Build the campaign around Kolkata's festive window
Kolkata's main 2026 Durga Puja period falls from 17 to 21 October. Shardiya Navratri begins on 11 October and Mahalaya falls on 10 October.
Use your own event programme as the final source of truth. Festival observances and individual Puja, Navratri or Dandiya programmes can vary by community, venue and organiser.
What the calling campaign should do
Move a person from an existing contact list to one clear next action: show interest, confirm attendance, receive event information, answer a practical question or speak to a human.
Run the calls as an event operation, not a broadcast
Give every campaign one clear CTA
Ask for one action, such as confirming attendance or receiving event details. Do not ask the caller to complete four different tasks.
Separate invitations from reminders
Your first call introduces the event. A later call assumes the person knows about it and asks for a practical next step.
Split new prospects from past attendees
A person who attended your 2025 event needs a different opening from someone hearing about your event for the first time.
Start heavier outreach after Mahalaya
For a 2026 campaign, Mahalaya is 10 October. Use the days after it to move from awareness to attendance-focused communication.
AI calling can do this: run early RSVP calls
From 11 October, ask existing contacts whether they plan to attend and record the response as Yes, No or Maybe.
AI calling can do this: follow up on unanswered calls
Keep the second attempt shorter and classify the result as Callback, No Response, Not Interested or Do Not Call.
AI calling can do this: run RSVP collection
Use a simple question such as "Will you attend?" and save the response directly to the campaign record.
AI calling can do this: answer routine event questions
Prepare verified answers for venue, timing, ticket price, age restrictions, parking and entry requirements.
Use Bengali and English deliberately
Choose the preferred language when you build the list. Test Bengali names, venue names and programme terminology before launch.
AI calling can do this: send 24–48 hour reminders
Give confirmed attendees only the essentials: event date, start time, venue and entry instruction.
AI calling can do this: communicate schedule changes
When rain, venue restrictions or programme changes affect attendance, call confirmed attendees with the verified update.
Track connections separately from responses
A connected call is not an RSVP. Record attempted calls, connected calls, positive responses and confirmed attendees.
AI calling can do this: tag every response
Useful tags include Confirmed, Interested, Not Interested, Callback, Wrong Number and Do Not Call.
Measure attendance against confirmations
If 300 people confirm and 180 attend, investigate reminder timing, transport, weather and event experience.
Calculate cost per useful response
Divide calling spend by confirmed RSVPs, ticket sales or another outcome that matters to the event.
AI calling can do this: handle repetitive first-line conversations
Let the agent repeat venue details, timing and RSVP questions while staff focus on exceptions and high-value conversations.
Create a human handoff rule
Transfer sponsorship, large group booking, refund and special-arrangement questions to a human.
AI calling can do this: follow up after the event
Ask attendees for feedback or whether they want information about the next event, while respecting opt-outs.
Keep the call journey simple
The cleanest campaign has four stages. Each stage has one job and one useful data point.
Invite
Tell the person what the event is and ask whether they are interested.
Confirm
Turn interest into a Yes, No or Maybe response.
Remind
Call confirmed attendees with the date, time, venue and entry details.
Follow up
Collect feedback or ask whether they want future event information.
Make the campaign sound like Kolkata
- Prepare Bengali and English versions.
- Check pronunciation of local names.
- Use the actual venue name.
- State the correct event date and time.
- Keep directions practical.
- Escalate unusual questions to staff.
- Record language preference.
- Maintain a clear Do Not Call status.
Troika Tech supports 9+ Indian languages. For a Kolkata campaign, the important step is still human review of the Bengali script, names and event-specific terminology before the first call.
Three event situations where the workflow fits
Durga Puja committee
Call members, local supporters and past attendees with programme reminders, volunteer updates or attendance questions.
Festive event organiser
Use calls to confirm ticket interest, explain venue details and reduce the number of repetitive questions handled by staff.
Venue hosting Navratri events
Segment confirmed guests from new enquiries and use the final call to communicate entry time, parking and programme details.
Use AI calling for conversation, not every message
| Channel | Best use | Direct response | Visual information | Human effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI calling | RSVPs, reminders, routine questions | Yes | No | Lower for repetitive calls |
| Maps, posters, schedules and confirmations | Yes | Yes | Depends on follow-up | |
| Manual calling | Complex questions and high-value conversations | Yes | No | High |
Use a call when you need an answer
Ask for a clear Yes, No, Maybe or Callback rather than sending another message that may sit unread.
Use WhatsApp for details
Maps, posters, schedules and visual information are easier to send after the call.
Use people for exceptions
Keep humans available for sponsorships, refunds, group arrangements and unusual event questions.
