Bengaluru West City Corporation used AI voice calls in Kannada to contact property tax defaulters. The campaign made 4.54 lakh calls to 59,604 owners and could help recover around Rs 35.1 crore in pending taxes.
The Bengaluru West City Corporation has turned to Artificial Intelligence (AI) to recover pending property tax from defaulters by using automated voice calls to contact property owners directly. The civic body made twice-daily calls in Kannada to owners with outstanding dues, informing them of the amount pending, the duration for which the dues had remained unpaid and the process for making online payments. The initiative was launched after officials found that several property owners were unaware of their pending tax amounts or the online payment process.
4.54 Lakh Calls Made, 59,000 Owners Reached
The AI voice agent ran the campaign from March to June, making 4.54 lakh calls across 64 of the erstwhile 198 wards. Through the campaign, the system successfully contacted 59,604 property owners.
The AI voice agent communicated with property owners in Kannada, informed them about their exact tax dues and the period for which the amount had remained pending, and guided them through the online payment process.
Paving The Way For Rs 35.1 Crore Tax Recovery
The AI calling campaign generated a positive response, with 26,962 property owners agreeing to clear their dues after speaking to the AI agent. This has opened up the possibility of recovering around Rs 35.1 crore in pending property tax.
Of these property owners, 10,303 provided a specific date by which they intended to make the payment, while another 5,747 promised to clear their dues soon.
Reducing The Burden On Civic Officials
Manually following up with thousands of tax defaulters had placed considerable pressure on the corporation’s revenue department. Making lakhs of calls during a single tax cycle would normally require a large call centre operation.
It also meant Assistant Revenue Officers (AROs) had to divert time from regular surveys and field-level tax collection activities to make calls. According to the corporation, using AI for the initial outreach has helped address this issue. Officials can now focus on cases that require direct human intervention.
Identifying Errors In Tax Records
The AI-driven campaign also helped the corporation identify and correct errors in its property tax database. During the calling process, the system found 17,314 inactive mobile numbers and 6,315 numbers belonging to previous property owners.
The findings have given the civic body an opportunity to update its records. The campaign also established that 4,577 properties had no pending tax dues. This will allow the corporation to avoid making unnecessary recovery calls to those property owners.
Bengaluru Startup Behind The AI Technology
Bengaluru-based startup Vocal Labs developed the AI technology used for the campaign. IIT Madras alumni Nilesh Kumar, Mrutyunjay Das and Raag Sanil founded the company, which developed the solution to address revenue collection challenges faced by civic bodies.
The AI voice system was designed to communicate naturally with property owners in the local language.
Bengaluru West City Corporation Commissioner Rajendra K.V. explained the challenge faced by officials, saying that while the corporation knew who the defaulters were, contacting each property owner individually and explaining the issue in their preferred language was a major challenge. The AI technology, he said, has helped make this process possible.
Direct Conversations Prove More Effective Than Notices
Officials noted that sending a tax notice or demand letter only informs citizens about their dues. A direct conversation, however, allows officials to explain the pending amount and guide property owners through the online payment process.
During the campaign, officials found that many taxpayers were genuinely unaware of their outstanding dues or did not know how easily they could make payments online.
Corporation Warns Property Owners Against Scam Calls
With AI-based calls being made to property owners, the corporation has also warned citizens about possible scam calls. The civic body clarified that it will never ask property owners to make tax payments over the phone.
It also warned that its AI system or officials will never ask for an OTP, card number, UPI PIN or bank account details during a call.
Property owners with pending dues have been advised to make payments only through the official Karnataka Property Tax portal or by visiting their local ward office or Assistant Revenue Officer (ARO) office.