries about smart home security devices.

“When [Amazon] Ring customers call in, they expect fast, high-quality support,” said Jason Mitura, Vice President of Software Development at Amazon Ring. “After evaluating dozens of vendors, Vapi stood out. We went from zero to production in two weeks, and 100% of our inbound volume now runs through the Vapi. Most importantly, we’ve maintained our high bar of support for our customers and CSAT scores have improved. Vapi gives our teams the ability to tune the agent experience without depending on engineering. A lot of AI tools promise great outcomes – Vapi has delivered on them.” 

Vapi is an enterprise voice AI platform for building, deploying, and managing voice agents that deliver the outcomes businesses want at the scale their customers need. The platform is designed to take teams from working prototype to production-scale deployment in days instead of months. Vapi’s platform is optimized for low latency, with the flexibility to swap models and providers, and an API that removes the need to understand telephony internals. Vapi’s mission is to make it easy for any business to build the kind of human interface that lets customers get the help they need.

The platform powers voice AI for businesses that need to handle calls at scale – supporting everything from inbound customer service and outbound collections to candidate screening, sales coaching through simulated dialogue, and autonomous IVR navigation. Customers use Vapi to replace or augment contact centers, automate high-volume qualification workflows, and navigate complex third-party payer systems without human involvement. The company has found its strongest traction in financial services, healthcare, insurance, automotive, and workforce management.

“Vapi has built a differentiated self-serve product for developers and enterprises in the massive voiceAI revolution,” said Arnav Sahu, Partner at Peak XV. “In 10 years, it’s likely most calls will not have a human behind the phone. With its bottom-up, PLG approach, we believe Vapi is the next Zapier and n8n for voiceAI workflows. At Peak XV, we are investors in several developer and bottom-up companies like Supabase, PostHog, Better Auth and ClickHouse and believe Vapi has the potential to be the defining platform for voice AI. We are excited to partner with them.”

Co-founders Jordan Dearsley and Nikhil Gupta met at the University of Waterloo and spent years building products together, including a Y Combinator-backed calendar app that reached profitability. Vapi started almost by accident. In mid-2023, Dearsley built a voice-based AI therapist for his daily walks, chaining models together and optimizing for latency until he had a working phone-based system. The therapy product didn’t take off, but the infrastructure did. Vapi launched publicly on Product Hunt in March 2024.

Most businesses have spent decades of time and effort, only to make their customer experience worse,” said Jordan Dearsley, CEO and co-founder of Vapi. “The real unlock is building agents for your customers that feel human. Vapi gives teams the platform to deploy voice agents that actually solve problems for customers — millions of them, every day.

Today, the company reports more than 1 million developers, over 2.7 million unique agents created, and over 1 billion calls made. 

Vapi sees the next phase of voice AI being defined by governance and predictability. As agents take on higher-stakes workflows, enterprise operators need tighter uptime guarantees, predictable latency under load, and call-level monitoring that treats every conversation as a production workload. That is where the company is focused: deeper reliability, stronger guardrails that keep agents within defined boundaries, and clear escalation paths when a situation calls for a human. The goal is to make it easy for any business to deploy voice agents that deliver measurable outcomes at scale, so that getting help feels as natural as having a real conversation.

Outpost24 Launches AI-Powered Authentication to Remove Configuration Barriers in DAST

By replacing complex authentication setup with plain-language instructions, Outpost24 Scale helps Application Security and DevSecOps teams make authenticated DAST easier to configure, maintain, and scale.

Stockholm, Sweden, May 12- Outpost24, a global provider of cybersecurity solutions serving over 3,000 customers across more than 65 countries, today launched AI-powered authentication for Scale, its dynamic application security testing (DAST) solution. The new capability replaces fragile manual authentication configuration with plain-language instructions, helping Application Security and DevSecOps teams configure authenticated DAST scans faster, reduce maintenance effort, and expand authenticated coverage across large application portfolios.

Authenticated scanning is essential for finding vulnerabilities behind login pages, but it has traditionally been difficult to scale. Many DAST tools rely on scripts or browser recordings that can break when login flows change, creating maintenance work for specialist users and leaving coverage gaps across modern web applications.

