GVK scion-backed Equal AI challenges Google, Apple, Truecaller with India's first AI call assistant

"Unknown calls are a huge pain point in India. Indians receive four to five unknown calls daily, from spam, scams, or deliveries. You don't want to miss the important ones, but you also don't want to waste time," Reddy told Moneycontrol. "Equal AI takes the call, finds out why the caller is reaching out, and lets the user decide the next action in real time."

He said the startup is targeting a different cohort-young, urban Indians in their late 20s and 30s who want something fun, new, and AI-first. They're busy and want someone else to handle calls for them.

Equal AI positions itself as a real-time call manager, designed to screen unknown calls, converse naturally, and deliver concise updates like: "Delivery partner is at your gate." Users can also type instructions during the call, which the AI relays instantly in a natural voice.

Apple and Google have call-screening features, and Truecaller dominates with its crowdsourced caller database. But Reddy argues these solutions don't solve India's unique challenges. "Big Tech has global products, but they don't understand Indian nuances like names, languages, or contexts. Our AI is India-first, with natural-sounding voices and emotional tone so callers actually engage with it," he said.

"We're India-first, designed for Bharat's languages and nuances. Plus, we allow live interaction during calls-something even Apple, Google, or Truecaller don't offer. That seamless, smart call-handling experience is our differentiator," Reddy added.

The launch comes as telcos and the government prepare to roll out CNAP (Calling Name Presentation), which displays verified caller names. Reddy sees CNAP as complementary: "CNAP solves the who. We solve the why."

Equal's go-to-market plan starts with a rollout in Delhi/North India, where Hindi support is strongest. A phased rollout to Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad is planned for Q4 2025, with iOS support to follow soon.

The company is focusing on early adopters, social virality, and waitlist-driven onboarding to ensure a smooth user experience. Its freemium model will offer free call screening, while premium users can access advanced features. Over time, Equal AI aims to evolve into a broader personal assistant, capable of handling services, offers, loans, and even smarter telemarketing interactions.

Equal is targeting 1 million daily active users by mid-2026, paving the way for an AI that Indians will love. The long-term vision is to expand Equal AI from a call manager into a daily-use digital assistant for Indians. "If we execute well, Equal AI can become the daily assistant for tens of millions of Indians," Reddy said.

Reddy, who studied in the U.S. and later at MIT before stints in the family business GVK, brings deep entrepreneurial and investment experience. Through his family office VC fund, he has backed over 35 companies, including six unicorns. He positions Equal AI as one of the rare India-first AI application bets at scale.

"India has very few true AI-first application companies," Reddy said. "We're building Equal AI ground-up for Indian consumers. If we solve this well, Equal AI will be the daily assistant for tens of millions of Indians."

Equal's journey began in 2022 as a B2B identity verification platform, integrating over 50 identity databases and 40,000 APIs to help businesses with KYC, fraud prevention, and regulatory compliance. Its clients include WeWork, L&T, TVS, Aragen, Emri, Achala, and Hetero.

The company employs about 105 people across BFSI, employment, and AI, including a 15-member AI team of specialists. Its B2B systems have processed over a billion data transactions in India's account aggregator ecosystem, serving 90 million unique users.

The long-term vision is to expand Equal AI from a call manager into a daily-use digital assistant for Indians. "If we execute well, Equal AI can become the daily assistant for tens of millions of Indians," Reddy said.

d.