# A Guide to WhatsApp Automation in Kolkata > A guide to WhatsApp automation in Kolkata for tour operators, diagnostic centres and booksellers: Bengali replies, voice-note fallback and AI calls. Source: https://business.mysmartassistant.ai/blog/whatsapp-automation-kolkata · Published 2026-10-23 · Language: English · Publisher: MySA Business (https://business.mysmartassistant.ai) WhatsApp automation in Kolkata means customers who message your business get a clear answer in Bengali, Hindi or English within seconds, from the details you approved, even when they send five short messages in a row or a voice note. An AI handles the routine questions on your own number, offers a call when someone is ready to book, and leaves every chat visible to your team. ## How Kolkata customers actually write Messages rarely arrive as one tidy question. A family planning a Puja-holiday trip sends "Hi", then "Darjeeling package ache?", then "4 jon", then "October er shesh e". Someone else records a voice note while walking. A good assistant has to wait for the burst to finish, answer it as one thought, and handle the voice note gracefully. **Wait after last message** does the first part: the AI holds its reply for a few seconds (3 by default, up to 30) and answers everything together. For voice notes, the honest answer is that the AI cannot listen to them, so you write a **Reply to voice notes** message that asks the customer to type the question. ## The features, per connected number Link your existing number by pairing code or QR through WhatsApp's **Linked Devices**, then switch on: - **Smart reply (AI)**: answers from that number's Business Details, in the language the customer writes, Bengali included. - **Custom auto-reply**: a fixed text as a fallback. - **Missed-call auto-reply**: texts back a WhatsApp caller you missed, with an optional AI voice callback, for people who have messaged you before. - **Keyword Auto-Call**: a keyword message, such as *booking*, is answered with an AI call. - **Intent-based calling** (**Call when the customer agrees**): when a chat is about price, booking, availability, a visit or a quote, the AI asks once whether your team may call. Yes brings an AI call in their language with the chat summary; no is respected for good. The [WhatsApp documentation](/docs/whatsapp) covers each setting, and [WhatsApp Smart Reply](/features/whatsapp-smart-reply) has the overview. ## Kolkata businesses that benefit Scenarios, not case studies: - **Tour operators.** Hill-station, Sikkim and coastal packages are planned around the Puja holidays and winter breaks. The AI shares what your package list says and asks for travel dates and group size. - **Diagnostic centres.** Test timings, fasting instructions you have written down, home-collection areas and report times. The AI does not give medical advice; it answers only from your details. - **Booksellers and stationery shops.** Students ask whether a title or edition is in stock. If your stock list has an API, it can feed the reply. - **Home tutors and music schools.** Fees, batch days and trial classes, with **Business hours only** if you do not want replies after 9 pm. ## Example: a burst of messages for a tour package > **Example** > > **Customer** *(in Bengali, four quick messages)*: Hi. Do you have a Darjeeling package? Four people. End of October. > > *The AI waits for the messages to stop, then replies once.* > > **AI** *(in Bengali, shown here in English)*: Yes, we have a Darjeeling package for the end of October, and a group of four fits the standard plan in our current list. It includes the stay and local sightseeing as listed. Would you like our team to call you to check dates and hotel options? > > **Customer:** *(sends a voice note)* > > **AI** *(your voice-note message)*: Sorry, we cannot listen to voice notes here. Could you type your question? When the customer then types "haan, call korun", an AI call goes out in Bengali with a summary of the chat. That is intent-based calling, and it happens at most once a day per number across WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. ## Live data, the inbox and broadcasts **Live data.** If seat availability or today's offer lives in your own system, the Owner can add the API under **Integrations → My APIs** (enabled per workspace) and tick it under **Live data in replies**. On calls the API is read either before each outbound call or mid-call; one mode per workspace, and a failed API never stops the call. See [Custom APIs](/features/custom-apis). **Inbox and exceptions.** The **Conversations** inbox shows every chat, and your staff can reply by hand at any time; the AI never hands over on its own. Hotel partners, drivers and family go on **Exceptions**. **Broadcasts.** Before the holiday season, send one approved template to a list of past travellers, now or scheduled, with opted-out numbers skipped. It runs through Meta WhatsApp or Automate Chats and is for the Owner only. See [WhatsApp broadcasts](/docs/whatsapp-broadcasts). ## Limits in one table | Area | Limit | | --- | --- | | Reply wait | 3 seconds by default, maximum 30 | | Voice notes | Not heard; your fallback message is sent | | Keyword Auto-Call | Five keywords per number; 1–6 hours apart; 1–10 a day per customer | | Intent-based calling | Asked once per chat; one chat-started call a day per number | | Exceptions | Twenty numbers per connected number | | Broadcasts | Approved templates; start at 1,000 people per rolling 24 hours | Calls also respect your DND hours. To answer your phone line in Bengali as well, read [AI calling software in Kolkata](/blog/ai-calling-software-kolkata). ## Getting started 1. [Sign up](/signup) and verify your mobile number; the Test workspace gets ₹100 of Test credit. 2. Write Business Details: packages or services, price ranges, timings, what is included. 3. Connect the number, set a voice-note message, and send a burst of Bengali messages from another phone. 4. Bengali can be chosen as the call language. Hear it on a free [Test call](/docs/test-calls) before turning on calls. 5. Top up the prepaid Live wallet; there is no subscription. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can the AI understand Bengali written in English letters? The AI replies in the language the customer writes in. Test it with the kind of messages your customers send, Bengali script and Roman, before going live. ### What happens when a customer sends only a voice note? The AI cannot listen to it, so the customer gets the voice-note message you wrote, usually a request to type the question. ### Will the AI give test results or medical advice? No. It answers only from your Business Details, such as timings and preparation you have written. Results and advice stay with your staff. ### Can we stop replies late at night during the season? Yes. Business hours only limits AI replies to 9 am to 9 pm; late messages wait in the inbox. ### Do you have an office in Kolkata? No. Setup is online, and a business in Kolkata, Howrah or anywhere in West Bengal can start in the Test workspace.