Scale’s AI-powered authentication addresses this bottleneck by accepting plain-language instructions that an AI agent executes. This reduces reliance on scripts that can slow setup and create ongoing maintenance risk, allowing authentication configurations to be created and maintained across multiple applications and environments without scripting skills.

Outpost24 Scale provides automated vulnerability detection across external, internal, and commercial off-the-shelf applications, continuous monitoring against organizational security standards, and structured compliance reporting. Detection is developed with input from Outpost24’s certified penetration testing team, delivering low false positives and actionable results.

The launch is part of Outpost24’s broader AI strategy: applying AI where it reduces manual effort, simplifies security operations, and helps teams act faster. Additional AI-driven capabilities are planned across the Outpost24 platform throughout 2026.

AVer’s FONE700 Ceiling Speakerphone Certified for Microsoft Teams

Taipei, Taiwan – May 12: AVer Information Inc., an award-winning provider of AI audio-video solutions, announced that the FONE700 Ceiling Speakerphone has been Certified for Microsoft Teams. The certification recognizes the FONE700 as a qualified USB audio peripheral for Teams Rooms on Windows, helping to ensure a seamless user experience for professional meeting environments through a simplified installation.

The FONE700 Ceiling Speakerphone delivers robust full-duplex audio performance through its combination of advanced noise suppression, double-talk detection and de-reverberation technology. With a design that minimizes background noise, supports simultaneous speech and reduces echo, the FONE700 provides clear and balanced sound across diverse meeting spaces.

Featuring three directional and eighteen omnidirectional microphones, the FONE700 captures voices accurately from all corners of a room. The FONE700 connects through a single USB cable for simplified installation and a clutter-free setup, supporting up to four speakerphones with a maximum range of 130 feet to accommodate varying room sizes. Its versatile connectivity integrates easily into existing conferencing systems, serving as an audio hub for AVer’s broader portfolio of video and audio solutions.

“Certified for Microsoft Teams reinforces our commitment to interoperability and reliability across conferencing ecosystems,” said Mike Garcen, Senior Director of Product and Marketing. “The FONE700 combines technical precision with streamlined integration to support productive and efficient collaboration.”

“We’re committed to delivering high quality audio to meeting spaces that feels natural and inclusive for everyone, whether they’re joining in the room or remotely,” said Albert Kooiman, General Manager, Teams Partner Engineering and Customer Enablement at Microsoft. “The Certification for Microsoft Teams helps ensure solutions meet the high standards our customers expect.”

AVer’s FONE700, now Certified for Microsoft Teams, has received a new firmware update that delivers noticeably crisper voice reproduction, significantly reduced reverberation, and cleaner, more natural audio — even in acoustically challenging spaces. The result is studio-grade intelligibility and seamless full-duplex performance that meet the strict requirements of Teams deployments, firmly positioning the FONE700 as an IT-approved ceiling solution for modern enterprise meeting rooms.

AVer ensures that its solutions deliver consistent performance and compatibility across enterprise and education applications. The FONE700 is backed by AVer’s three-year warranty with First Year Advanced Replacement, which offers a 72-hour replacement service during the first year of ownership.

AAEON Adds Two New Embedded AI Systems to its BOXER-865xAI-PLUS Series Featuring NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX with Super Mode

The BOXER-8651AI-PLUS, BOXER-8652AI-PLUS, and BOXER-8653AI-PLUS offer distinct features to bring AI functionality to versatile vertical market segments.

Taipei, Taiwan – May 12: AAEON (Stock Code: 6579), a leading provider of edge AI platforms, today announced the release of the BOXER-8651AI-PLUS and BOXER-8652AI-PLUS, two embedded AI systems powered by NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX module with Super Mode support. The two systems follow the release of the BOXER-8653AI-PLUS back in February 2026, and complete AAEON’s BOXER-865xAI-PLUS series. 

