Puducherry · Updated 2026-10-20
WhatsApp Business API for Karaikal's dry-fish trade, seafood firms and port
The Imperial Gazetteer read Karaikal's name as 'fish pass'. Dry fish is still one of the district's two ODOP products.
Karaikal was a Chola trading town, then French, and is now a district of the Union Territory of Puducherry. Its dry fish, one of two ODOP products, sells by message long before the lorry leaves.
For Karaikal's dry-fish traders and seafood firms, the agents and transporters who use its port, and the lodges and travel desks that host pilgrims to Thirunallar: how a buyer's chat moves between the open 24-hour window, utility and marketing templates and STOP, which templates to approve in Tamil, and what each costs.
See it work
A dry-fish buyer's chat, state by state
A Karaikal dry-fish trader's buyers write in, go quiet, order, and sometimes ask to stop. Each of those moves changes what the trader may send next. Walk the path, or switch to a quiet season.
The trader controls only half of the moves. The buyer's own messages open the window; time closes it; the order decides when a utility template is due; and only the buyer's yes, or STOP, decides whether offers may go at all.
The 24-hour service window explains the first two states in full.
What the trader may send, in each state
- Window open to Window closed: 24 hours pass with no new message
- Window closed to Window open: The buyer writes again
- Window closed to Utility template sent: The order is packed and dispatched
- Utility template sent to Window open: The buyer replies to the dispatch note
- Window closed to Marketing template sent: A new catch, to an opted-in buyer
- Marketing template sent to Window open: The buyer asks for a price
- Marketing template sent to Opted out: The buyer replies STOP
- Opted out to Window open: The buyer writes in on their own
- Window open
- Window closed
- Utility template sent
- Window open
- Window closed
- Marketing template sent
- Opted out
Step 7 of 7 · end of walk
Opted out
The buyer replied STOP: no more templates to this number, even if it is imported again.
Arrived from Marketing template sent via The buyer replies STOP.
Can move to
- Window open · The buyer writes in on their own
Happy path, step 7 of 7: Opted out (via The buyer replies STOP). The buyer replied STOP: no more templates to this number, even if it is imported again.
Karaikal in eight lines
From the Karaikal district website's general information and tourist pages, Invest India's ODOP list and IBEF's Puducherry profile.
The Union Territory was formed by consolidating four former French establishments: Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam.[1]
Karaikal was a maritime trading city of Chola Nadu until the 10th century, was ruled in turn by Vijayanagar and Maratha rulers, and became French in the late 18th century.[1]
The district site reads the name as 'Karai', a lime mix, and 'Kal', a canal, and notes that the Imperial Gazetteer gives its meaning as 'fish pass'.[1]
The district covers 161 sq km and 37 villages, speaks Tamil, and is fed by the Cauvery and its tributaries, with most of its rain between October and December.[1]
Karaikal is the birthplace of Karaikal Ammaiyar, one of the three women among the 63 Nayanmars; Thirunallar's Sri Dharbaranyeswara Swamy temple dates from the 9th century, and the district site carries pages for its Sanipeyarchi festival.[1],[2]
It lies about 300 km south of Chennai and 135 km from Pondicherry, surrounded by the Nagapattinam and Thiruvarur districts of Tamil Nadu; Tharangambadi is about 13 km to the north.[1],[2]
Invest India's ODOP list names chemicals and allied products as Karaikal's primary product and dry fish as its secondary one.[3]
IBEF lists agriculture, marine products, hospitality and tourism among the territory's key industries, records that Adani Ports completed its acquisition of Karaikal Port in April 2023, and notes 10 potential seaweed-farming sites in Karaikal.[4]
Industries
Who in Karaikal answers buyers on WhatsApp
Four kinds of business, one of them from the ODOP list.
- 01
Dry-fish traders
Dry fish is Karaikal's second ODOP product, sold to wholesalers and shops who ask what is in stock before they order a load.[3]
On WhatsApp: Stock and price replies · Dispatch notes with the bill · New-catch offers to opted-in buyers
- 02
Seafood and marine-products firms
IBEF lists marine products among the territory's key industries and notes 10 potential seaweed-farming sites in Karaikal; buyers want orders, invoices and lorry details in writing.[4]
On WhatsApp: Order confirmations · Invoices and dispatch notes · Login codes for a buyers' portal
- 03
Shipping agents and transporters at the port
Karaikal Port, run by Adani Ports since 2023, brings agents, importers and lorry owners who track every consignment.[4]
On WhatsApp: Vessel and cargo updates · Loading and gate notices · Replies to importers' questions
- 04
Language
The dispatch note in Tamil, English and Hindi
Tamil is the district's language and a Meta template language, so most Karaikal templates are approved in Tamil first, with English for invoices and Hindi for drivers and buyers from the north.
