WhatsApp: The Underrated First AI Project

For Indian SMEs, the highest-ROI first AI project is almost never a fancy chatbot on the website. It is on WhatsApp.

Why WhatsApp wins

• 500M+ Indian users already on it
• Zero learning curve for customers
• Official API now mature and affordable
• Maps cleanly to existing sales/support workflows

What to automate first

1. Order status lookups - 30-50% of inbound queries for D2C brands
2. Appointment reminders - for clinics, salons, services
3. Lead qualification - basic intent + budget capture before a human picks up
4. Catalog browsing - for B2B distributors with repeat SKUs

What to leave to humans

• Complaints and refunds
• Anything involving money over a threshold
• First-time enterprise leads

Build vs buy

For most SMEs: buy. Wati, Interakt, AiSensy and Gallabox all do 80% of what you need. Build only if you have a workflow no one else has.

Start small, instrument everything, expand monthly.