The comprehensive study examines the role of voice calls as a customer engagement channel in India. Commissioned in partnership with Tata Tele Business Services, with Kantar as the research partner, the report highlights a major contradiction in consumer behaviour: while 76 percent of consumers prefer business calls over digital alternatives, 79 percent of businesses report that customers actively avoid answering calls from unknown numbers.
The Kantar-led study surveyed more than 500 business-to-business companies and 1,000 consumers across 17 cities in India, revealing a significant transformation in the country’s communication landscape. Although digital channels are preferred for speed and convenience, voice remains dominant during interactions requiring clarity, reassurance, urgency, or important decision-making, with 56 percent of respondents identifying these situations as key moments for voice communication.
Despite being considered more trusted than email, SMS, and chat combined, voice communication is experiencing declining confidence due to spam calls, insufficient context, inconsistent caller identification, and poorly timed outreach. These challenges have created hesitation among consumers, affecting both legitimate and compliant businesses.
Priyam Bose, Global Head, Truecaller for Business Go To Market, said, “India does not have a calling problem. It has a trust and attention problem. Consumers today expect to know who is calling, why they are calling, and whether it is worth their time. At Truecaller, we are focused on enabling verified identity and contextual communication to help businesses rebuild trust and improve engagement. Our report clearly reveals the opportunities for businesses to invest in the right customer experience.”
The report found that 49 percent of consumers believe the option to schedule callbacks at a convenient time would significantly increase their willingness to engage with business calls. Consumers also highlighted the importance of clearer caller identity and purpose visibility. Businesses, meanwhile, are focusing on caller identity, with 64 percent prioritising it, along with verification symbols and call-purpose previews.
The findings also highlight a gap between business expectations from voice communication and the methods used to measure its performance. While 41 percent of businesses stated that trust and brand perception influence their decision to use voice channels, their actual performance measurements are primarily based on response rate, reported by 72 percent, time to resolution, reported by 57 percent, and cost per interaction, reported by 53 percent.
The report noted that these traditional measurements fail to capture the broader value delivered by voice communication, including improved customer satisfaction scores, reported by 42 percent, stronger customer retention, reported by 36 percent, and emotional reassurance that automated channels cannot provide.
Voice communication continues to be managed largely as a transactional tool and measured as a cost centre, despite functioning as a major relationship-building channel between businesses and customers.
Regulatory measures such as Distributed Ledger Technology frameworks and the use of 140 and 1600 number series aim to classify promotional and service calls. However, consumers may still receive essential service-related calls despite Do Not Disturb preferences, making recognisable caller identity and clear communication context critical for improving engagement.
Vishal Rally, Chief Revenue Officer, Tata Teleservices, said, “Voice remains an important channel for enterprise communication, particularly when immediacy and human connection matter most. As customer expectations evolve, businesses need secure, intelligent, and context-aware communication experiences. At Tata Tele Business Services, we are enabling enterprises with integrated voice and digital communication solutions that strengthen customer trust and engagement.”
The report also highlights the continued importance of voice communication across sectors where urgency, trust, and high-value decisions are involved. Banking, Financial Services and Insurance companies and information technology services organisations rely heavily on voice for verification and compliance processes, while e-commerce and logistics companies increasingly combine voice with digital channels for transaction management and customer support.
The full report introduces three proprietary benchmarks: Voice Adoption Index, Feature Engagement Index, and Feature Interest Index, designed to help businesses evaluate their current position and identify future investment opportunities.
Truecaller is a global communications platform used by 500 million active users worldwide, with more than one billion downloads since launch and 68 billion spam and fraud calls identified in 2025 alone. The company is headquartered in Stockholm and has been publicly listed on Nasdaq Stockholm since October 2021.
Tata Teleservices Limited, along with its subsidiary Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited, is a growing enterprise market leader. Under the brand name Tata Tele Business Services, the company provides connectivity, collaboration, cloud and software-as-a-service, security, and marketing solutions for businesses across India. It operates an extensive wireline network and provides services in more than 60 cities. Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited is listed on BSE and NSE in India.
The report underscores that as communication channels continue to evolve, restoring trust in voice calls through verified identity, transparency, and customer-focused experiences will remain essential for stronger business engagement in India.
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