Skip to content
AsiaMarket file · INUpdated 2026-10-20

WhatsApp Business API in India, from the rules to the rupee

One time zone, 22 scheduled languages and a data-protection law that switches on in stages: here is what an Indian business needs to know before it sends its first template.

Start free trialTalk to sales
Time zone
IST, UTC+5:30, no daylight saving[19]
Meta market
India (own rate card)
Data law
DPDP Act 2023; duties from 13 May 2027[7],[8]
Scheduled languages
22 (Eighth Schedule)[18]
Billing
₹, plus 18% GST
Customer data
Hosted in India

InfiQ is an Indian Meta Business Partner: it puts Indian businesses on the official WhatsApp Business Platform, bills in rupees with GST and keeps customer data in India. This page covers what India's rules mean for WhatsApp, what messages cost, and every city we have a page for.

Market brief

The market in five lines

Why WhatsApp is where Indian customers already are, in figures from the World Bank, DataReportal and Meta.

  1. 01

    The World Bank calls India the fastest-growing major economy, with growth of 6.5% in FY2024-25 and a 6.3% projection for FY2025-26.[1]

  2. 02

    About 1.03 billion people in India were online in October 2025, 70% of the population, according to Kepios analysis published by DataReportal.[2]

  3. 03

    Meta cites a 2025 Kantar study finding that 91% of online adults in India chat with a business every week.[3]

  4. 04

    UPI processed 2,366 crore transactions in July 2026, its highest monthly volume at that time, so customers are used to paying from the same phone they message on.[6]

  5. 05

    In 2026 Meta added India-only WhatsApp features for consumers: prepaid mobile recharges in April and household bill payments through Bharat Connect in September.[4],[5]

See it work

The DPDP Act arrives in three steps

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 is law, but its duties start in phases set by the 2025 Rules. Step through what applies when.

For a WhatsApp programme the practical date is 13 May 2027: from then, consent you rely on for marketing has to meet the Act's section 6 standard and be as easy to withdraw as it was to give.

Build that now. Record where and when each contact opted in, keep the wording they agreed to, and honour STOP immediately. InfiQ's consent records store the source and time of every opt-in and block messages to anyone who has opted out.

DPDP commencement, as notified

4 / 4

13 May 2027Coming upEvent 4 of 4

Notice, consent and rights duties apply

The substantive obligations start: notice, consent that is free, specific, informed and unambiguous, easy withdrawal, and data-principal rights.

Dates from the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 as notified. A January 2026 proposal to shorten the last window had not been notified when this page was checked.

Event 4 of 4: 13 May 2027 — Notice, consent and rights duties apply (coming up). The substantive obligations start: notice, consent that is free, specific, informed and unambiguous, easy withdrawal, and data-principal rights.

Compliance

Which rules apply to WhatsApp, and which do not

Three instruments come up in every buying conversation. Only one of them is about WhatsApp today.

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 governs personal data, including the phone numbers and chats a WhatsApp programme holds; its consent and notice duties apply from 13 May 2027.[7],[8]

Regulator: Data Protection Board of India (Ministry of Electronics and IT)

  1. Point 1

    TRAI's DND rules cover calls and SMS, not WhatsApp

    The Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2018 (amended February 2025) regulate commercial calls and SMS on telecom networks: DLT headers and templates, the DND preference register, opt-out in promotions. They do not extend to messaging apps, which the telecom operators' association has publicly objected to.[10],[11]

  2. Point 2

    A draft consumer-protection rule would reach WhatsApp

    In 2026 the Central Consumer Protection Authority proposed guidelines on unsolicited commercial communication that would cover messaging apps, with brand-specific explicit consent, no adding people to broadcasts without consent, a free opt-out and a grievance officer. It is a draft with open parameters, not law.[12]

  3. Point 3

    Until May 2027, the IT Act rules still apply

    Until the DPDP duties commence, the Information Technology Act, 2000 and its 2011 rules on sensitive personal data continue to govern privacy.[9]

  4. Point 4

    WhatsApp's own policy already requires opt-in

    Whatever the statute says, Meta's WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy requires a business to have the person's opt-in before it messages them, and to honour requests to stop.[13]

  5. A summary of public guidance from the sources cited, not legal advice.

Drag or swipe to rotate. Use the arrow keys to rotate, plus and minus to zoom, and 0 to reset.

