The short answer
An AI receptionist is a voice and messaging agent that picks up every call to your business number, understands what the caller wants, and completes the task: booking an appointment into a real slot, answering a question about hours or fees, taking a message, or transferring to a human. It runs 24/7, handles many calls at once, and speaks Indian languages — for Naadham, Starter includes any 3 of the 10 (one of them the default), Growth and above include all 10, and a Starter can unlock the rest with a language pack from Billing.
How it differs from an IVR or a call centre
An IVR ("press 1 for appointments") makes the caller navigate a menu. A call centre puts humans on the line but costs per seat and closes at night. An AI receptionist listens to free speech, so a caller can say "kal subah Dr. Rao ke saath appointment chahiye" and get a confirmed slot in one turn. It never queues, never sleeps, and costs a fraction of one salary. See the full comparison in AI receptionist vs IVR vs call centre.
What an AI receptionist actually does on a call
- Answers instantly with your greeting, in the language the caller uses — and switches if they switch.
- Understands intent: booking, reschedule, cancellation, price enquiry, directions, complaint, "I want to speak to someone".
- Acts: reads your live schedule and books a genuinely open slot, quotes the fee you configured, sends a WhatsApp confirmation.
- Hands off when it should — transfers to your number, or takes a message and notifies you.
- Records a transcript and summary in your portal so staff can see every conversation.
Who uses one
Any business that loses customers to unanswered calls: clinics and hospitals, dental and diagnostic labs, real-estate agencies, hotels and resorts, restaurants, salons, schools and coaching institutes, and technology companies fielding demo and support requests. Naadham ships a tuned agent for each of these — see hospitals, restaurants, hotels, salons, education and technology companies.
What it costs
Naadham plans start at ₹6,999/month for 400 minutes on one line, with 15 free trial minutes and no card to start. The full breakdown, including what a "minute" means and how top-ups work, is in How much does an AI receptionist cost in India? and on the pricing page.
What it needs from you
- Three answers in Quick setup: what kind of business, where and when you are open; which services it handles; then go live. The assistant's name, rules and greeting are filled in for you.
- A phone number — either a new Naadham number or your existing line forwarded to it (how).
- Optionally, your schedule as an Excel/CSV so bookings are real, not "someone will call you back".
What to check before choosing one
- Languages — does it handle code-switching mid-sentence (Hinglish, Kanglish), not just a language picker?
- Real bookings — does it write into an actual schedule, or just take a message?
- WhatsApp — can the same agent continue the conversation on WhatsApp? (Naadham: from the Growth plan.)
- Latency — a pause longer than a second feels like a bad line; ask for a live demo call.
- Compliance — India's DPDP Act, consent, calling windows and AI disclosure on outbound calls.
Frequently asked questions
Is an AI receptionist the same as an IVR?
No. An IVR makes callers press keys through a menu. An AI receptionist understands free speech in the caller's language and completes the task — booking, answering, transferring — in one conversation.
Can an AI receptionist speak Hindi, Kannada or Telugu?
Naadham speaks all 10 Indian languages. Starter includes any 3 — one is the default — and Growth and above include all 10; a Starter can unlock the rest for ₹499/month (all Indian) or ₹999/month (all languages, including foreign). It follows the caller if they switch between the languages you have switched on; anything else is understood but answered in your default language.
Does it book real appointments?
Yes. Upload your schedule as Excel/CSV and the receptionist books only genuinely open, conflict-free slots and sends a WhatsApp confirmation.
How long does setup take?
About two minutes: sign up (15 free minutes, no card), answer three questions in Quick setup — your business, the services it handles, go live — and pick a number. WhatsApp is one more click.