Set the campaign around the actual event date
For the 2026 Sharad Navratri season, Mumbai's calendar places Navratri from Sunday, October 11 to Monday, October 19, followed by Vijayadashami/Dussehra on Tuesday, October 20. Exact observances and event schedules can vary by community and venue.
This approach can work for very different businesses: a garba organiser in Borivali, a builder's sales office in Mumbai inviting prospects to a festive event, or an Indian grocery store in New Jersey running a Navratri promotion. The common problem is the same: you have a list of people to contact, but not enough staff to call each person personally.
2026 dates to plan around: Navratri begins on October 11. The ninth-day observances fall on October 19, and Vijayadashami/Dussehra is October 20. If your event has different dates, use the event date as the trigger for reminders.
What the calling agent should actually do
Treat the AI caller as a structured campaign operator, not as a replacement for every conversation your team has with a customer. Give it approved information, a clear objective and rules for when a person must take over.
Invite
Explain why the customer is being called and give the event facts.
Qualify
Record yes, maybe, no, callback and booking intent separately.
Build the calling list before you build the pitch
The fastest way to waste a calling campaign is to give one script to every contact. Start with the database, decide what each group needs to hear and then create the call flow.
Split your database
Separate past attendees, new leads, VIP customers, people who registered but did not attend, and previous buyers. Give each group a different reason to listen.
AI calling can do thisCall previous attendees first
Start with people who already know your event. Someone who attended your 2025 garba night is a different lead from someone who has never heard of the event.
AI calling can do thisGive every call one action
Ask the customer to confirm attendance, reserve a pass, request a callback or speak to your team. Avoid vague calls that end with “just wanted to inform you.”
Use different family and group flows
A family may ask about parking and timings. A young group may care about music, entry price and group passes. Make the first question reflect that difference.
AI calling can do thisMake each outbound call useful in under a minute
The invitation call should not become a long product presentation. Give people the event information they need, find out whether they are interested and put the next action into a record.
Invite
Say who you are and why you are calling.
Explain
Give date, venue, time and relevant offer.
Qualify
Capture yes, maybe, no or callback.
Follow up
Schedule the right next step.
Start invitation calls before October 11
For a 2026 event, build your main invitation list in the first week of October. Give people time to decide, coordinate with friends and buy passes.
Qualify interest instead of only announcing the event
Ask, “Are you planning to attend this year?” A yes, maybe and not interested should become three different records.
AI calling can do thisAnswer the questions customers actually ask
Keep date, venue, starting time, pass price, parking, dress expectations and booking instructions ready. Do not make the caller improvise.
AI calling can do thisUse Mumbai's language mix deliberately
Your audience may prefer English, Hindi, Marathi or a mix. Troika Tech supports 9+ Indian languages, so define language preference before the campaign starts.
AI calling can do thisCreate a “not now” follow-up
Someone who says “I'll decide later” is not the same as someone who says “don't call me”. Record that distinction and schedule the first group for a suitable callback.
AI calling can do thisUse reminders to protect the bookings you already earned
Getting an RSVP is not the same as getting attendance. A short, information-first reminder can help people remember the date and solve last-minute questions before they reach your event team.
Reminder information block
Build one approved block of information that the agent can use for every reminder call. Change only what is specific to that customer or event night.
- Event date and exact start time
- Venue and entry instructions
- Ticket or registration requirement
- Parking or arrival information
- Customer's RSVP status
- Human escalation option
Call confirmed attendees 48 hours before
Keep the reminder practical: date, reporting time, venue, ticket requirement and where to get help.
AI calling can do thisGive undecided leads a real reason to decide
Do not repeat the original invitation. Mention a genuine change, such as a confirmed performer, group offer or updated availability, only when it is actually true.
AI calling can do thisUse a same-day reminder for evening events
An afternoon call can answer practical questions about parking, entry and timing before customers leave home.
AI calling can do thisKeep a human handoff for complicated questions
Refunds, complaints, accessibility concerns and customised group arrangements should move to your team instead of forcing the AI to guess.
