If your business gets more than 30 to 40 WhatsApp enquiries a day, the free WhatsApp Business App starts breaking down. One phone, one login, no automation, no team inbox, and broadcast lists capped at 256 contacts. The WhatsApp Business API (Meta's Cloud API) removes those limits, but it is not something you download. You need a Meta Business account, a verified business, an approved display name, approved message templates and a platform to actually send and receive messages.
AICLEX Technologies does that end to end. We are an AI-first product studio from Greater Noida that built WhatsPilot, our own WhatsApp Business API chatbot and marketing automation platform. We onboard your number on the Cloud API, help with Meta Business verification, draft templates that pass review, and set up your team on WhatsPilot. You pay Meta's per-conversation charges directly at official rates, and a flat platform fee to us. No hidden per-message markup.
What the WhatsApp Business API actually is (and is not)
The API is a server-side connection to WhatsApp provided by Meta. There is no app screen to type in. Every message goes in and out through software, which is why you need a platform like WhatsPilot on top of it. That is also why it can do things the app cannot: unlimited agents on one number, chatbots, CRM integration, bulk template sends to lakhs of opted-in contacts, and webhook events for delivery and read status.
Two facts trip up most first-time buyers. First, one phone number cannot be on the WhatsApp Business App and the API at the same time. Moving to the API means deleting the app account for that number, so we usually recommend a fresh number or a landline for the API and keeping the old number on the app during transition. Second, Meta bills by conversation, not by message. A 24-hour window opens when you send a template or a customer writes to you, and everything inside that window counts as one conversation of that category.
- Marketing conversations: promotions, offers, festive greetings. Highest rate.
- Utility conversations: order confirmations, delivery updates, appointment reminders. Lower rate.
- Authentication conversations: OTP and login codes.
- Service conversations: replies inside the 24-hour window after a customer writes to you. Free text, no template needed.
Onboarding steps and a realistic timeline
Day 1 to 2: we create or audit your Meta Business Manager, add your business details exactly as they appear on your GST certificate or incorporation documents, and register the number with an OTP. A number that has never been on WhatsApp is the fastest. Day 2 to 3: display name review by Meta. Names must match your legal or trading name and cannot contain words like 'official' or 'offers'.
Day 3 to 7: Meta Business verification. You upload a GST certificate, incorporation certificate or Udyam registration plus proof of address, and the business name must match your website and domain email. Verification usually completes in 2 to 5 working days but can take longer if documents are unclear. Until verified, your number can send to a limited number of unique users per day. After verification, messaging tiers climb automatically based on quality rating.
Alongside verification we submit your first 5 to 10 message templates and connect WhatsPilot, so on the day verification clears you can start sending. Most clients are live within 7 to 10 working days.
Green tick: what we can and cannot promise
The green tick (Official Business Account badge) is applied for separately after business verification. Meta looks at brand notability, meaning press coverage, Wikipedia presence, and how well known the brand is outside its own website. Many genuine, profitable Indian SMEs are rejected because they are not 'notable' by Meta's standard. We submit the application with the strongest supporting links we can find, and you can reapply after 30 days if refused.
Please treat any vendor who guarantees a green tick with suspicion. Nobody outside Meta controls that decision. What we do guarantee is a correctly verified business, a compliant display name and a properly configured API account, which is what actually affects deliverability and messaging limits.
How pricing works with AICLEX
There are two separate bills. Meta charges per conversation, and those charges are billed to the payment method attached to your Meta Business account, at Meta's published India rates. We do not add a margin on top of Meta. The second bill is the WhatsPilot platform: Starter at Rs 1,599 per month for a single number with chatbot, broadcasts and a shared inbox, or Business Pro at Rs 3,999 per month for multiple agents, advanced flows, API access and CRM integrations.
Onboarding and verification assistance is included with an annual WhatsPilot plan. Custom chatbot flows beyond the standard templates start at Rs 15,000 one-time. Every invoice is a GST invoice from Aiclex Solutions Pvt. Ltd. so you can claim input credit.