Atlas

One country, one clock

India runs on a single time zone, Indian Standard Time, five and a half hours ahead of UTC, with no daylight saving.

That makes scheduling simple at home: a broadcast set for 11:00 lands at 11:00 from Kutch to Kohima. It is also the clock InfiQ's team works on, Monday to Friday.

The globe shows India's boundaries as the Government of India depicts them. Drag it to see the markets the rest of this section covers; every one of them is priced from India in rupees.

Industries

Six industries, six reasons to message

Where India's economy is large, the WhatsApp use case is usually already obvious to the business. These are the patterns we see asked about most.

  1. 01

    E-commerce and retail

    IBEF puts the e-commerce market at about US$125 billion in 2024 and estimates that Tier-2 and smaller cities account for around 65% of new online shoppers.[14]

    On WhatsApp: Order and COD confirmation · Shipping updates · Abandoned-cart reminders · Back-in-stock alerts

  2. 02

    Banking, insurance and fintech

    With UPI at billions of transactions a month, customers expect payment and account updates in real time.[6]

    On WhatsApp: Payment and EMI reminders · Policy renewals · KYC document collection · OTP fallback

  3. 03

    Pharmaceuticals and healthcare

    India is the world's largest supplier of generic medicines, around 20% of global supply, according to IBEF.[15]

    On WhatsApp: Refill reminders · Distributor order taking · Lab report alerts · Appointment reminders

  4. 04

    Automobiles and dealerships

    About 34.7 million vehicles were produced in FY26, with two-wheeler sales near 20.5 million units (SIAM data cited by IBEF).[16]

    On WhatsApp: Test-drive booking · Service due reminders · Insurance renewals · Spare-parts availability

  5. 05

    IT services and global capability centres

    IBEF estimates IT and BPM revenue at US$315 billion in FY26, most of it from exports.[17]

    On WhatsApp: Candidate interview scheduling · Employee helpdesk · Shift and travel alerts

  6. 06

    Agriculture inputs

    Agricultural growth rose to 4.6% in FY2024-25, the World Bank reports; dealers and farmers already coordinate on WhatsApp.[1]

    On WhatsApp: Crop advisories to opted-in farmers · Dealer ordering · Price and stock updates

Templates in the language your customer reads

Meta accepts message templates in eleven Indian languages besides English. Each template is approved per language, so plan the ones you need.

Odia, Assamese, Konkani and several other scheduled languages are not on Meta's template list as of this check, so templates for those audiences usually go out in English or Hindi. Replies inside the 24-hour customer window can be in any language your team writes.

InfiQ's own support team works in English and Hindi.

Meta template languages relevant to India
LanguageMeta codeUse it for
HindihiNorth and central India; the default second language for national brands
English (India)en_INBusiness and metro audiences; Indian spellings and formats
Bengali (India)bn_INWest Bengal, Tripura, parts of Assam
MarathimrMaharashtra
TeluguteAndhra Pradesh and Telangana
TamiltaTamil Nadu and Puducherry
GujaratiguGujarat
KannadaknKarnataka
MalayalammlKeralam
PunjabipaPunjab
UrduurRight-to-left; parts of north India and Telangana

Prices in ₹, with USD and EUR

What it costs in India

Plans start at ₹999 a month. Each delivered message is charged by category at the India rate; service replies have been charged per message since 1 October 2026.

Snapshot rates · as of 20 Oct 2026, 00:02 UTC

Lite

₹999 / month≈ $10.51 USD

₹833 / month, billed yearly≈ $8.76 USD

Growth

₹2,999 / month≈ $31.55 USD

₹2,499 / month, billed yearly≈ $26.29 USD

Enterprise

Custom volume pricing, custom SLA and dedicated infrastructure.

