Why we built TalkEx.

In 2024, Aditi ran customer support for a mid-sized D2C brand in Bengaluru. Her team of eleven agents was fielding around 400 messages a day across WhatsApp, Instagram DM, the shop's live chat widget, and email — and paying three separate SaaS bills to do it.

The total was ₹40,000 a month. Every conversation lived in its own silo. When a customer messaged on WhatsApp about an order and then followed up on Instagram, no agent could see both threads. When a campaign got scheduled in the marketing tool, the support inbox knew nothing about it — so when replies flooded in, agents were blindsided.

The dashboard that opened at 9am shouldn't flash red banners at you. That was the design brief for TalkEx, written on a whiteboard in a Koramangala WeWork on a Tuesday afternoon.

The three problems we set out to fix

Per-seat pricing is a tax on hiring agents. Every CPaaS we looked at charged between ₹800 and ₹2,500 per agent per month — so growing the support team meant a linear cost increase for tooling. That felt backwards. We charge for messages instead — the thing you're actually buying.

Compliance was treated as a premium feature. DPDP Act 2023 consent workflows, DLT registration for SMS, Meta template approval — these were "Enterprise plan" features on two of the three tools we shortlisted. For an Indian business, these aren't optional; they're the baseline for operating legally.

AI was bolted on. Every incumbent added a "Suggest reply" button somewhere between mid-2023 and 2024, and every implementation felt like a demo. The suggestions rarely made sense in context, and they weren't tied to the rest of the product.

What we built instead

TalkEx v1 shipped in November 2024 with WhatsApp Cloud API, a real wallet, and campaigns. v2 (what you see today) added seven more channels, a chatbot flow builder, Claude-powered AI Assist, and a live chat widget — all in eight months of small, boring commits.

We're a three-person team, we're self-funded, and we read every support email that comes in. If any of this resonates, try the free tier — it's 500 messages a month across all eight channels, no card required.

Written by Aditi Rao, founder. If you have thoughts, aditi@business.talkex.in.

The Indian CPaaS market in 2026.

Three shifts changed the shape of Indian CPaaS in the last eighteen months. Any of them alone would have been notable; together they've reset the market.

1 · DPDP enforcement stopped being theoretical

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 passed with a lot of fanfare and then sat in a limbo of pending rules for eighteen months. In January 2026 the first enforcement notices went out — three D2C brands got hit with ₹50 lakh consent-violation fines for marketing WhatsApp sends without documented opt-in. Overnight, every CPaaS RFP started asking for consent workflow demos and DSAR handling.

2 · Meta's Cloud API killed the BSP monopoly

Until 2024, getting on WhatsApp Business meant going through a Business Solution Provider — Gupshup, Karix, Wati, Interakt — and their prices reflected the moat. Meta's direct Cloud API in India cut the BSP layer out. New CPaaS platforms could integrate directly at Meta's per-message rates. Legacy BSPs still exist for hand-holding onboarding but their margins compressed hard.

3 · DLT re-registration turned SMS into a burden

TRAI's second DLT overhaul in October 2025 forced every business to re-register every template. Response rates from Indian SMBs dropped by 40% in the first month. The businesses that stayed with SMS mostly shifted transactional traffic to WhatsApp utility templates.

All of this points at the same underlying trend: Indian businesses want one tool that handles all their messaging surfaces, respects local compliance, and doesn't cost like it was priced for the American market.

That's the market we're building for.

Migrating off Gupshup in a weekend.

We've helped a dozen teams switch CPaaS in the last six months. Here's the playbook that consistently works — start Friday evening, finish Sunday night, no production downtime.

Friday · export what you have

1. Contacts CSV — export from your current tool with phone, name, tags, and any custom fields. Import into TalkEx via /contacts/import-csv — one click.
2. Approved templates — screenshot each template's exact body and category. You'll re-submit these to Meta from TalkEx (approval takes ~24 hours).
3. Team members — invite each agent to TalkEx via email. They can log in and browse while the migration finishes.

Saturday · re-submit templates + wire the API

1. Create every template inside TalkEx and hit Submit to Meta. Approvals trickle in through Sunday.
2. Point your webhook receivers at TalkEx (https://businessapi.talkex.in/webhooks/channels/whatsapp). Keep the old webhook live too — dual-write for the transition.
3. Wire your CRM's outbound sends to TalkEx's POST /conversations/send. If you're on Zapier / Make, we have pre-built connectors.

Sunday · cut over

1. Once all templates are approved, flip Meta's webhook URL from the old provider to TalkEx.
2. Freeze the old provider's outbound (pause campaigns, disable API keys).
3. Monitor the TalkEx dashboard for the next 24 hours. Any misdirected inbound will show up as an "unknown contact" event — reroute in bulk from the UI.

