AI voice agents help Bengaluru West City Corporation recover Rs 35.11 cr in property tax

The Bengaluru West City Corporation (BWCC) used AI voice agents to make 4.54 lakh calls across 64 wards between March and June, reaching 59,604 property owners and recovering nearly Rs 35.11 crore in pending property tax, with 26,962 owners agreeing to pay their dues. BWCC Commissioner Rajendra KV said the AI handled initial calls so officials could focus on follow-up cases, and the exercise also removed 17,314 inactive phone numbers and 6,315 numbers belonging to former property owners from civic records.

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru West City Corporation BWCC has used AI voice agents to call property tax defaulters and persuade them to clear their dues.Between March and June, the AI agent made 4.54 lakh calls across 64 wards and reached 59,604 property owners. Of these, 26,962 agreed to pay their dues, helping the corporation recover nearly Rs 35.11 crore in pending property tax.The initiative was launched after officials found that many property owners were unaware of their outstanding tax, the year from which it was due and how to pay it online.The AI handled the initial calls, allowing officials to focus on cases requiring follow-up.“Reaching tax defaulters was a challenging task... Making lakhs of phone calls within a single tax cycle would have required a massive call centre,” the BWCC said..'Espionage Alert': UK accuses China of using academics to spy on AI and other tech research.The exercise also helped update civic records, with 17,314 inactive phone numbers and 6,315 numbers belonging to former property owners identified and removed.“Even though we knew who the defaulters were, we needed technological assistance to speak with them individually, persuasively and in their own language within a single tax cycle. That is now possible,” BWCC Commissioner Rajendra KV said.He said a demand notice merely informs a citizen, while a conversation can persuade them to pay. Officials also found that many defaulters did not know their outstanding amount or how to pay online.The BWCC cautioned citizens against fraud, saying it will never seek payments, OTPs, card numbers, UPI PINs or bank details over phone calls. Taxpayers have been advised to pay only through the official portal or at their respective ward/assistant revenue officer's office.The online portal: https://bbmptax.karnataka.gov.in.How AI helpedCalls made: 4,54,908Property owners reached: 59,604Those who agreed to pay: 26,962Arrears to be collected: Rs 35.11 croreThose who specified payment date: 10,303Those who promised to pay soon: 5,747