THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Six tech-savvy youths from the state have come together to develop an Artificial Intelligence-based web application designed to send personalised Christmas greetings and messages in Santa Claus’ voice. The application -- www.santacallingai.com -- which has gained significant traction globally, especially in the US and the UK, features interactive responses from Santa, offering a festive and fun experience for users.
The idea was conceptualised by Sidharth N, who had previously developed a prank-call tool. Inspired to create an AI-powered solution for festive greetings, he collaborated with Richin R Chandran (CEO, Richinnovations Technologies), Muhammad Shanoob (CEO, Inventy International), Vignesh (UI/UX designer), Ajnas N B (developer), and Dheeraj Dileep (Cusat student). The concept took shape during the startup conclave, Huddle Global 2024, organised by the Kerala Startup Mission in November. The team turned the idea into reality within a week.
The app features two modes: a ‘Nice Santa’ for children and a ‘Naughty Santa’ for adults, while ensuring child-friendly interactions by filtering out sensitive or inappropriate terms. Users can enjoy the first four minutes for free, with additional minutes available at a price. Initially piloted in Kerala, the app proved successful and has since expanded to target both Indian and global audiences.
Currently, greetings are available in English and Hindi, with plans in place to expand to other languages.
“However, the existing AI tools have limitations in generating content in South Indian languages, including Malayalam,” co-developer Richin R Chandran said.
A notable feature of the app is its interactivity, allowing Santa to answer questions sensibly, enhancing the user experience.
In addition to individual users, the app also offers a B2B option, enabling employers to send Christmas wishes to employees.
The underlying technology used in this has potential applications in tele-sales, customer support, and automated conversational services.
The innovative app has already attracted interest from numerous Indian and international clients, building Kerala’s reputation as a hub for innovative tech solutions.
This AI-driven tool by the young entrepreneurs is bringing a new AI-generated festive cheer to audiences worldwide.
The web application was launched on December 11 and within 10 days the page views crossed over 34,000 . The visitors to the web application have crossed 4,000. The rate for service for above 4 minutes is `19 in India, $5 outside India per minute.