Designed to provide users across market segments with the enhanced software stack, greater power consumption flexibility and performance optimization offered by Super Mode with NVIDIA JetPack 6.2 SDK, BOXER-865xAI-PLUS series PCs offer up to 157 TOPS of AI performance. The primary differences between the three systems are their form factors and the functions they offer, which in turn influence the types of deployment scenarios AAEON has positioned them for.

The smallest of the three at 125mm x 90mm x 56mm, the BOXER-8651AI-PLUS is geared towards applications that require high-performance AI inference in space-constrained setups, such as AIoT nodes within the smart building management and retail sectors. As such, the system’s I/O is relatively streamlined, with four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports and Gigabit Ethernet joining a DB-9 port for CANBus/ RS-232 and a 10-pin physical DIO header. Despite its compact size, the system maintains a -25°C to 55°C operating temperature range alongside a 12V to 24V power input tolerance.

Also relatively compact at 190mm x 136mm x 75mm, the BOXER-8652AI-PLUS is positioned as a platform for industrial AI applications such as AMR. To host the cameras and sensors required for such solutions, the BOXER-8652AI-PLUS provides two DB-9 ports for CANBus and RS-232/422/485, four USB, and dual RJ-45 LAN. Moreover, the BOXER-8652AI-PLUS includes a box header for out-of-band management support, making it suitable for scaling industrial AMR fleets across factories.

The most advanced of the three, the BOXER-8653AI-PLUS includes four independent PoE LAN ports. As such, AAEON has indicated it is primarily positioned for smart city installations like roadside units and public safety systems. Lending further credence to this is the BOXER-8653AI-PLUS’s out-of-band management and TPM 2.0 support, which AAEON states have been included to enable secure remote device rebooting, diagnostics, and monitoring on the system when it is deployed as part of broader smart infrastructure setups.

The full BOXER-865xAI-PLUS series is now in mass production, with detailed specifications available on the product’s respective pages on the AAEON website. Meanwhile, pricing and ordering information can be obtained via the AAEON eShop or via the contact form on the AAEON website.

Ualett Launches “Ualett Rewards” to Give Back to Gig Workers

WILMINGTON, Del. —May 11, 2026 — Ualett, the leading financial technology platform serving gig workers, announced the launch of Ualett Rewards, a new loyalty program designed to recognize and reward clients for their engagement and financial activity.

With Ualett Rewards, clients can turn everyday interactions into real financial benefits through GigPoints, redeemable for remittance savings and digital rewards. The program deepens Ualett’s commitment to helping independent workers build more flexible, resilient financial lives while making the in-app experience more engaging and valuable over time.

“Gig workers are constantly balancing tight schedules, rising costs, and unpredictable income,” said Ricky Michel Presbot, Co-Founder and CEO of Ualett. “Ualett Rewards is our way of saying thank you to the workers who trust us every day. By turning routine actions into meaningful rewards, we’re helping clients get more value from every interaction with Ualett.”

Ualett Rewards will officially launch today, and all eligible clients can access the program directly through the Ualett app.

How Ualett Rewards Works

Through Ualett Rewards, clients earn GigPoints for simple, everyday actions in the app, including:

• Client referrals: Points are awarded when a referred user successfully enrolls.

• In-app gaming experiences: Points can be earned by participating in interactive features and experiences within the Ualett app.

Accumulated GigPoints are tracked over time and can be redeemed for tangible benefits, such as:

• Savings on remittances, helping clients keep more of what they earn on eligible transactions.

• Eligible digital rewards, including select gift cards and other digital benefits.

As Ualett scales its platform, the company is focused on ensuring that its most engaged clients share directly in the value they help create. Ualett Rewards is designed to feel intuitive and fair: clients earn points for the actions they’re already taking and can clearly see how those points convert into real, usable financial benefits over time.

By integrating rewards into everyday app interactions, Ualett is strengthening its role as a long-term financial ally for gig workers—providing not just access to fast, flexible capital, but also ongoing incentives that support smarter financial decisions and deeper engagement.