AI calling can do thisTurn attendance data into the next campaign
Your campaign should not stop when the music stops. The people who attended, did not attend, asked for a callback or gave useful feedback are four different audiences for your next campaign.
Call attendees the next day
Ask what they liked, what went wrong and whether they would attend another event. Keep the survey short.
AI calling can do thisAsk positive attendees about future events
If someone says they enjoyed the event, ask whether they want information about your next event. Do not assume permission for unrelated promotions.
AI calling can do thisCall no-shows separately
Ask whether traffic, timing, illness, booking issues or something else prevented attendance. The answer tells you what to fix.
AI calling can do thisMeasure outcomes, not call volume. Track calls attempted, conversations, interested leads, confirmed RSVPs, bookings, no-shows and follow-up requests. “We made 20,000 calls” describes activity, not campaign performance.
The Navratri calling plan to screenshot
Use the festival calendar as the backbone, then replace the generic event actions with your actual venue, booking deadline and event nights. If your event dates differ, shift the reminder stages to match them.
| Stage | Timing | Concrete action | Owner | Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Oct 1–2 | Clean customer, lead and past-attendee lists. | Marketing | One usable database |
| 02 | Oct 3 | Split lists into VIP, past attendee, new lead, family/group and no-show segments. | Marketing | Campaign segments |
| 03 | Oct 4 | Finalise offer, event facts and approved answers. | Marketing + event team | Calling knowledge base |
| 04 | Oct 5 | Test the script with a small internal list. | Marketing | Approved script |
| 05 | Oct 6–7 | Call past attendees and warm leads. | AI agent | RSVP and interest list |
| 06 | Oct 8–9 | Call new prospects and undecided leads. | AI agent | New bookings and callbacks |
| 07 | Oct 10 | Send the final pre-Navratri invitation or reminder. | AI agent | Confirmed attendees |
| 08 | Oct 11 | Call only people needing same-day information. | AI + human team | Fewer unresolved queries |
| 09 | Oct 12–18 | Repeat targeted invitation and reminder calls for remaining event nights. | AI agent | Night-by-night attendance |
| 10 | Oct 17–18 | Prioritise undecided leads for October 19 events. | AI agent | Last-minute conversions |
| 11 | Oct 19 | Confirm attendees and answer final queries. | AI + human team | Attendance confirmations |
| 12 | Oct 20 | Run Dussehra follow-up or final-event communication, where relevant. | Marketing | Campaign close |
| 13 | Oct 21–23 | Call attendees for feedback and future-event interest. | AI agent | Feedback + future leads |
| 14 | Oct 24 | Compare segments, bookings and no-shows. | Marketing | Campaign report |
Planning note: For Mumbai's 2026 calendar, October 11 is the start of Navratri, October 19 includes the ninth-day observances, and October 20 is Vijayadashami/Dussehra. Festival practices and event schedules can vary by community and organiser.
Two useful lessons from real campaigns
The useful part of a case study is not the headline result. It is the campaign mechanic you can reproduce with a smaller database and a simpler offer.
Hero MotoCorp
Hero MotoCorp's “Shubh Muhurat Saathi” festive campaign used personalised content for occasions including Navratri, Dhanteras and Diwali, with details such as the customer's name, nearest dealer and selected bike. The campaign also used seven languages.
Small-business lesson: You do not need a large campaign to personalise. Use the customer's name, relevant event and specific offer.
NXC
NXC describes a Navratri WhatsApp campaign for an Ahmedabad garba organiser. Its published case study identifies the example as an illustrative composite based on real project work, with the organiser's name and some figures generalised.
Small-business lesson: Connect promotion directly to registration or ticketing. Do not make customers search for the booking step after receiving the invitation.
The transferable rule
Both examples point toward the same operational choice: give the customer relevant information and a clear next action instead of making the campaign a generic festival announcement.
For your campaign: make the booking, RSVP or callback outcome explicit in the calling flow.
A 30-second Navratri invitation call
Start with this version, then replace the placeholders with your actual event information. Keep the no-response and opt-out paths as clear as the sales path.
