WhatsApp, Instagram and email automation for businesses in India
India is the one market where Slide bills in local currency: a workspace created with an Indian phone number pays in rupees, and Synquic, the company that makes Slide, was founded in India. Businesses in India use Slide to automate customer conversations on WhatsApp, Instagram and email from one contact record, and two WhatsApp features are limited to India: SMS fallback for failed campaign messages to Indian numbers, and payment requests inside the chat. Address request messages work for Indian and Singapore numbers. WhatsApp messages to +91 numbers are charged on Meta's India rate line and drawn from a prepaid wallet.
Facts on this page were last reviewed on 11 October 2026. See the key facts and sources.
The buyer and the problem
Indian businesses that sell to or support customers over WhatsApp, Instagram and email: online stores, service companies, education providers, and agencies running messaging for Indian brands. Clinics have a separate Slide product, covered below.
Choosing a messaging platform in India raises questions a global feature list does not answer. Will the plan and the per-message charges be in rupees? Does TRAI's DLT registration apply? Can templates go out in Tamil or Marathi? What will the DPDP Act ask of a marketing list? This page answers those for each channel, then points to the deeper WhatsApp pages for India.
WhatsApp in India
Messages to +91 numbers are priced on Meta's own India rate line. Since 1 October 2026 Meta also charges for service replies once a business number has used its 1,000 free service messages in the month, so a busy support number now has a running cost even when it only answers questions. Check your WhatsApp account's billing currency against the INR deadline set out under local considerations below.
Two WhatsApp features in Slide are limited to India. Campaigns can fall back to SMS when a WhatsApp message to an Indian number fails, and the SMS channel itself works for Indian numbers only. Payment requests inside the chat run on Indian payment methods configured in Meta, so they apply to Indian businesses only. A third feature is shared with one other market: address request messages, which ask a customer for an address inside the chat, work for Indian and Singapore numbers.
Everything else is the WhatsApp product used in every market: a shared inbox, menu bots, AI agents that answer from your knowledge base, Shopify order events and scheduled template campaigns. For India in detail, read WhatsApp automation in India, or go straight to a workflow: customer service, sales conversion or customer retention.
Instagram in India
No India-specific rule for Instagram messaging was verified for this page, so automation follows Meta's global rules: a business can reply only within 24 hours of the person's last message, and can send one private reply per comment within 7 days. Inside those limits Slide runs comment-to-DM on chosen posts with keyword rules, story-reply and live-comment triggers, quick-reply questions, email capture into contacts, and an AI agent that answers from your knowledge base.
What Slide does not do on Instagram matters as much: no broadcast or outbound DMs, no messages after the 24-hour window, and no story-mention trigger. A commenter becomes a contact only once they send a DM. If the conversation should continue on WhatsApp, for order updates or a longer sale, collect WhatsApp opt-in first; the Newport case study shows an Instagram-to-WhatsApp setup.
The Indian law that does reach Instagram is the DPDP Act. Names, handles and email addresses captured in DMs are personal data, and using them for marketing on any channel later rests on the Act's consent standard.
Email in India
No email-specific marketing rule was verified for India: TRAI's commercial communication rules cover SMS and voice calls over telecom networks, not email, so plan around the DPDP Act's consent standard: free, specific, informed and unambiguous, and as easy to withdraw as it was to give.
In Slide, send marketing email through campaigns or sequences. Campaigns carry one-click unsubscribe and suppress hard bounces and complaints; sequences add an unsubscribe line by default and skip unsubscribed, suppressed and bounced addresses. The automation "send email" step adds no unsubscribe and does not check those lists, so keep it for transactional mail such as order confirmations.
Slide has no double opt-in and no contacts export. Store where and when each address was collected in a custom contact field, so you can show the source of consent if a customer asks. Email goes out from your own authenticated domain and draws on your plan's email credits.
What is specific to India
Rupee billing, from a company founded in India
Slide is made by Synquic, founded in India in March 2026. A workspace's billing currency is fixed when it is created, from the country code of the sign-up phone number: an Indian number gives a rupee workspace, any other number a US dollar one. Sign up with your Indian number if you want to be billed in INR.