AGON by AOC Celebrates 10 Years, Maintains No.1 Gaming Monitor Position for Seven Consecutive Years

 Cairo, Egypt, May 11: As the brand celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, AGON by AOC has been ranked as the No. 1 gaming monitor brand for seven consecutive years according to the 2025 IDC report. This milestone marks a decade of innovation and market dominance.

“Ten years ago, our mission was to equip every AGON by AOC user with a true competitive advantage—delivering monitors built for speed, precision, and visual clarity. Today, we’ve not only fulfilled it but also helped define new industry benchmarks,” said Carol Anne Dias, Sales Director, AOC and Philips Monitors (Middle East, Africa & India). “Securing the position as the global display leader for seven consecutive years reflects our ‘Ten Years, One Sword’ philosophy—an unwavering commitment to refining our craft and striving for excellence at every step.”

Seven Years of Global Dominance: The Power of Consistency in Excellence

In a category defined by technological breakthroughs across the industry, AGON by AOC has leveraged decades of display expertise to win the global market through brand consistency in:

• Performance: Pioneering ultra-high refresh rates, industry-leading low latency, and rapid response times.
• Market Leadership: Maintaining a dominant No. 1 position in the competitive Chinamarket while quickly expanding across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
• Covering Gamer’s Needs: Providing a product portfolio that serves everyone. from professional esports athletes, to hardcore and casual gamers.

Professional Partnerships Forged in the Arena:

AGON by AOC has built its reputation through long-term partnerships with major titles like League of Legends and Counter-Strike, as well as collaborations with elite teams such as G2 Esports. The brand has built its edge through these partnerships, where real-world gaming scenarios have informed the R&D process, along with a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Iconic co-branded models like the AG275QXL and the CS24A series are the results of this feedback loop, monitors built for pros, by the pros, ensuring durability and reliability. In parallel, AGON by AOC’s collaboration with Porsche Design has produced premium co-branded displays including PD49, PD34, PD32M, and PD27S.

The Next Wave: AI and 1000Hz Innovation

As it enters its second decade, AGON by AOC continues to break barriers by integrating AI and extreme hardware:

• AI Integration: The AG277UX features a customized AI processing chip designed to assist in game combat and provide a more intelligent, responsive visual experience.
• Breaking Speed Limits: The brand recently unveiled the AGP277QK, its first 1000Hz high-refresh-rate monitor, alongside the AG276QSG2 featuring NVIDIA G-SYNC PULSAR technology.
• Award-Winning Design: The collaboration with Porsche Design (PD49, PD32M, and others.) has won international accolades, including the iF Design and Red Dot Awards—proving that world-class performance and luxury aesthetics are a winning combination.

Looking Forward: Shaping the Future

Building on seven years of market dominance, AGON by AOC is now focused on next-generation display technologies, immersive visual performance, and sustainable design. The brand remains committed to 10 more years of growth through the same passion for brand excellence that brought it to No. 1 seven years in a row.

Carol Anne Dias, Sales Director, AOC and Philips Monitors (Middle East, Africa & India) concluded “A decade on, our mission remains unchanged: to create monitors that give esports players a true competitive edge through speed, clarity, and design. While this anniversary marks an important milestone, it also signals what lies ahead as we continue to push the boundaries of display performance and innovation for esports enthusiasts worldwide.”

IIM Sambalpur–MCL MoU to Train 500 Officers in AI for Coal Sector Transformation

May 9 (BNP): The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Sambalpur has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) to train 500 officers in Artificial Intelligence (AI), aiming to modernise coal operations and strengthen data-driven decision-making across the organisation.

The agreement was formalised by Keshav Rao, Director (HR), MCL, and Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur, in the presence of senior officials including MCL Chairman-cum-Managing Director Uday Anant Kaole and IIM Sambalpur faculty representatives.

Under the collaboration, officers from various departments will be trained in AI applications to improve core areas such as coal production, business development, operational efficiency, and process management. The initiative is expected to help MCL integrate advanced technologies into its day-to-day functioning and long-term planning.

Speaking on the partnership, Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal said IIM Sambalpur is focused on preparing leaders for a technology-driven future. He added that the collaboration reflects a shared vision of using AI and machine learning to transform traditional industries through innovation, skill development, and strategic capability building.