The trick is dual-write during Saturday. If TalkEx catches fire, you can flip back to the old provider in five minutes.

Want a hand walking through this? Book 30 minutes with Aditi — we've done enough of these that we can spot the traps before you hit them.

Quickstart · 5 minutes to your first message.

You'll register a workspace, wire the sandbox channel, add yourself as a contact, and send a message. Total time: about 5 minutes, no card required.

1 · Register a workspace

Head to businessapp.talkex.in/register. Full name, mobile with OTP, email with OTP, password. No card. You land on the Dashboard.

2 · Wire the sandbox channel

Sandbox mode simulates every send instead of dispatching — perfect for the first hour. Open Channels → TalkEx (sandbox) → click Enable. That's it.

3 · Add yourself as a contact

Contacts → Add contact → your phone. Optionally add a name and any custom fields you've defined.

4 · Send a message

Open Conversations, click + New, pick your contact, type a message, hit send. In sandbox, the message is logged but not dispatched to WhatsApp — you'll see it in the thread.

5 · Turn off sandbox and go live

Once you've kicked the tires, disable sandbox in Settings → Developers, wire a real channel (WhatsApp onboarding →), and you're live.

Stuck at any step? support@business.talkex.in — we reply within 4 hours on business days.

This notice describes how CoreAxis Ventures Pvt. Ltd. ("we", "us") collects, uses, and protects personal data when you use the TalkEx Business platform ("Service"). We are the Data Fiduciary for our own account holders and a Data Processor for the contacts and conversations you (our customer) route through TalkEx.

1 · Data we collect

From account holders (our customers): name, email, mobile number, business details (GSTIN, business category), payment method metadata (never full card numbers — Razorpay tokenises), and audit logs of actions you take in the dashboard.

From end-users of your business (your contacts): phone number, name if provided, message content, delivery status. This data belongs to you; we process it on your behalf under the DPA.

Automatically collected: IP address, browser + OS, referrer, and standard server logs — retained for 30 days for security investigation.

2 · How we use it

• To operate and improve the Service (dashboard access, message routing, billing).
• To send you transactional emails (invoices, security alerts, product updates). Marketing emails are opt-in only and unsubscribe with one click.
• To comply with Indian law (audit logs, tax records, DLT/DPDP registers).

We do not sell your data, use it to train third-party models, or share it with advertisers.

3 · Where it's stored

All primary data resides in Mumbai, India (Fly.io region bom). Backups replicate to Chennai (Fly.io maa). No production data leaves Indian territory.

Two sub-processors receive limited operational data outside India: Anthropic (for AI Assist requests, when enabled by you) and Vercel (for the marketing website's static assets). Full sub-processor list in the DPA.

4 · Retention

• Account data: kept as long as your account is active + 90 days after deletion for legal/financial records.
• Messages and conversations: default retention of 24 months; configurable per workspace in Settings.
• Server logs: 30 days.
• Backups: 14 days rolling.

5 · Your rights under DPDP Act 2023

You may request access to, correction of, or erasure of your personal data at any time via a privacy@business.talkex.in ticket or via the built-in DSAR workflow in the dashboard. We respond within 30 days.

If we cannot resolve a concern, you may lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Board of India at dpbi.gov.in.

6 · Contact

Data Protection Officer: Aditi Rao · privacy@business.talkex.in
CoreAxis Ventures Pvt. Ltd., Koramangala 4th Block, Bengaluru — 560095

By registering for or using TalkEx Business ("Service"), you agree to these Terms with CoreAxis Ventures Pvt. Ltd. ("we", "us"). If you're accepting on behalf of a company, you represent that you have authority to bind it.

1 · Account

You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter a binding contract. You are responsible for all activity under your account and for keeping your credentials secure. Notify us at security@business.talkex.in within 24 hours of any suspected compromise.

2 · Acceptable use

You will not use the Service to send unsolicited marketing, phishing content, malware, illegal content, or to abuse WhatsApp / SMS / Email provider policies. Violation may result in immediate suspension. In particular you agree to comply with:

• Meta's WhatsApp Business Solution Terms and Commerce Policies
• TRAI's DLT registration and template requirements for SMS
• Indian anti-spam laws and your recipients' opt-in preferences

3 · Fees and payment

Subscription fees are billed monthly in advance in INR. Per-message overages are metered and settled at the end of the calendar month. All fees are exclusive of GST. Late payments accrue 1.5% monthly interest. Prepaid wallet balances are non-refundable except where required by law.

4 · Service levels

Free and Starter plans: no SLA. Growth plan: reasonable-effort support within 4 business hours. Enterprise plan: 99.95% uptime SLA with service credits per the separate SLA document.

5 · Intellectual property

We retain all IP in the Service. You retain all IP in the data you upload. You grant us a limited licence to process your data solely to provide the Service.