Use cases we set up most often
For a coaching institute in Lucknow, the API handles demo class registrations, sends the Zoom link as a utility message, reminds students 1 hour before class, and pushes fee-due notices. For a D2C brand on Shopify, order confirmations, shipping updates with tracking links, and abandoned-cart nudges run automatically. For a clinic, appointment confirmations and a 'reply 1 to confirm, 2 to reschedule' flow cut no-shows.
Sample utility template we would submit for a school: 'Namaste {{1}}, {{2}} ka fee reminder: Rs {{3}} due on {{4}}. Pay online: {{5}}. Reply HELP for the accounts desk.' Templates with variables like these are approved faster when the sample values we submit are realistic and the message is clearly transactional.
Who this is for
- Coaches and course creators who run batches, webinars and fee cycles over WhatsApp
- E-commerce and D2C brands that need order, shipping and COD confirmation messages at scale
- Schools, colleges and training institutes sending notices and reminders to thousands of parents
- Clinics, diagnostic centres and salons that lose revenue to missed appointments
- Real-estate developers and channel partners handling site-visit enquiries from portals
- Any SME whose WhatsApp Business App has hit the 256-contact broadcast limit or needs more than one agent
Why choose AICLEX™
We own the platform
WhatsPilot is built and maintained by our team in Greater Noida. When you need a feature or a fix, you talk to the people who write the code, not a reseller ticket queue.
Meta charges passed through at cost
Your conversation charges are billed by Meta at official rates. Our revenue is the platform fee, so we have no reason to push you into unnecessary marketing sends.
Verification done with you, not to you
We sit on a call, screen-share your Business Manager and fix document mismatches before submission, which is where most self-service applications fail.
Chatbots and calling under one roof
Because we also build AI chatbots and the Zonvo voice agent, your WhatsApp number can escalate to an automated Hindi or English call when a lead goes cold.
Pricing
WhatsPilot Starter is Rs 1,599 per month and Business Pro is Rs 3,999 per month, plus Meta's per-conversation charges billed at official rates. Custom chatbot flows start at Rs 15,000 one-time. Onboarding help is included on annual plans. GST invoice provided. Exact scope and proposal follow a 30-minute discovery call.
Frequently asked questions
What does the WhatsApp Business API cost in India per month?+
Budget for two things: the WhatsPilot platform at Rs 1,599 or Rs 3,999 per month, and Meta's conversation charges which depend on volume and category. A business sending 5,000 utility messages and 3,000 marketing messages a month typically spends a few thousand rupees with Meta. We share a calculator on the discovery call so there are no surprises.
Can I use my existing WhatsApp number on the API?+
Yes, but the number must first be removed from the WhatsApp Business App or personal WhatsApp, and chat history does not migrate. Many clients keep the old number on the app for a month while a new number goes live on the API, then let the old one go. We help you plan the switch so customers are not confused.
Is the green tick guaranteed if I go through AICLEX?+
No, and no honest provider can promise it. The Official Business Account badge is granted by Meta based on brand notability. We prepare and submit the application with the best supporting evidence and can reapply after 30 days, but the decision is Meta's alone.
Will my number get banned for sending bulk messages?+
Numbers on the API get restricted when quality drops, which happens when people block or report you. Sending only to opted-in contacts, using approved templates, keeping marketing frequency sane and honouring STOP requests keeps your quality rating green. WhatsPilot shows your quality rating and messaging tier so you can act before Meta does.
How long does template approval take?+
Most templates are approved within a few minutes to 24 hours. Rejections usually come from vague variable placeholders, promotional language in a utility template or content that reads like spam. We draft templates to Meta's guidelines and resubmit quickly if one is rejected.
Do I get a GST invoice and where is my data stored?+
Yes, every payment to Aiclex Solutions Pvt. Ltd. comes with a GST invoice. Messages travel through Meta's infrastructure and are end-to-end encrypted between Meta and the customer. WhatsPilot stores your contact and conversation data on servers hosted in India, and you can export or delete it on request.