MCL leadership also highlighted that the initiative is part of a broader effort to make the organisation more future-ready by adopting digital tools and modern management practices.

Notably, IIM Sambalpur is among the pioneering institutions globally to introduce AI education across its entire student cohort, integrating it into all areas of management learning.

The partnership marks a significant step toward strengthening industry–academia collaboration and accelerating digital transformation in India’s coal sector, particularly within Coal India Limited subsidiaries like MCL.

KPIT Co-Founder Ravi Pandit Dies at 71

May 8 (BNP): KPIT Technologies has announced the passing of its Co-Founder and Chairman, Dr. S.B. (Ravi) Pandit, who died in Pune on Friday at the age of 71, according to a regulatory filing by the company.

Dr. Pandit was a key architect in building KPIT Technologies into a global mobility-focused technology firm. Under his leadership, the company grew its international presence across 15 countries and established itself in areas such as automotive software, autonomous driving, electric mobility, and clean energy solutions.

Beyond his corporate role, he was actively involved in public policy, sustainability, and social development initiatives. He co-founded institutions like Pune International Centre and Janwani, and contributed to research and policy work through the Centre for Sustainable Development at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE).

Pandit also played an important role in industry bodies, serving as President of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) and participating in various committees of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), where he contributed to discussions on industry growth and policy development.

Following the news, KPIT Technologies shares were trading 1.37 per cent higher at ₹732.50 on the BSE on Friday. The stock has seen significant movement over the past year, touching a 52-week high of ₹1,433 and a low of ₹625.

In its latest earnings update earlier this week, the company reported a 33 per cent year-on-year decline in consolidated net profit to ₹163 crore for the March quarter, compared to ₹245 crore in the same period last year. Despite the drop in profit, the company recorded a 12 per cent rise in revenue, reflecting steady business growth in its core segments.

10ZiG and Parallels Deepen Technology Partnership to Advance Flexible and Secure Digital Workspaces

Alliance extended to combine Parallels RAS and 10ZiG innovations to simplify virtual app and desktop delivery across hybrid environments

PHOENIX and AUSTIN, Texas – May 8, 2026 – 10ZiG® Technology, a leading provider of thin and zero client hardware and software solutions for VDI, DaaS, and web application environments, and Parallels, a global leader in virtualization and end-user computing (EUC) solutions, today announced an expanded partnership to help organizations simplify secure application and desktop delivery, reduce total cost of ownership (TCO), and improve management across distributed work environments.

This expanded collaboration builds on the recently announced expansion of the 10ZiG Ready technology partner program, which strengthens technology alignment across the EUC stack through validated integrations designed to simplify deployment and improve interoperability. As part of the expanding 10ZiG Ready ecosystem, the strengthened relationship with Parallels reflects a continued focus on delivering integrated solutions that help customers reduce complexity across infrastructure and endpoint environments.

Building on a technology relationship spanning more than 15 years, the expanded partnership aligns 10ZiG’s secure endpoint hardware, 10ZiG RepurpOS™, PeakOS™, Windows IoT, and free 10ZiG Manager™ software with Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) to provide customers with a more integrated approach to delivering and managing virtual applications and desktops. Together, the companies help organizations simplify deployment, extend endpoint lifecycles, reduce operational overhead, and support secure, high-performance digital workspaces for remote, in-office, and hybrid users. The combined solution also supports a broad set of environments, including Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware ESX, Nutanix, Scale Computing, Azure Virtual Desktop, and AWS, while supporting unified communications use cases such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

As organizations continue to balance modernization initiatives with cost pressures, the expanded partnership addresses two persistent challenges in digital workspace environments: reducing the complexity of delivering secure applications and desktops across diverse environments, and lowering infrastructure and endpoint costs while improving user experience.