The Kolkata 2026 calling planner
Use this as the working sheet for a 2026 festive campaign. Replace the dates with your own programme if your event follows a different calendar.
| Date / stage | Concrete action | Audience | Call objective | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Oct Mahalaya |
Finalise lists and festive programme. | Existing contacts, past attendees | Prepare segments. | Language, source, status |
| 11 Oct | Launch first invitation calls. | New prospects + past attendees | Generate interest. | Interested / Not interested |
| 12–13 Oct | Follow up on unanswered calls. | No response | Get a clear response. | Callback / No response |
| 14–15 Oct | Run RSVP calls. | Interested people | Confirm attendance. | Confirmed / Maybe |
| 16 Oct | Give practical event information. | Confirmed attendees | Reduce pre-event questions. | Venue/timing acknowledged |
| 17 Oct | Send first main Puja-day reminder. | That day's attendees | Drive attendance. | Attending / Not attending |
| 18–20 Oct | Run daily programme reminders. | Day-specific attendees | Confirm next-day attendance. | Programme selected |
| 21 Oct | Send final main Puja-day communication. | Relevant attendees | Attendance + closing information. | Attendance status |
| 22–24 Oct | Run feedback calls. | Attendees | Collect feedback. | Rating / follow-up |
| After campaign | Segment the audience for the next event. | All respondents | Build the future contact list. | Interested / Opt-out / Future contact |
Important: if your event is a separate Navratri or Dandiya programme, replace the Puja dates with your actual event dates. Kolkata's Durga Puja schedule should not be assumed to be the schedule for every Navratri celebration.
Lessons from real festive activity
Patanjali
Patanjali has used festive branding and outdoor activations around Durga Puja in Kolkata. The small-business lesson is to connect festive promotion to the physical event environment instead of treating advertising and attendance as separate jobs.
Kolkata Puja committees
Large Kolkata Puja organisers combine pandal activity, local promotion and digital communication. The lesson is to segment people by proximity and interest instead of giving every contact the same message.
Small organiser takeaway
Do not copy a large brand's media mix. Take the useful principle: make each communication move the recipient to one specific event action.
A 30-second event call you can adapt
Replace the placeholders with your actual event information. Keep the call short and do not invent an answer when the agent does not have verified information.
AI agent"Hello, may I speak with [Name]? I'm calling from [Business] about our festive event. We are inviting guests to [Offer] on [date]. Would you like to attend?"
Customer"Yes, please."
AI agent"Great. I can mark your interest. The event is at [venue] and starts at [time]. Would you like us to confirm your attendance?"
Customer"Yes."
AI agent"Thank you, [Name]. Your response has been recorded. We will share the event details through the agreed channel. Have a great day."
Customer"No, I won't be able to attend."
AI agent"No problem at all, [Name]. Thank you for your time. We won't take any more of your time. Have a good day."
Troika Tech can run this type of workflow as a fully managed AI calling campaign. For questions outside the prepared event information, configure a human handoff rather than allowing the agent to guess.
Measure the response, not just the call volume
Calls attempted
The total number of contacts the campaign tried to reach.
Calls connected
The number of calls answered by a person.
Positive responses
People who expressed interest or confirmed attendance.
Attendance
The number of confirmed people who actually attended.
Callbacks
People who asked to speak later or needed additional information.
Opt-outs
People who should no longer receive campaign calls.
Check these six things before the first call
- Your event date, venue, start time and entry rules are confirmed.
- Your list is separated into new prospects, past attendees and confirmed guests.
- Each call has one clear objective and one CTA.
- Bengali, English or other required language versions have been checked.
- Opt-out and Do Not Call statuses are recorded before launch.
- You know which questions and situations must go to a human.
Questions organisers ask before launching
AI calling is useful for repetitive event conversations: invitations, RSVP collection, reminders, schedule updates and basic questions. It is particularly useful when a team has a large list to contact in a short period before an event.
Yes, AI calling systems can support Indian-language conversations, but you should test the exact script, pronunciation and local names before launching. For Kolkata, check Bengali names, venue names and programme terminology with a native speaker.
The call can ask a simple question such as "Will you attend?" and classify the response as Yes, No or Maybe. The organiser can then use those results to send reminders, prepare guest lists or have staff follow up with selected people.
Pricing varies by provider, call duration, infrastructure and campaign requirements. Troika Tech's fully managed AI calling is positioned in the Rs 10–Rs 12 per minute market range, with per-second billing; confirm the current commercial rate before budgeting a campaign.
They serve different purposes. WhatsApp is useful for sending maps, posters, schedules and other visual information, while a call can be useful when you need a direct response or want to reach someone who has not acted on a message.
It can automate large volumes of repetitive conversations, subject to the calling platform, telecom setup and campaign configuration. The important planning question is not only how many numbers you have, but how many simultaneous calls, retries and human handoffs your campaign requires.
Mahalaya is 10 October 2026, Shardiya Navratri begins on 11 October, and the main Durga Puja period in Kolkata is 17–21 October 2026. Exact programmes can vary by Puja committee, community and event, so use the dates published by your own organiser or venue for operational calls.
Start with one audience and one action
Take your current attendee or customer list and divide it into three groups: new prospects, past attendees and confirmed guests. Then write the one sentence you want each group to act on. That sentence is the starting point for the calling campaign.
Use the planner above