79 percent Indians avoid unknown business calls, reveals Truecaller and Tata Tele Business Services report
Truecaller, the leading global communications platform, has released a report on the role of voice calls as a customer engagement channel in India, which is called 'The State of Business Calling 2026'.
Bengaluru: ’76 percent consumers prefer business calls, yet 79 percent avoid answering unknown numbers’. Voice remains India’s most trusted channel; spam, poor identity, and lack of clarity and customer control erode confidence. Truecaller, the leading global communications platform, has released ‘The State of Business Calling 2026’ report, a comprehensive study on the role of voice calls as a customer engagement channel in India. Commissioned in partnership with 79 percent Indians avoid unknown business calls, reveals Truecaller and Tata Tele Business Services report as the research partner, the insights of the report highlight that voice calls remain the most trusted and widely used channel for business communication in India.
The report presents a striking paradox: 76 percent of consumers prefer calls over digital alternatives, yet 79 percent of businesses say customers actively avoid answering calls from unrecognized numbers.
As digital touchpoints multiply, customers are becoming more selective about what they engage with. Voice is no longer being ignored – it is now being filtered. The study, conducted by Kantar, surveyed over 500 B2B businesses and 1,000 consumers across 17 cities in India, highlighting a defining shift in India’s communication landscape. While digital channels are favored for speed, voice continues to dominate moments that require clarity (56 percent), reassurance, urgency, or high-stakes interactions.
The study reveals that despite emerging as the most trusted channel for business communication, ahead of email, SMS, and chat combined, voice is witnessing a quiet erosion in trust. Spam, lack of context, inconsistent caller identity, and poorly timed outreach have created a default reluctance among consumers that affects even legitimate, compliant businesses.
Priyam Bose, Global Head, Truecaller for Business GTM (Go To Market), said, “India does not have a calling problem. It has a trust and attention problem. Consumers today expect to know who is calling, why they are calling, and whether it is worth their time. At Truecaller, we are focused on enabling verified identity and contextual communication to help businesses rebuild trust and improve engagement. Our report clearly reveals the opportunities for businesses to invest in the right customer experience.” Nearly 49 percent of consumers said the ability to schedule callbacks at a convenient time would significantly increase their willingness to engage with business calls, followed by clearer visibility into caller identity and purpose. Businesses, meanwhile, are prioritizing caller identity (64 percent), verification symbols, and call-purpose previews.
The findings also reveal a critical misalignment between how businesses use voice and how they measure its effectiveness. While 41 percent businesses say trust and brand perception drive their decision to use it, the metrics they actually track tell a different story: Response Rate (72 percent), Time to Resolution (57 percent), and Cost per Interaction (53 percent) dominate scorecards. None of these capture what voice is delivering – higher CSAT (42 percent), stronger customer retention (36 percent), and emotional reassurance no automated channel can replicate.
Voice is still being managed as a transactional channel and measured as a cost center, even though it functions as a relationship driver.
While regulatory frameworks such as DLT and the use of 140 and 1600 number series aim to classify promotional and service calls, consumers may still receive essential service calls despite DND preferences, making recognisable identity and clear context critical to driving engagement.
Vishal Rally, Chief Revenue Officer, Tata Teleservices, says, “Voice remains an important channel for enterprise communication, particularly when immediacy and human connection matter most. As customer expectations evolve, businesses need secure, intelligent, and context-aware communication experiences. At TTBS, we are enabling enterprises with integrated voice and digital communication solutions that strengthen customer trust and engagement.” Voice continues to play a critical role across sectors where urgency, trust, or high-value decision-making are involved. BFSI and IT services rely heavily on voice for verification and compliance workflows, while e-commerce and logistics increasingly use voice alongside digital channels to manage transactional and support communication.
