In a move to make online shopping more intuitive, Meesho has introduced “Vaani—Your Meesho Dost,” a generative AI-powered voice shopping assistant aimed at India’s next 500 million internet users.
Shopping in India has traditionally been conversational, where buyers ask questions and compare options. However, this experience has not fully translated online. Vaani aims to bridge this gap by enabling voice-led, conversational search, allowing users to speak, ask follow-up questions, and refine choices in real time.
“At Meesho, AI has always been at the core of how we build for scale. With over 251 million annual transacting users, we have a deep understanding of how India shops, and that allows us to anticipate and solve for consumer needs in ways that very few platforms can,” said Sanjeev Kumar, co-founder and chief technology officer, Meesho Limited. “Over the years, we have embedded AI and ML across every part of our marketplace, from discovery and pricing to logistics, trust, and seller growth. Vaani is a natural extension of this journey. It brings together conversational AI with Meesho’s commerce intelligence to support users from discovery to purchase.”
The assistant supports users throughout the shopping journey, from product discovery to final purchase. It understands intent by asking relevant follow-up questions, shows suitable product options, and helps users make decisions using details like reviews and product information. It also guides users through steps such as choosing payment methods and confirming delivery details, reducing friction in the process. Built for scale, the system uses on-device processing to deliver faster performance while optimising costs.
The platform is enhanced with models trained on regional language nuances, improving accuracy and context awareness. Its multi-modal capability allows it to understand both voice inputs and on-screen context, creating a smoother shopping experience.
“The assistant understands user intent, asks follow-up questions, surfaces relevant products, and guides users through key steps in the purchase journey, making the experience more intuitive. Built for real-world usage at scale, it delivers fast, reliable, and context-aware interactions,” said Kumar. “We believe this is a meaningful step towards making e-commerce more accessible and more human, and towards shaping a future where technology adapts to people, not the other way around,” he added.
Early data shows strong adoption. Around 79% of users said voice simplifies shopping, 94% found it intuitive, and 62% already trust it for transactions. Within 1 month of launch, over 1.5 million users interacted with the assistant. Users are returning frequently and engaging in multiple conversations, showing early habit formation.
This has also led to measurable business impact. Users engaging with Vaani have shown a 22% higher conversion rate, faster movement from discovery to purchase, and lower returns and cancellations.
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