Short answer: a missed call campaign lets supporters join with one action that costs them nothing and works on any phone. For elections, run several numbers (bursts are large and each number caps simultaneous calls), put them on the Unlimited plan, and pipe every caller in real time by webhook into the campaign's website, CRM or volunteer system.
This is a proven pattern on Edesy: a state-level political campaign uses missed call numbers to sign up supporters, with each call piped by webhook into the candidate's website.
Why Missed Calls Suit Political Campaigns
- No cost to the supporter. The call is rejected with a busy tone, so nobody is charged.
- No literacy or language barrier. No app, no internet, no typing. It works the same for every voter, in every language, on a basic phone.
- One action from a poster, rally stage or TV screen. "Give a missed call on 9XXXXXXXXX to join" is short enough to shout from a stage.
- Instant data. Each supporter's number and time arrive in real time.
- Measurable. One number per region, event or channel shows where support is coming from.
What a Campaign Uses It For
| Use | How it works |
|---|---|
| Membership or supporter drive | Missed call to join; webhook creates the supporter record |
| Pledge or signature campaign | Unique callers = pledges |
| Volunteer sign-up | Separate number for volunteers; list goes to field coordinators |
| Rally attendance and follow-up | A number shown at each rally; callers get event updates later |
| Issue polls | One number per option, unique callers = votes |
| Manifesto or update requests | Callers receive a callback or message from the campaign's own system |
Follow-up messages and calls are sent by the campaign's own systems or vendors. SMS and WhatsApp auto-replies are available on request on Edesy; we set them up for your account quickly. For outbound updates the campaign can also use voice broadcasting as a separate product.
How the Anonymised Deployment Works
The state-level campaign's setup is simple and is a good template:
- Missed call numbers are published on campaign material.
- A supporter gives a missed call; the call is cut and costs them nothing.
- Edesy sends a signed
call.missedwebhook to the candidate's website within moments. - The website records the supporter and runs its own follow-up flow.
- If the website is briefly down, Edesy retries up to 6 times over about 15 minutes, and failed events can be replayed from the delivery log. Undelivered events are not charged.
The campaign owns the data and the follow-up. Edesy is the capture and delivery layer.
Sizing for Bursts
Election traffic is not smooth. A televised appeal, a rally speech or a viral post can produce thousands of calls in a few minutes. Each number has a cap on simultaneous calls, and a call that arrives above the cap may not be captured at all.
Practical sizing rules:
- Split by source. One number for TV, one per major rally, one per region on posters. Splitting spreads load and gives attribution.
- Give big moments their own numbers. A prime-time TV appeal should have more than one number on screen, or rotate numbers across channels.
- Do not reuse one number nationwide. It concentrates every burst on a single cap.
- Test before the event. Dial each number and confirm the webhook reaches the website.
| Campaign stage | Suggested setup |
|---|---|
| Constituency-level drive | 1-3 numbers |
| District-level with rallies | One per district or per rally series |
| State-level with TV | Several numbers per channel plus regional poster numbers |
Talk to us before a very large state or national push so numbers are ready in time.
What It Costs
At election volumes, the Unlimited plan is the right choice.
| Item | Price (plus 18% GST) |
|---|---|
| Unlimited, per number | ₹1,498/month |
| Fair use per number | 1,00,000 events/month |
| Above fair use | ₹0.10 per event |
| Pay as you go (for small numbers) | ₹499/month + ₹0.30 per webhook event |
Examples:
| Setup | Monthly before GST | With GST |
|---|---|---|
| 3 numbers, Unlimited | ₹4,494 | ₹5,302.92 |
| 5 numbers, Unlimited | ₹7,490 | ₹8,838.20 |
| 10 numbers, Unlimited | ₹14,980 | ₹17,676.40 |
Prepaying Unlimited for 3 months costs ₹3,999 per number. A one-time setup fee may apply per number. Full details are in missed call service pricing in India.
KYC for Campaigns
A number is issued only after KYC, as required by Indian telecom rules. A party, trust or organisation registers with its PAN, registration documents, an authorisation letter and address proof; an individual candidate uses PAN and Aadhaar. Review usually takes under 24 hours, so complete it well before the campaign launch.
Where the Supporter Data Goes
| Destination | Good for |
|---|---|
| Campaign website or app (webhook) | Campaigns with their own tech team, like the deployment above |
| Edesy CRM | Teams that need a ready supporter list with assignment and notes (free plan) |
| CSV export | Daily lists for field coordinators |
| Existing CRM | We connect it for you, usually within a few days, using the webhook and API |
The webhook payload includes the caller's number, the number they called, its name (your label
for the region or event) and a call_sid that stays the same on retries, so your system can
de-duplicate safely. See the missed call docs.
Consent and Conduct
Missed call sign-ups are only as good as the trust behind them. General good practice:
- Say what the supporter is joining right next to the number ("Missed call to join and receive campaign updates").
- Use the number only for that purpose. Do not resell or share lists.
- Make opting out easy and honour it promptly in your own systems; the missed call product does not manage opt-outs for you.
- Follow Election Commission of India guidance on campaign communication, including any restrictions near polling, and TRAI rules on commercial calls and messages.
- De-duplicate repeat callers before contacting anyone; every call is a separate event.
- Secure the data. Verify webhook signatures and restrict who can export lists.
This is general practice, not legal advice. Take advice specific to your campaign.
Launch Checklist
- KYC approved for the party, trust or candidate.
- Numbers bought and named by region, rally or channel.
- Unlimited enabled on high-traffic numbers.
- Webhook pointed at the website or CRM, signing secret set, test event received.
- Every number dialled once and seen in the log.
- Consent line on every creative.
- Follow-up flow ready before the first rally.
More detail is on missed call service for political campaigns and the political campaign use case.