- Published on November 14, 2025
- In AI Startups
Why India’s Voice-First Moat Is Finally Real
“The Indian enterprise market has evolved rapidly, with voice technology now seen as core infrastructure rather than a peripheral add-on.”
Image by Nikhil Kumar
- By Smruthi Nadig
On the demand side, friction-heavy moments within India’s digital payments ecosystem are creating high-volume entry points for voice automation. For instance, 19.63 billion UPI transactions in September 2025 generated millions of PIN resets, refund requests, and dispute calls.
Coupled with India’s surge toward 900 million internet users by 2025, driven largely by rural and non-English-speaking cohorts, a structural transition is in sight where voice becomes a primary interface, not an add-on.
This momentum, though, has led to a crowded, noisy landscape of startups, from hyper-funded incumbents to experimental foundation-model teams.
Amid the marketing narratives and aggressive demonstrations, the central question remains: who is solving India’s real vernacular AI
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Smruthi Nadig
Smruthi brings over two years of experience in reporting on the global energy industry. They hold a Master's Degree from the University of Leeds in International Journalism and a Bachelor's Degree from Christ University in Media Studies, Economics and Political Science.
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