Insights · 5 min read
How much does an AI receptionist cost in India?
By Gnaneswar Kalinga, founder, MarketRun · Updated
The short answer
At MarketRun an AI receptionist is an automation project: setup from ₹50,000, then from ₹30,000 a month to run and improve it, plus usage billed at cost (WhatsApp message charges from Meta, call minutes and AI model usage). It replies only from answers your team has approved and hands anything else to a person.
What an AI receptionist does
- Answers WhatsApp messages and, if you want it, phone calls, at any hour.
- Handles the repeated questions: timings, prices, location, documents to bring.
- Books, moves and confirms appointments in your calendar or system.
- Takes enquiries and orders into your CRM or sheet, so no lead is lost.
- Sends reminders and follow-ups.
- Hands anything unusual, sensitive or angry to a person, with the conversation attached.
It works in English and Hindi. Other languages are tested project by project before we promise them.
Our prices
| Part | What it covers | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | WhatsApp on the official Cloud API, your approved answers, one booking calendar or system, hand-off to your team | from ₹50,000 |
| Running and improving | Monitoring, new answers, monthly review of what it handled and missed | from ₹30,000 a month |
| Phone calls | A phone number, call handling and transfer to a person | quoted at setup (depends on call volume) |
| Usage | WhatsApp message charges, call minutes, AI model usage | billed at cost |
Want this as a written scope for your project?
Get a written scope and quoteStarting points, not quotes. Prices exclude taxes.
WhatsApp message charges from Meta
Meta charges per message on the WhatsApp Business Platform, by message category. Its rate card for India, effective 1 October 2026, lists these prices per message for the categories a receptionist uses most:
| Message category (Meta) | Typical use | Price per message, India |
|---|---|---|
| Utility | Booking confirmations, reminders, order updates | ₹0.115 |
| Authentication | One-time passwords (OTP) | ₹0.115 |
| Marketing | Offers and promotions | ₹0.8631 |
Replies to customers who message you first follow Meta's own rules for customer-service conversations, which Meta sets and changes; check its pricing page before you budget. We pass message charges through at cost.
A month, worked out
| Item | Example | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Running and improving | Monthly plan | from ₹30,000 |
| Booking reminders | 1,000 utility messages × ₹0.115 | ₹115 |
| Replies to customers | See Meta's pricing page | often small or free |
| Phone calls | Depends on call minutes | quoted at setup |
Plus setup from ₹50,000, once. Starting points, not quotes.
Calls or WhatsApp first?
Start with WhatsApp. Messages are cheaper, easier to check and easier to correct. Phone calls add per-minute costs and depend on accents and background noise, so we test with real recordings from your callers before switching calls on, and we report the accuracy we measure.
A ready-made tool or one built for you?
Subscription AI receptionist tools exist, mostly priced in US dollars, and they suit businesses whose questions are standard. A receptionist built for you makes sense when it has to book into your own system, follow your rules, answer in Hindi, or update your CRM and billing.
When it is worth it
- You miss messages or calls when you are busy or closed.
- Your staff answer the same few questions all day.
- Enquiries arrive after hours and go cold by morning.
When it is not worth it
- You get only a few messages a day and answer them quickly yourself.
- Almost every conversation needs judgement or negotiation.
- Your answers change daily and nobody will keep them updated.
Questions people ask
Can AI replace a receptionist?
It can take over the repeated work: common questions, bookings, reminders and taking down enquiries. A person is still needed for complaints, judgement calls and anything unusual, so we design the hand-off first.
Does it understand Indian accents?
For WhatsApp text, yes. For calls, accuracy depends on the language, the accent and the noise around the caller, so we test with real recordings before launch and report what we measure.
AI receptionist kitne ka padta hai?
MarketRun mein setup ₹50,000 se shuru hota hai, aur chalane aur behtar karne ka kharcha har mahine ₹30,000 se. WhatsApp message aur call ka kharcha jitna lagta hai utna hi bill hota hai.
How can I build an AI receptionist?
Write the answers you approve, connect WhatsApp on the official API and your calendar, and design the hand-off to a person first. Subscription tools do this for standard questions; we build it when it must fit your own systems and rules.
Kya AI receptionist Hindi mein jawab deta hai?
Haan, WhatsApp par yeh English aur Hindi mein jawab deta hai, sirf un jawabon se jo aapki team ne approve kiye hain. Calls ke liye hum pehle aapke callers ki asli recordings par test karte hain.
Will it send messages to my customers on its own?
Only answers your team has approved. Anything outside that library goes to a person instead of being made up.