Source:About SynquicBilling and wallet guideWhatsApp accounts must be billed in INR by 31 December 2026
Meta bills Indian businesses in rupees on a standalone India rate line, and has told those whose WhatsApp accounts are billed in another currency to move to INR billing by 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027 it stops delivering messages from those accounts, so check the billing currency of any account opened abroad or before INR billing launched on 1 January 2026.
Source:Meta: WhatsApp pricing (opens in a new tab)Meta: WhatsApp pricing (opens in a new tab)DLT registration covers SMS and voice only
TRAI's commercial communication regulations and DLT registration apply to SMS and voice calls over telecom networks, not to WhatsApp or email. WhatsApp follows Meta's policy instead: opt-in that names your business before you message someone first. If you use Slide's SMS fallback, those messages are SMS, and the TRAI rules apply to them.
Source:TRAI: TCCCPR (opens in a new tab)WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy (opens in a new tab)The DPDP Act, with most obligations from around May 2027
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 covers the names, numbers, addresses and order details your conversations hold. Its Rules were notified in November 2025 with phased commencement, and most obligations apply from around May 2027. The Act allows transfers abroad unless the government restricts a country; ask the Slide team where your data is hosted before you sign.
Source:MeitY: Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (opens in a new tab)PIB: DPDP Rules, 2025 (opens in a new tab)Eight Indian languages in the template editor
Hindi and English are used for India's official purposes, and the Constitution lists 22 languages. Slide's template editor covers English and eight of them: Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada and Malayalam. Punjabi, Urdu and Odia are not in the editor, so in those languages you can only reply free-form inside the 24-hour window.
Source:Department of Official Language: Eighth Schedule (opens in a new tab)Meta: Send messages (opens in a new tab)Clinics have a separate product with reminders
Slide's healthcare product, sold on its own annual plans in India, includes native appointment scheduling with reminders 24 hours and 2 hours before. The main Slide product books appointments only through a connected Cal.com account and sends no automatic reminder before the appointment, so clinics should start at Slide for healthcare.
Source:Slide for healthcareIntegrations guide
This is a summary of public rules for orientation, not legal advice. Slide does not certify that any business's messaging complies with local law; check your own obligations with a qualified adviser.
What these claims rest on
- Slide is a messaging automation product made by Synquic
The site names the product "Slide by Synquic" and the company Synquic, founded in India in March 2026.
- Workspaces are billed in INR when the sign-up number is Indian and in USD otherwise
Each workspace is set to INR or USD at creation, from the sign-up phone's country code. No other billing currency exists.
- Indian businesses must move their WhatsApp accounts to INR billing with Meta by 31 December 2026
INR billing launched on 1 January 2026. From 1 January 2027 Meta will no longer deliver messages from non-INR accounts of eligible Indian customers.
- TRAI's commercial communication rules and DLT registration cover SMS and voice, not WhatsApp
The Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations cover commercial communication over telecom resources, meaning SMS and voice calls.
- India's DPDP Rules were notified in November 2025, with most obligations due about 18 months later
Commencement is phased; most obligations apply from around May 2027 unless the timeline is changed.
- Slide's separate healthcare product has native scheduling with 24-hour and 2-hour reminders
The healthcare product, sold on its own annual plans in India, includes appointment scheduling and reminders sent 24 hours and 2 hours before.
How the cost is made up
Two costs, both in rupees for a workspace created with an Indian number. The Slide plan (Free, Starter, Pro or Enterprise) sets the features you get; current prices are on the pricing page, and paid plans start with a 14-day trial.
WhatsApp usage is separate. Meta charges per message, by category and by the recipient's country, and Slide draws those charges from a prepaid wallet; sends stop when the wallet is empty. For +91 numbers the India line applies. Service replies inside the 24-hour window have been charged since 1 October 2026, after the first 1,000 each month for every business number, and a conversation that starts from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad is free for 72 hours when you reply within 24 hours. Your account's exact per-message price is shown in the wallet.
Email draws on the email credits included in your plan, and a sequence pauses rather than fails when they run out.