Per message to India · India

InfiQ per-message rates for India in rupees and USD
Category₹ INRUSD
Marketing₹0.9435$0.0099
Utility₹0.1941$0.0020
Authentication₹0.1402$0.0015
Service₹0.1450$0.0015
Per-message rates for all 47 markets, in ₹ and USD
Per-message rates by market, effective 1 October 2026
MarketMarketingUtilityAuthenticationService
Argentina$0.0572₹5.4352$0.0241₹2.2874$0.0241₹2.2874$0.0241₹2.2874
Bangladesh$0.0678₹6.4397$0.0034₹0.3254$0.0034₹0.3254$0.0034₹0.3254
Brazil$0.0578₹5.4970$0.0063₹0.5981$0.0063₹0.5981$0.0063₹0.5981
Chile$0.0822₹7.8162$0.0185₹1.7585$0.0185₹1.7585$0.0185₹1.7585
Colombia$0.0116₹1.0993$0.0007₹0.0706$0.0007₹0.0706$0.0007₹0.0706
Egypt$0.0596₹5.6629$0.0033₹0.3167$0.0033₹0.3167$0.0033₹0.3167
France$0.0795₹7.5588$0.0278₹2.6393$0.0278₹2.6393$0.0278₹2.6393
Germany$0.126₹12.0088$0.0509₹4.8386$0.0509₹4.8386$0.0509₹4.8386
Hong Kong$0.0678₹6.4397$0.0241₹2.2867$0.0241₹2.2867$0.0241₹2.2867
Hungary$0.0795₹7.5596$0.0323₹3.0700$0.0323₹3.0700$0.0323₹3.0700
India$0.0099₹0.9435$0.0020₹0.1941$0.0015₹0.1402$0.0015₹0.1450
Indonesia$0.0380₹3.6133$0.0231₹2.1979$0.0231₹2.1979$0.0231₹2.1979
Iraq$0.0316₹2.9992$0.0073₹0.6943$0.0073₹0.6943$0.0073₹0.6943
Israel$0.0327₹3.1045$0.0049₹0.4662$0.0049₹0.4662$0.0049₹0.4662
Italy$0.0735₹6.9847$0.0277₹2.6369$0.0277₹2.6369$0.0277₹2.6369
Kazakhstan$0.0559₹5.3098$0.0166₹1.5824$0.0166₹1.5824$0.0166₹1.5824
Kuwait$0.0733₹6.9671$0.0407₹3.8671$0.0407₹3.8671$0.0407₹3.8671
Malaysia$0.0796₹7.5644$0.0130₹1.2314$0.0130₹1.2314$0.0130₹1.2314
Mexico$0.0367₹3.4877$0.0079₹0.7471$0.0079₹0.7471$0.0079₹0.7471
Morocco$0.0383₹3.6425$0.0213₹2.0218$0.0213₹2.0218$0.0213₹2.0218
Netherlands$0.148₹14.0494$0.0463₹4.3987$0.0463₹4.3987$0.0463₹4.3987
Nepal$0.0678₹6.4397$0.0031₹0.2990$0.0031₹0.2990$0.0031₹0.2990
Nigeria$0.0478₹4.5421$0.0062₹0.5898$0.0062₹0.5898$0.0062₹0.5898
Oman$0.0316₹2.9992$0.0228₹2.1709$0.0228₹2.1709$0.0228₹2.1709
Pakistan$0.0438₹4.1620$0.0139₹1.3200$0.0139₹1.3200$0.0139₹1.3200
Peru$0.0651₹6.1843$0.0278₹2.6392$0.0278₹2.6392$0.0278₹2.6392
Poland$0.0338₹3.2105$0.0113₹1.0702$0.0113₹1.0702$0.0113₹1.0702
Qatar$0.0316₹2.9992$0.0111₹1.0547$0.0111₹1.0547$0.0111₹1.0547
Romania$0.0795₹7.5596$0.0268₹2.5436$0.0268₹2.5436$0.0268₹2.5436
Russia$0.0742₹7.0520$0.0370₹3.5173$0.0370₹3.5173$0.0370₹3.5173
Saudi Arabia$0.0532₹5.0537$0.0099₹0.9401$0.0099₹0.9401$0.0099₹0.9401
Singapore$0.0678₹6.4397$0.0148₹1.4072$0.0148₹1.4072$0.0148₹1.4072
South Africa$0.0351₹3.3385$0.0088₹0.8369$0.0088₹0.8369$0.0088₹0.8369
Spain$0.0654₹6.2161$0.0185₹1.7578$0.0185₹1.7578$0.0185₹1.7578
Sri Lanka$0.0678₹6.4397$0.0019₹0.1759$0.0019₹0.1759$0.0019₹0.1759
Turkey$0.0101₹0.9587$0.0008₹0.0792$0.0008₹0.0792$0.0008₹0.0792
Ukraine$0.0795₹7.5596$0.0275₹2.6138$0.0275₹2.6138$0.0275₹2.6138
United Arab Emirates$0.0532₹5.0537$0.0145₹1.3811$0.0145₹1.3811$0.0145₹1.3811
United Kingdom$0.0587₹5.5795$0.0204₹1.9346$0.0204₹1.9346$0.0204₹1.9346
North America$0.0231₹2.1976$0.0031₹0.2989$0.0031₹0.2989$0.0031₹0.2989
Rest of Africa$0.0208₹1.9796$0.0037₹0.3516$0.0037₹0.3516$0.0037₹0.3516
Rest of Asia Pacific$0.0779₹7.4057$0.0105₹0.9938$0.0105₹0.9938$0.0105₹0.9938
Rest of Central & Eastern Europe$0.0795₹7.5596$0.0196₹1.8595$0.0196₹1.8595$0.0196₹1.8595
Rest of Latin America$0.0684₹6.5048$0.0105₹0.9934$0.0105₹0.9934$0.0105₹0.9934
Rest of Middle East$0.0363₹3.4490$0.0084₹0.7998$0.0084₹0.7998$0.0084₹0.7998
Rest of Western Europe$0.0548₹5.2054$0.0158₹1.5019$0.0158₹1.5019$0.0158₹1.5019
Other$0.0559₹5.3098$0.0071₹0.6769$0.0071₹0.6769$0.0071₹0.6769
Currency converter

