Executives from Alphabet Inc.’s Google DeepMind, Microsoft Corp, and Meta Platforms Inc recently gathered in Bangalore with tech founders to witness Sarvam AI, one of India’s leading AI startups, introduce a groundbreaking voice interaction software. This technology aims to revolutionize customer interactions in India by utilizing spoken voice instead of text. Sarvam’s software, developed using data from ten native Indian languages, is priced at a rupee per minute, making it affordable and accessible. Billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, an investor in Sarvam, highlighted its potential to reach a billion people.
India, keen to catch up with the global AI boom since the launch of ChatGPT nearly two years ago, has faced challenges due to the scarcity of data on many Indian languages. While English-language chatbots cater to city dwellers, a large portion of the population lacks the language skills to engage with these technologies. Startups are now betting that voice bots using local language data could broaden AI’s reach within India and appeal to international markets.
India may become a testing ground for the next wave of generative AI products. These voice bots, despite raising safety concerns in other markets, are integrated into various consumer and business applications. Tech companies aim to create more interactive, real-time conversational services that can automate tasks through AI voice features.
Several startups are leading this AI voice bot movement. Samsung-backed Gnani AI facilitates millions of voice interactions daily for major banks, insurers, and car companies in India. CoRover AI offers voice bots in 14 Indian languages to organizations like the state-owned railway corporation and regional police. Haloocom Technologies supports customer service and job screening in five Indian languages.
CoRover’s CEO Ankush Sabharwal noted that “voice is the most intuitive way to use technology,” indicating a shift from digital-first to mobile-first and now AI-first strategies. CoRover’s Ask Disha voice bot, launched for India’s train booking company IRCTC, can handle tasks such as booking tickets and making payments solely through voice commands. Sabharwal emphasized the need for AI agents that perform tasks beyond just providing information.
Gnani AI’s bots assist lenders by engaging with potential customers to assess their financial needs and eligibility for loans. The startup also collaborates with Tata Motors Ltd to gather customer feedback and promote extended warranties and accessories. Sarvam’s voice bots can manage mixed-language conversations and execute tasks like appointment scheduling and payment facilitation. Sarvam serves about 50 clients, including Sri Mandir, a devotional app with over 10 million downloads.
Sarvam’s technology, optimized for regional accents and specific language needs, sets it apart from global players like OpenAI and Anthropic, which lack sufficient spoken Indian language data. OpenAI, despite having developed voice-generating technology, has been cautious in its rollout, citing concerns over emotional dependence, impersonation risks, and copyright issues.
Indian AI startups remain optimistic despite these concerns. Ganesh Gopalan, co-founder of Gnani, pointed out that AI tailored to specific use cases and languages is more accurate, cost-effective, and less prone to hallucinations, which refers to AI systems fabricating facts. While primarily focused on India, some startups are exploring international markets, including the Middle East, Japan, and the U.S., where Gnani’s bots already serve Spanish-speaking customers for a California-based Harley-Davidson leasing company.
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