“What makes this partnership unique is the combination of Parallels RAS simplicity with 10ZiG’s purpose-built endpoint strategy, giving customers a practical way to standardize and secure digital workspaces across a wide range of environments,” said Tom Dodds, Global Strategic Alliances Manager, 10ZiG Technology. “Together, we are helping organizations support hybrid work with greater flexibility, extend the value of existing endpoint investments, and simplify the delivery of virtual applications and desktops from the data center to the edge.”

“Organizations want digital workspace solutions that are easy to deploy, simple to manage, and flexible enough to support evolving infrastructure strategies,” said Michael Hopfinger, Senior Vice President, Global Sales, Parallels. “Our collaboration with 10ZiG brings together secure remote application delivery, broad platform support, and integrated endpoint innovation to help customers create a more resilient user experience. Our expanded collaboration with 10ZiG combines Parallels RAS and secure, purpose-built endpoint solutions to help organizations streamline application and desktop delivery, simplify management, and improve the economics of supporting distributed users.”

Through the expanded partnership, customers benefit from:

• Simplified application and desktop delivery: Parallels RAS and 10ZiG endpoints help organizations streamline delivery of published applications and virtual desktops across distributed environments.
• Endpoint lifecycle extension: 10ZiG Thin Clients, Zero Clients, and 10ZiG RepurpOS enable organizations to reduce reliance on traditional PCs, extend the life of existing devices, and support secure, purpose-built endpoints.
• Integrated management and security: Combined capabilities help IT teams improve visibility, simplify endpoint and access management, and support secure access for remote, in-office, and hybrid work, including support for MFA, SAML enrollment services for SSO, auditing and monitoring, and secure connectivity through 10ZiG Manager Secure Connector.
• Improved economics for digital workspaces: By addressing costs across infrastructure and endpoints, organizations can improve ROI while delivering secure, high-performance user experiences.

The expanded partnership also supports deeper go-to-market collaboration and customer engagement around integrated use cases for Parallels RAS environments, while reinforcing Parallels’ role within the growing 10ZiG Ready partner ecosystem.

10ZiG will highlight its expanded collaboration with Parallels through ongoing partner and customer engagement initiatives focused on simplifying application delivery and improving economics across infrastructure and endpoint environments. Organizations can also learn more by joining the May 27 webinar, “EUC without complexity: Simplify delivery and endpoints with Parallels and 10ZiG,” which will explore how the combined solution helps simplify virtual app and desktop delivery while improving security, flexibility, and cost efficiency. Register here.

WhatsApp Introduces AI-Powered Business Support Tool for SMEs in India

WhatsApp Launches “Business AI” in India to Help SMEs Automate Customer Support and Boost Digital Sales

New Delhi, May 7 (BNP): WhatsApp on Thursday announced the launch of its new AI-powered feature “Business AI” in India, aimed at helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) manage customer interactions more efficiently through the WhatsApp Business app.

The feature is designed to enable eligible businesses to provide 24/7 automated customer support, respond to queries instantly, generate leads, schedule appointments, and support sales conversations without requiring additional platforms or tools.

According to the company, Business AI can be customised using a business’s own information such as product catalogues, pricing, services, discounts, and delivery details. This allows businesses to offer more accurate and personalised responses to customer queries.

A key highlight of the feature is its multilingual capability, enabling interactions in multiple Indian languages to improve accessibility and customer reach across regions.

The platform will also soon support in-chat payments through UPI, allowing customers to complete transactions directly within conversations, further streamlining the digital commerce experience.

WhatsApp stated that businesses will retain full control over conversations and can intervene or take over chats from the AI at any time.

The company said the feature will be gradually rolled out to eligible businesses using the WhatsApp Business app under the Tools section, where users can activate and configure “Business AI” through guided steps.

Impact on small businesses

The launch is expected to benefit SMEs by reducing the burden of handling large volumes of customer messages with limited staff. By automating routine queries, businesses can improve response time, enhance customer engagement, and focus more on growth and operations.

Industry observers believe the move could strengthen India’s digital business ecosystem by enabling small enterprises to adopt AI-driven customer service and expand their online presence more efficiently.

Overall, the initiative reflects the growing integration of artificial intelligence into everyday business communication and digital commerce in India.