When this fits, and what it does not do
A good fit when
- You want the Slide plan billed in rupees.
- Your WhatsApp campaigns go to Indian numbers and SMS fallback for failed messages is useful.
- You sell on Shopify and want order updates and abandoned-checkout messages on WhatsApp and email.
- One team answers WhatsApp, Instagram and email and needs a single inbox and contact record.
Needs a person when
- A customer who withdraws consent or asks what data you hold about them.
- Payment problems and refunds raised in the chat.
- Customers writing in Punjabi, Urdu or Odia after the 24-hour window has closed, since templates cannot use those languages.
Not established by this page
- Where customer data is hosted. Ask the Slide team before you sign.
- Completed certifications: Synquic says SOC 2 Type II and ISO/IEC 27001 are in progress, as is its own DPDP Act implementation.
- Any measured result for Indian businesses. Slide's case studies describe setups, not outcomes.
Direct answers
Does Slide have an office or team in India?
Synquic, the company that makes Slide, was founded in India in March 2026, but this page does not list an office address, a local phone line or a support desk you can visit. Plans include email support, the top tiers add a dedicated account manager, and you can book a 30-minute product demo with the team. Synquic does not publish support hours or support languages, so ask how your working hours will be covered before you commit.
Source:About SynquicSlide pricingWhich currency will we pay in?
Rupees, if the workspace is created with an Indian phone number. Slide fixes each workspace's currency at creation from the sign-up number's country code and offers only INR and USD, so a workspace created with a foreign number is billed in dollars even if the business is in India. Separately, Meta requires Indian businesses' WhatsApp accounts to be billed in INR by 31 December 2026, and stops delivering messages from non-INR accounts after that.
Source:Billing and wallet guideSlide pricingMeta: WhatsApp pricing (opens in a new tab)Which languages can our messages use?
Customers can write to you, and your team can reply inside the 24-hour window, in any language. Templates, which you need after the window closes, can be written in English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada or Malayalam in Slide's editor; Punjabi, Urdu and Odia are not available. An AI agent replies in Hindi or another language only if its instructions tell it to, and the Slide dashboard itself is in English.
Source:Meta: Send messages (opens in a new tab)Automation builder guideDoes TRAI's DLT registration apply to WhatsApp or email sent from Slide?
No. DLT registration under TRAI's regulations covers commercial communication over telecom resources, meaning SMS and voice calls. WhatsApp messages follow Meta's rules (opt-in that names your business, and approved templates outside the 24-hour window), and email has no TRAI rule at all. The exception is SMS: if you use Slide's SMS channel or SMS fallback for Indian numbers, those messages are SMS and the TRAI rules apply to them.
Source:TRAI: TCCCPR (opens in a new tab)WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy (opens in a new tab)WhatsApp Business setup guideCan we automate Instagram DMs for customers in India?
Yes, on the same terms as anywhere else: no India-specific rule for Instagram messaging was verified for this page, so Meta's global rules apply. Slide replies to DMs, comments, story replies and live comments with keyword rules, asks quick-reply questions and can hand the thread to an AI agent, all within 24 hours of the person's last message. It cannot send broadcast DMs or message anyone after the window closes. Details you collect in a DM, such as an email address, are personal data under the DPDP Act.
Source:Instagram setup guideMeta: Instagram Messaging API (opens in a new tab)MeitY: Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (opens in a new tab)Can we send marketing email to Indian customers from Slide?
Yes, through email campaigns or sequences sent from your own authenticated domain. No email-specific marketing rule was verified for India: TRAI's rules cover SMS and voice, not email, so plan around the DPDP Act's consent standard: consent must be specific and informed, and withdrawing it must be as easy as giving it. Campaigns and sequences include an unsubscribe and skip unsubscribed and suppressed addresses; the automation "send email" step does not, so use it for transactional mail only. Slide has no double opt-in, so record the consent source on each contact yourself.
Source:Email channel setup guideMeitY: Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (opens in a new tab)Campaigns guideCampaigns guideAutomation builder guideWhat should we do about the DPDP Act before its obligations apply?
