Meesho launches GenAI-powered voice bot to provide 24x7 customer support

SoftBank-backed ecommerce platform Meesho has introduced a generative artificial intelligence (GenAI)-powered voice bot to streamline post-sales customer support and automate query resolution.

The voice bot, which currently handles about 60,000 calls daily, has reduced the cost per call by 75% compared to human intervention, according to Sanjeev Barnwal, Meesho's cofounder and chief technology officer (CTO).

Launched a month ago, the bot has halved the average handling time per call and achieved a 95% resolution rate, he added.


“Its human-like interaction is a standout feature, enhancing communication ease, building trust, and delivering support that feels natural and relatable,” said Barnwal.

With an 80% user base of Meesho coming from Tier 2 cities and beyond, the bot is optimised to function on basic smartphones and in noisy environments. Currently supporting Hindi and English, the company plans to roll out support for six additional regional languages, including Bengali, Gujarati, and Kannada, among others.

During the demonstration on Tuesday, the bot showcased its ability to handle interruptions and switch seamlessly between languages. It also distinguished between casual affirmations and genuine interruptions during customer interactions.

Meesho aims to use the voice bot to handle all post-order queries within a year. Future updates will include emotion recognition capabilities, enabling the bot to detect user emotions for more empathetic and responsive service.

The bot leverages technologies like natural language processing (NLP), automatic speech recognition (ASR), text-to-speech (TTS), and large language models (LLMs). However, the company is currently utilising third-party LLMs rather than developing its own.

Despite its push for automation, Meesho is not planning layoffs. Barnwal emphasised that the company will upskill its customer service team to handle more complex calls and operations.

Founded in 2015 by Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, Meesho competes with ecommerce giants Flipkart and Amazon India. Unlike its competitors, it does not charge commissions from sellers, instead earning revenue through advertising and logistics services.

For FY24, Meesho reported a 33% increase in revenue from India operations, reaching Rs 7,615 crore, up from Rs 5,735 crore in FY23. The company also reduced its adjusted loss to Rs 53 crore, a 97% improvement from Rs 1,569 crore the previous year, and achieved operating cash flow positivity.

In May, ET reported that Meesho had closed a $275 million funding round through a mix of primary and secondary share sales, marking the first tranche of a larger $500-600 million funding round. Previously, in September 2021, Meesho raised $570 million from investors including B Capital, Prosus, and SoftBank. Since 2015, it has raised a total of $1.36 billion, including secondary transactions.

Also, Meesho has been actively exploring a reverse flip to India as part of its preparations for a potential initial public offering (IPO).

Major ecommerce firms like Flipkart, Amazon and Myntra have been leveraging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to enhance customer experience, optimise operations and improve engagement.