Justdial is stepping up its focus on artificial intelligence (AI), conversational search and digital tools for merchants as it seeks to strengthen its position in India’s rapidly evolving local discovery market.
In his message to shareholders in the company’s Annual Report 2026, Justdial Founder, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer V S S Mani said the company’s regional presence, supported by field teams and an extensive service network, gives it a close understanding of local business ecosystems across the country.
He said the underlying strengths of the company’s business model remained intact during FY26, with advance collections, subscription-based revenues and disciplined cost structures supporting liquidity and continued investments in products and technology.
Making discovery smarter
A key priority for Justdial during FY26 was to make local discovery simpler, faster and more context-aware, as consumers increasingly expect digital platforms to understand their intent rather than simply match keywords.
The company introduced several AI-led capabilities across search, recommendations and content. These include Ask Anything, multilingual discovery, voice interactions, predictive suggestions and AI-generated review summaries.
Justdial has also deployed semantic and vector-based models to improve its ability to interpret complex and conversational queries.
The shift is aimed at making local search more intuitive, enabling users to find relevant businesses and services using natural, conversational interactions.
AI tools for merchants
Justdial is also using AI to simplify the digital journey for merchants, particularly small and medium-sized businesses.
Automated onboarding, instant KYC, AI-assisted catalogue creation and intelligent lead management are helping businesses reduce turnaround time and improve customer engagement, according to Mani.
A notable development during FY26 was the launch of the JD Sixer Pack, which brings CRM, lead management, analytics, review handling and competition insights together through a single interface.
The company’s Universal Business Listing proposition also gained wider adoption, allowing merchants to manage their visibility across multiple digital platforms from a single dashboard.
Focus on India’s MSME ecosystem
Mani said India’s MSME ecosystem remains one of the country’s strongest economic pillars, even as a large number of small enterprises continue to depend on offline visibility and fragmented customer acquisition channels.
Justdial is seeking to bridge this gap through its integrated suite of offerings, including JD Business, JD Omni, JD Pay, JD Analytics and JD Mart.
The company believes these services can enable merchants to participate in digital commerce without having to navigate complex technology platforms.
Its physical footprint remains a key differentiator, combining nationwide digital reach with local presence and allowing the company to stay closely connected with merchant requirements across geographies and sectors.
Building trust in local discovery
As local discovery increasingly shifts online, verified information, authentic reviews and reliable business profiles are becoming more important for consumers.
Justdial said its ratings and reviews framework, fraud-monitoring systems and cross-platform validation mechanisms are aimed at strengthening the credibility of its marketplace.
Trust markers such as JD Verified and JD Trust are designed to help consumers make more informed choices while improving the discoverability of credible businesses.
The company also continued its content and outreach initiatives and brought back its iconic 88888 88888 radio campaign to strengthen everyday brand recall.
Positioning for the next phase
Mani said India’s local discovery landscape is entering a new phase, driven by conversational interfaces, AI-assisted interactions and increasing digital participation in emerging markets.
According to him, Justdial’s trusted brand, long-standing merchant relationships, financial strength and continued technology investments provide a strong foundation for future growth.
The company aims to deepen its role in connecting users, enterprises and opportunities across the country as local search evolves from traditional keyword-based discovery towards AI-powered, intent-driven interactions.