Each language version is a separate template that Meta reviews on its own. Inside the 24-hour window, staff reply in whatever the buyer writes. InfiQ's own support works in English and Hindi.
Template language
Tamil template (ta). Example text written for this page; your own templates go through Meta’s review.
Prices in ₹, with USD and EUR
What each state of the chat costs in Karaikal
A plan from ₹999 a month, then each delivered message at the India rate: ₹0.145 for each reply while the window is open, ₹0.19 for a dispatch note or invoice, ₹0.94 for a new-catch offer to an opted-in buyer and ₹0.14 for a portal login code.
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 Karaikal · India
| Category | ₹ INR | USD |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Market | Marketing | Utility | Authentication | Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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. A Tamil and an English dispatch note cost the same ₹0.19; nothing is charged in the opted-out state, because nothing may be sent. InfiQ invoices in rupees with GST to your Puducherry GSTIN.
Work out your own monthly cost by message type.
Calculate your exact costOn InfiQ
What a Karaikal business runs on InfiQ
Matched to the states above.
Consent records and opt-out enforcement
Each contact's opt-in source and time are recorded, STOP replies are enforced at platform level (even against later imports), and the audit trail exports.
Each buyer's yes to offers is recorded with its source and time, and a STOP reply ends templates to that number at platform level.
Learn moreBusy accounting integration
A dry-fish trader or seafood firm billing in Busy sends invoices and payment reminders on WhatsApp, with no integration fee.
Shared team inbox
The sales desk, the packing shed and the accounts office answer one number, so a buyer's reply to a dispatch note reaches whoever packed the order.
Nearby
Around Karaikal and the Cauvery delta
City pages for neighbouring markets on the map, nearest first.
Karaikal sits inside Tamil Nadu's delta, with Nagapattinam to the south and Pondicherry up the coast, both with their own pages. The India guide covers DPDP, DLT and the rules for the whole country.
Guides for Karaikal teams
Questions Karaikal businesses ask
- Q1
Wholesalers ask our Karaikal dry-fish firm what is in stock this week. Is every answer charged as a template?
No. When the wholesaler writes first, your stock list, photos and prices are replies inside the 24-hour window, at ₹0.145 each, with no template needed. Each new message from the buyer opens a fresh window.
- Q2
Our seafood firm in Karaikal sends iced catch by lorry to buyers in Tamil Nadu. Can invoices and dispatch notes go out from our ERP?
Yes. An invoice or dispatch note about an order the customer placed is a utility template at ₹0.19. Your ERP can send it through InfiQ's developer API, included on Growth and an add-on on Lite, with signed webhooks reporting delivery.
- Q3
Lodges near Thirunallar fill up for Sanipeyarchi. Can we confirm rooms and send directions to pilgrims on WhatsApp?
Yes. Answers to a pilgrim's questions are replies at ₹0.145 each. A confirmation or a reminder with directions, sent after the chat has gone quiet, is a utility template at ₹0.19, approved in Tamil and English.
- Q4
Our shipping agency handles cargo at Karaikal Port for importers abroad. What do updates to their foreign numbers cost?
Meta charges by the recipient's country code, so an update to a foreign number is billed at that market's rate, which InfiQ publishes in rupees on its pricing page. Updates to Indian numbers stay at the India rate.
- Q5
Our Karaikal dry-fish firm wants to tell past buyers when a new catch is dried and packed. Do we need their permission?
Yes. A new-catch announcement is a marketing template at ₹0.94, for buyers who agreed to receive offers; a past order is not that agreement. Record each yes with its date and source; the DPDP Act's consent duties apply from 13 May 2027.
- Q6
Visitors return to our Karaikal hotel for the Karaikal Carnival. Can we remind last year's guests of the dates?
Only guests who agreed to hear from you about offers and events, and only with a marketing template at ₹0.94. A reminder about a room a guest has already booked for the carnival is utility, at ₹0.19.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on the dates shown. Page updated 2026-10-20.
- [1]General information · District Administration, Karaikal · read 2026-10-21
- [2]Tourist places · District Administration, Karaikal · read 2026-10-21
- [3]ODOP product list, V33 (31 December 2025) · Invest India · read 2026-10-21
- [4]Puducherry: state profile (updated July 2026) · India Brand Equity Foundation · read 2026-10-21
Answer Karaikal's buyers and pilgrims on one number
Start a 7-day Lite trial, no card needed, or book a demo of Tamil templates, consent records and Busy invoices. Once Meta business verification is complete, your number is usually live in about two hours.
Route
Karaikal
Official WhatsApp Business Platform