6 · Termination

Either party may terminate for convenience with 30 days written notice, or for cause immediately if the other materially breaches these Terms and doesn't cure within 14 days of notice. On termination, we will export your data as a JSON archive within 30 days on request.

7 · Liability

Our total aggregate liability under these Terms is capped at the fees you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim. Neither party is liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages. This section does not limit either party's liability for gross negligence, wilful misconduct, or infringement of the other's IP.

8 · Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of India. Disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts at Bengaluru, Karnataka.

CoreAxis Ventures Pvt. Ltd. operates TalkEx Business in compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and its subsequent rules. This notice describes how we discharge that responsibility.

1 · Our role

For our own account holders' data (registration, billing, support), we are the Data Fiduciary. For messaging data you route through TalkEx (your contacts' phone numbers, message bodies, delivery status), we are the Data Processor and you (our customer) are the Data Fiduciary — this is spelled out in our DPA.

2 · Lawful purposes

We process personal data only for the following purposes:

• Delivering the Service you asked for
• Meeting our legal obligations (tax, audit, DLT, WhatsApp Business terms)
• Preventing fraud and abuse
• With your explicit consent, sending you product updates

3 · Consent

The dashboard's Compliance page lets you record end-user consent per purpose (marketing, transactional, service). When you use TalkEx to send marketing messages, you confirm you have valid consent under DPDP. Consent is revocable — the built-in Revoke all button revokes every consent for a contact in one click.

4 · Data Principal Rights (DSAR)

End-users can exercise their rights of access, correction, erasure, and grievance redressal by writing to your business directly, or via our built-in DSAR workflow. Once you accept a DSAR, TalkEx exports the relevant data or purges it as requested, and records the action in your audit log. We respond within 30 days as required by the Act.

5 · Data storage in India

All primary personal data is stored on servers physically located in India. Backups replicate to a second Indian region. No production data crosses borders; sub-processor transfers are limited to metadata (see DPA §4).

6 · Breach notification

In the event of a personal data breach, we will notify the Data Protection Board and affected customers within 72 hours of discovery, with the details required under §8(6) of the Act.

7 · Grievance officer

Aditi Rao · Data Protection Officer
privacy@business.talkex.in · +91 984xx xxxxx (business hours)
CoreAxis Ventures Pvt. Ltd., Koramangala 4th Block, Bengaluru — 560095

Unresolved concerns may be escalated to the Data Protection Board of India at dpbi.gov.in.

This Data Processing Addendum ("DPA") forms part of the Terms of Service between CoreAxis Ventures Pvt. Ltd. ("Processor") and the customer ("Controller") for the TalkEx Business Service.

1 · Roles and scope

Controller determines the purposes and means of processing end-user personal data (phone numbers, message content, contact metadata) routed through the Service. Processor processes this data solely on documented instructions from Controller.

2 · Nature and purpose

Nature: transmission and storage of messaging traffic across supported channels; enabling agent access; analytics; retention per Controller configuration.
Duration: for as long as the Controller's account is active plus the retention period configured by Controller.
Data subjects: Controller's contacts and end-users. Categories: identifiers (phone, email, name), message content, delivery metadata.

3 · Processor obligations

• Process personal data only on Controller's documented instructions.
• Ensure personnel are subject to confidentiality obligations.
• Implement technical and organisational security measures per §5.
• Assist Controller in fulfilling Data Principal requests (DSARs) via the built-in workflow.
• Notify Controller of personal data breaches within 24 hours of discovery.
• On termination, delete or return all personal data on request.

4 · Sub-processors

Controller consents to the following sub-processors, each bound by contractual data protection obligations no less protective than this DPA:

• Fly.io Inc. — application hosting (Mumbai + Chennai regions)
• Razorpay Software Pvt. Ltd. — payment processing (India)
• Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. — WhatsApp Cloud API pass-through
• Anthropic PBC — AI Assist requests only when the feature is enabled by Controller
• Vercel Inc. — marketing website static hosting (no customer data)

We will notify Controller of any new sub-processor at least 30 days in advance via the dashboard and this page. Controller may object; if objection cannot be resolved, Controller may terminate for cause.

5 · Security measures

TLS 1.2+ for all data in transit; AES-256 at rest; JWT + optional 2FA for user auth; API keys with per-tenant rate limits; row-level owner scoping in every database query; HMAC-signed webhooks; per-owner Postgres schema isolation on Enterprise plan; SOC 2 Type I attestation in progress (Q4 2026).

6 · Audit

Controller may audit Processor's compliance with this DPA once per calendar year on reasonable notice, or more frequently if required by a data protection authority.

7 · Liability

Liability under this DPA is subject to the aggregate liability cap in the Terms of Service.