Everything you need to know about
business messaging in India

The free WhatsApp Business App is built for one person on one phone and caps broadcasts at 256 saved contacts. The WhatsApp Business API supports unlimited agents, unlimited contacts, automation, chatbots, CRM integration and campaign sending to lakhs of customers, and it never risks a ban for bulk sending because it is the official route.

You apply through an official Business Solution Provider such as Textspeed. You need a Facebook Business Manager account, a phone number not currently active on WhatsApp, your business name and website, and business verification documents such as GST or incorporation papers. Textspeed handles the Meta submission and most accounts go live within 24 hours.

Only if you first delete the existing WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business account on that number, because a number can live on only one WhatsApp system at a time. Most businesses prefer to onboard a fresh number and keep the old one running for legacy chats during the transition.

Cost has two parts: Meta's per-conversation charge, which differs for marketing, utility, authentication and service conversations, and your provider's platform fee for the inbox, chatbot, templates and automation. Marketing conversations cost the most and user-initiated service conversations answered within 24 hours are free. See the Textspeed pricing page for indicative rates.

When a customer messages you, a 24-hour window opens in which you can reply freely with any message, including free-form text and media. After 24 hours you can only re-open the conversation using a pre-approved message template. This rule exists to keep WhatsApp conversation-led rather than broadcast-led.

Templates are pre-written message formats with variable fields, submitted to Meta for approval before use. They are required for any business-initiated message outside the 24-hour window. Approval usually takes minutes to a few hours, and templates are rejected if they are promotional in a utility category, misleading, or contain prohibited content.

The green tick, or Official Business Account badge, is granted by Meta based on brand notability, not by paying a fee. Your business must be verified in Facebook Business Manager, have a quality rating in good standing, and show genuine public presence. Textspeed prepares and submits the application, but the final decision rests with Meta.

New API accounts start at 1,000 business-initiated conversations per 24 hours. As your quality rating stays green and you message more customers, Meta automatically raises the tier to 10,000, then 100,000, then unlimited. Sending relevant, opted-in messages is the fastest way to move up.

Not for bulk sending, because the API is the sanctioned channel. However, Meta can restrict or ban numbers with a persistently low quality rating caused by users blocking or reporting you. Send only to opted-in contacts, keep templates relevant, and honour opt-outs to keep your rating green.