$10.51 USD

Indicative conversion at reference rates (ExchangeRate-API snapshot). InfiQ sets and invoices prices in Indian rupees, excluding GST; your bank’s rate on the day you pay will differ. Rates By Exchange Rate API.

Plan prices are monthly, in rupees, excluding GST; yearly billing is two months free. Messages are charged per delivered message on top of the plan, at the rate for the recipient’s country. Full details: InfiQ pricing. Indian businesses are invoiced in rupees with 18% GST added. The currency switch is there for teams reporting to a parent company abroad.

Rates for every Meta market, plus plans and add-ons, are on one page.

See all plans and rates

On InfiQ

What you run on InfiQ

The platform pieces Indian teams use first, with the status of each.

Guided onboarding

InfiQ guides Meta business verification, number registration and display-name approval; with verification done, a number is typically live in about two hours.

Meta business verification is the slow step; once it clears, numbers usually go live in about two hours.

Learn more

789 city pages

Every city we have a page for, by state

Each city page looks at that city's own trades and customers. Open a state to see its cities.

New city pages are added in reviewed batches; pages already listed here keep their addresses.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands1
Andhra Pradesh45
Arunachal Pradesh2
Assam13
Bihar38
Chandigarh1
Chhattisgarh18
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu2
Delhi7
Goa3
Gujarat52
Haryana23
Himachal Pradesh3
Jammu and Kashmir6
Jharkhand15
Karnataka44
Keralam23
Ladakh1
Madhya Pradesh46
Maharashtra71
Manipur2
Meghalaya4
Mizoram1
Nagaland3
Odisha23
Puducherry3
Punjab33
Rajasthan45
Sikkim1
Tamil Nadu66
Telangana41
Tripura6
Uttar Pradesh82
Uttarakhand7
West Bengal58

Questions businesses ask about WhatsApp in India

  1. Q1

    Do TRAI's DND rules apply to WhatsApp Business messages?

    No. TRAI's TCCCPR regulations, amended in February 2025, cover commercial calls and SMS on telecom networks, which is where DLT registration and the DND register come from. WhatsApp messages sit outside them. They are covered by Meta's opt-in policy now, by the DPDP Act from 13 May 2027, and possibly by the CCPA guidelines that are still in draft.

