Inside Elevate’25: Shaping AI-First CX for a Conversational World

"We are in the decade of technology, the Techade. By 2030, India is poised to become the 3^rd largest economy in the world, powering an $8 trillion GDP, of which $1 trillion will be powered by technology”, said Arzan Singpurwalla, Lead - Business Messaging Partnership, India at Meta.

This statement set the tone at ELEVATE 2025, Karix’s flagship event held in November, where industry leaders came together to dig deep into how this Techade is reshaping customer experience. As technology transformsthe way India transacts, communicates and consumes, customer experience is no longer just about being responsive, but being more personalised, conversational and AI-first.

The event engaged experts from Meta and leading B2C brands across industries like Retail, BFSI, Healthcare and Government in sharp conversations around how AI-powered conversational journeys can unlock measurable business results.

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India's Shift to Messaging-First Economy

The event kicked off with Arzan outlining the rise of a messaging-first economy and how it helps brands to engage customers right inside their inboxes across cities of all tiers in India.

As he put it, “Messaging is a way of life in India”. With 650 million active messaging and social media users but only 200 million online buyers, the real opportunity lies in the remaining 450 million users, largely from tier 2 and 3 cities. WhatsApp, he explained, is the bridge to reach this audience.

And, he also highlighted AI’s growing role in customer experience, as both an orchestrator and an agent helping brands scale conversations across use cases. From HDFC's AI-powered banking journey and Air India's AI-driven customer service, to the Andhra Pradesh Government enabling 700+ citizen services on chat, WhatsApp has emerged as a powerful utility, service and marketing channel.

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AI is the Backbone of Scalable WhatsApp Engagement

Sonia Kaul, Chief Solutions Officer at Karix, emphasised that the next phase of WhatsApp engagement lies in moving beyond static journeys to innovative, conversational experiences powered by Agentic AI and Gen AI.

For brands just beginning their AI journey, Sonia recommends starting small by testing AI-powered use cases within defined cohorts before scaling. Whether it’s shopping assistance, trip suggestions, support bots or creative formats like personalised keepsakes, the objective is to pair WhatsApp’s native capabilities and Meta’s ecosystem with AI to move seamlessly from acquisition to conversion.

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How Brands are Using AI on WhatsApp Today

Elevate 2025 came alive, as Karix’s customers shared real-world applications of AI on WhatsApp.

Anand Dev, Deputy Director at Myntra, shared how the brand has embraced AI-first WhatsApp journeys focused on discovery and delight rather than hard-selling. From voice-led gamified campaigns to AI-powered personalised Rakhi posters, Myntra demonstrated a customer-centric approach. One standout result was 2000+ discount redemptions within 24 hours from a voice-led gamified campaign - proving that intuitive experiences drive engagement.

Ashish Anand, VP at CK Birla Healthcare, shared how a Gen AI-powered WhatsApp solutions built by Karix transformed patient experience. By making appointment bookings, payments, medical reports and invoices accessible on WhatsApp, CK Birla achieved a 15% reduction instaff costs and a 30% reduction in front-desk queues.

Turning focus to workforce engagement, Trilok Chauhan, IT Head at Indus Towers, shared how WhatsApp and AI are being used to digitise SOPs and on-field training, streamlining learning for 30,000+ staff across India.

These anecdotes and claims are nothing short of promising early indicators that AI-powered WhatsApp journeys succeed when real user needs are placed at the centre.

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Retention 2.0 for Modern Customer Journeys

As customer journeys grow complex and acquisition cost rise,the panel at ELEVATE explored rethinking retention in a conversational world. Moderated by Sai Gadkari from Meta, the panel agreed on one key idea that retention today is about relevance, not volume.

For Manyavar, a groom-wear brand, retention isn’t about repeat weddings but staying relevant across life’s many milestones. As Samarth Bhatnagar, Head of E-commerce at Manyavar-Mohey, candidly put it, “We don’t want grooms getting married again and again.” Instead, Manyavar uses WhatsApp to thoughtfully re-engage customers before and after the wedding and other festive occasions using purchase history to deliver timely, relevant nudges that extend the relationship beyond the big day.

Rahul Kumar from Hero Insurance Broking shared that even timely policy reminders fail to deliver strong results if they don’t reach customers on their preferred channel like WhatsApp. Echoing this, Amit Jain from Hero Fincorp, explained that for lending ecosystem like theirs, EMI repayments, cross and up-selling play a key role in retaining customers.

Aditya Verma from Astroyogi, emphasised that long term retention comes from intelligent, consultative messaging over aggressive outreach, as relevance outshines generic promotional messages. From a public sector perspective, Renu Singh from My Gov shared how they drive stronger citizen engagement through emotional and purpose-led messaging, fun quizzes and government-led competitions on WhatsApp.

The panel concluded that while retention strategies vary by industry, relevance remains the common thread for all.

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Next Era of Conversational CX

ELEVATE 2025 underscored that the future of customer experience is conversational by design and AI-led by default. With WhatsApp enabling seamless, end-to-end journeys, brands can move beyond fragmented touchpoints to thoughtful, AI-powered conversations.

At Karix, we help businesses power their WhatsApp messaging with AI-powered, smart solutions that not only enhance customer experience but also drives higher ROI. Can’t wait to see what ELEVATE 2026 brings next.

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