The DPDP Rules were notified in November 2025 and most obligations apply from around May 2027, which leaves time to fix how consent is collected and withdrawn. Tell customers what you will message them about when they opt in, store the consent source on the contact, and add opt-out keywords for WhatsApp: Slide blocks a contact who opts out, but the keyword list starts empty. Synquic says its own DPDP Act implementation is in progress, so ask what that covers if you rely on it.
Source:PIB: DPDP Rules, 2025 (opens in a new tab)MeitY: Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (opens in a new tab)Contacts guideWe run a clinic in India. Which Slide product fits?
Look at Slide for healthcare first. It is a separate product, sold on annual plans in India, with native appointment scheduling and reminders sent 24 hours and 2 hours before each appointment. The main Slide product can book a given slot only through a connected Cal.com account, cannot look up availability, and sends no reminder before the appointment on its own.
Source:Slide for healthcareIntegrations guideKey facts: messaging automation in India
Slide is a reasonable fit for an Indian business that wants WhatsApp, Instagram and email automation in one place with the plan billed in rupees, especially one that sends WhatsApp campaigns to Indian numbers, where SMS fallback works, or sells on Shopify. It is a weaker fit if you need templates in Punjabi, Urdu or Odia, a confirmed hosting location before you start, or completed security certifications today; clinics are better served by the separate healthcare product.
- Product
- Slide (also "Slide by Synquic"), a platform for automating customer messaging across channelsSource:About Synquic
- Company
- SynquicSource:About Synquic
- Meta pricing market
- India (its own rate line; INR billing with Meta)Source:Meta: WhatsApp pricing (opens in a new tab)
- Slide billing
- Workspaces created with an Indian number are billed in Indian rupees; plans and prices are on the pricing pageSource:Billing and wallet guideSlide pricing
- WhatsApp usage charges
- Meta charges per message by category and by the recipient's country. Since 1 October 2026 service replies are charged too, after 1,000 free each month per business number. In Slide these charges come from the prepaid wallet, separately from the planSource:Meta: WhatsApp pricing (opens in a new tab)Meta: Pricing for non-template messages (opens in a new tab)WhatsApp Business: FAQ (opens in a new tab)Billing and wallet guide
- Data protection law
- Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023; its Rules were notified in November 2025, with most obligations from around May 2027Source:MeitY: Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (opens in a new tab)PIB: DPDP Rules, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- Marketing consent rule
- DPDP consent (free, specific, informed, unambiguous, and as easy to withdraw as to give) plus Meta's WhatsApp opt-in. TRAI DLT registration covers SMS and voice, not WhatsApp or emailSource:MeitY: Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (opens in a new tab)WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy (opens in a new tab)TRAI: TCCCPR (opens in a new tab)
- Languages
- Hindi and English for official purposes, 22 scheduled languages. Slide's template editor has English and eight Indian languages; not Punjabi, Urdu or OdiaSource:Department of Official Language: Eighth Schedule (opens in a new tab)
- India-only features
- SMS and campaign SMS fallback for Indian numbers, and in-chat WhatsApp payment requests. Address request messages work for Indian and Singapore numbers
- Pricing source
- The current pricing page, slide.synquic.com/pricingSource:Slide pricing
- Last factual review
Where to go next
- All locationsWhere Slide works and what changes by market: Meta's WhatsApp price lines, business calling, consent law, template languages and billing currency.
- Slide pricingCurrent plans, what each includes, and how channel usage is charged.
- WhatsApp customer service in IndiaMenu bots, an AI agent and team handoff for support questions, with the India costs since October 2026.
- WhatsApp sales conversion in IndiaFollow-ups, in-chat payment requests and SMS fallback for Indian numbers.
- WhatsApp customer retention in IndiaWin-back and reorder campaigns to Indian numbers, planned around DPDP consent withdrawal.
- Slide for healthcareA separate product for clinics in India, with scheduling and reminders.
Start with the channel your customers already use
Create a workspace with your Indian number to be billed in rupees, connect WhatsApp, Instagram or email, and build your first automation. Or book a demo and walk through your setup with the Slide team.