  2. Q2

    When does the DPDP Act start applying to our WhatsApp opt-ins?

    The notice, consent and withdrawal duties apply from 13 May 2027 under the DPDP Rules, 2025 as notified. Consent Manager registration opens on 13 November 2026. It is worth collecting opt-ins that already meet the Act's standard (specific, informed, unambiguous, easy to withdraw), because those records will still be needed after May 2027.

  3. Q3

    What does a WhatsApp marketing message cost in India?

    On InfiQ a marketing message to an Indian number costs ₹0.94, utility ₹0.19, authentication ₹0.14 and a service reply ₹0.145, all excluding GST. Plans start at ₹999 a month on top of message charges. Volume commitments earn discounts, confirmed on your account.

  4. Q4

    Which Indian languages can WhatsApp templates use?

    Meta's template list includes Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi and Urdu, plus English (India). Each language version of a template is approved separately. Languages that are not on the list, such as Odia or Assamese, can still be used in replies inside the 24-hour window.

  5. Q5

    Where does InfiQ store our customers' data?

    Customer data is processed in data centres located in India, as InfiQ's subprocessor list sets out. Website analytics vendors are listed separately there.

  6. Q6

    Can customers pay inside WhatsApp in India?

    Meta offers a WhatsApp Payments API in India that supports UPI and selected payment gateways. InfiQ does not offer in-chat payments today. Teams on InfiQ send payment links in templates, and connect gateways such as Razorpay through InfiQ's API and webhooks.

  7. Q7

    How long does it take to go live?

    Meta business verification usually takes the longest, and Meta controls its pace. Once your business is verified, InfiQ typically has a number live in about two hours, with your first templates submitted for approval.

  8. Q8

    Can we keep using the WhatsApp Business app on the same number?

    Yes, through WhatsApp Coexistence, within Meta's limits. History sync, throughput and some features differ from a number that runs on the API alone; the coexistence page lists them.

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these sources on the dates shown. InfiQ's rates come from its published rate card. Page updated 2026-10-20.

  1. [1]India overview · World Bank · read 2026-10-20
  2. [2]Digital 2026: India · DataReportal / Kepios · read 2026-10-20
  3. [3]Introducing Business AI on WhatsApp for small businesses in India (May 2026) · Meta Newsroom · read 2026-10-20
  4. [4]Bringing prepaid mobile recharges to WhatsApp users in India (April 2026) · Meta Newsroom · read 2026-10-20
  5. [5]Launching bill payments in India on WhatsApp (September 2026) · Meta Newsroom · read 2026-10-20
  6. [6]UPI at ten: July 2026 volumes · Entrepreneur India, citing PIB · read 2026-10-20
  7. [7]The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (No. 22 of 2023) · Gazette of India (hosted by TRAI) · read 2026-10-20
  8. [8]India's Digital Personal Data Protection framework comes into effect · AZB & Partners · read 2026-10-20
  9. [9]Data Protection Laws of the World: India · DLA Piper · read 2026-10-20
  10. [10]TCCCPR (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2025 · Telecom Regulatory Authority of India · read 2026-10-20
  11. [11]Telcos question TRAI's spam rules excluding WhatsApp and other OTTs · Inc42 · read 2026-10-20
  12. [12]ERGO: CCPA draft guidelines on unsolicited commercial communications (October 2026) · Khaitan & Co · read 2026-10-20
  13. [13]WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy (updated 23 September 2026) · WhatsApp (Meta) · read 2026-10-20
  14. [14]E-commerce industry in India · India Brand Equity Foundation · read 2026-10-20
  15. [15]Indian pharmaceuticals industry · India Brand Equity Foundation · read 2026-10-20
  16. [16]Automobile industry in India · India Brand Equity Foundation · read 2026-10-20
  17. [17]IT & BPM industry in India · India Brand Equity Foundation · read 2026-10-20
  18. [18]Constitutional provisions · Department of Official Language, MHA · read 2026-10-20
  19. [19]Draft Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules · Department of Consumer Affairs · read 2026-10-20

Start on the official API, billed in rupees

A 7-day Lite trial needs no card. Or tell us what you send and to whom, and we will size the plan and the message budget with you.

Start free trialTalk to sales