Troika Tech can adapt this flow for different languages, customer segments and outcomes. Keep a human handoff available for complaints, refunds, accessibility concerns and other cases the AI should not resolve itself.
AI calling vs human calling
The choice is not necessarily one or the other. Use people where judgement and relationship matter, and use automation for repetitive invitation, qualification and reminder work.
| Capability | AI calling | Human calling |
|---|---|---|
| High-volume outbound calls | Yes | Limited by staff |
| Standard event information | Yes | Yes |
| Personalised conversation paths | Yes | Yes |
| Complex complaints | Escalate | Yes |
| Scheduled reminders | Yes | Manual |
| CRM outcome capture | Can automate | Usually manual |
| Emotional or sensitive conversations | Escalate | Better suited |
Keep the division simple
- AI handles repetitive invitations
- AI records structured responses
- AI runs scheduled reminders
- People handle exceptions
- People handle complaints
- Marketing reviews campaign outcomes
Build around the way Mumbai customers actually plan
A Mumbai Navratri campaign has practical questions that can matter as much as the event itself. Make those answers available before the customer has to ask your team.
Offer the preferred language
Let customers continue in English, Hindi, Marathi or another supported Indian language instead of forcing every conversation into the same script.
Answer venue questions
Keep parking, gate, reporting time, venue landmark and entry requirements in the approved call information.
Separate family and group leads
Ask questions that match the group. A family booking and a large friends' group may need different information and offers.
Local detail: Mumbai's Navratri event schedules, venue arrangements and community practices vary. Never make the AI caller guess a venue rule, parking condition, pass policy or religious timing.
Check the calling rules before the first campaign
Promotional voice calling needs more care than simply uploading a customer list. Your campaign should have a clear process for consent, opt-outs, calling preferences, disclosures and escalation.
Before you launch
- Confirm the lawful basis and consent status of your calling list
- Check current Indian promotional-calling and DND requirements
- Provide a clear way for people to stop promotional calls
- Define when an AI call must transfer to a human
- Decide how call outcomes and opt-outs will be recorded
- Verify current requirements before publishing or launching
Rules and telecom requirements can change, so verify the current TRAI and applicable regulatory requirements before your campaign goes live. This guide is an operating framework, not legal advice.
Six things to have ready before you call
Questions business owners ask
AI calling can make outbound invitation calls, explain the event, qualify interest, collect RSVP information and schedule callbacks. It is most useful when you have a large list and a short period in which to contact people.
Yes, an AI voice agent can conduct scripted outbound conversations. The campaign still needs appropriate consent, calling controls and escalation rules for promotional communication in India.
Yes. The call can ask whether the person is attending, how many people are coming and whether they want booking information. Your booking or CRM system should remain the source of truth for the actual ticket or registration.
Yes. Troika Tech supports 9+ Indian languages, allowing you to design the campaign around the language preferences of your audience rather than forcing every caller through one English script.
The market range specified for this campaign is roughly ₹10–₹12 per minute, with actual costs depending on provider, call volume, infrastructure and requirements. If you are budgeting, estimate minutes first: for example, 5,000 connected calls averaging three minutes would mean about 15,000 minutes, before accounting for unsuccessful attempts or other charges.
Yes. A useful sequence is an initial invitation, a reminder for confirmed attendees and a separate follow-up for people who said they were undecided. For an event on October 18, for example, a confirmation call around October 16 and a short same-day reminder can be scheduled around your event's operating hours.
In Mumbai, Sharad Navratri begins on Sunday, October 11, 2026. The ninth-day observances fall on Monday, October 19, and Vijayadashami/Dussehra is Tuesday, October 20. Festival practices, colours, puja timings and event schedules can vary by region, community and organiser, so use the dates relevant to your specific event when communicating with customers.
Start with one calling list.
Pick one segment, such as people who attended your last Navratri event. Write one 30-second script, define one CTA and test the flow. Troika Tech can run the calling workflow with managed AI calling, 9+ Indian language support and a human handoff for conversations that need your team.
The practical inputs are simple: your audience segment, event dates, offer, preferred languages and the action you want the caller to complete.
Use the script