iWorld
Chat360, Meta team up to launch WhatsApp voice for enterprises
MUMBAI: Chat360 has dialled up its global ambitions with a new partnership with Meta that brings WhatsApp business voice calling to enterprises worldwide. The move plugs live, intelligent voice conversations straight into the world’s most popular messaging app, giving businesses a fresh way to connect with customers without switching screens or systems.
The integration places high-quality voice calling inside Chat360’s unified conversational platform, which already supports WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger and website chat. Brands can now blend voice, text and AI-driven automation in one place, creating smoother customer journeys from first ping to final resolution.
The new feature lets enterprises handle real-time issues through personalised voice interactions, cut response times with AI-guided call flows and trigger instant sales calls from WhatsApp campaigns. Companies can run voice and text support side by side, keep lines open round the clock and store call data directly within their CRM, ticketing or analytics tools.
Retail, ecommerce, BFSI, real estate, healthcare, education and travel firms stand to benefit most, especially where quick and meaningful customer conversations drive business outcomes.
With Chat360 already serving more than 300 enterprises across several countries, the rollout is available immediately to all customers using WhatsApp Business API through the platform. The low-code system means teams can activate voice calling without technical expertise, while multilingual support helps brands localise experiences for every market they serve.
The feature is powered by Chat360’s native integration with Meta’s approved WhatsApp Business API and supported by AI-led conversational flows, sentiment analysis, automated routing and a secure, compliance-ready infra. The result is a setup that trims manual work, boosts productivity and keeps customer touchpoints consistent.
Chat360 founder and CEO Sunnyraj Agarwal, said the launch strengthens the company’s mission to help brands connect with customers in the moments that matter. WhatsApp is a global favourite for everyday communication, he noted, and this partnership sharpens Chat360’s ability to drive conversational commerce at scale.
With this collaboration, voice, messaging and AI meet on a single stage, giving enterprises a fresher, faster and more human way to talk to the world.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
