Akosha.com

Akosha.com is an Indian consumer awareness and complaints website which helps Indian customers in resolving their problems with companies.^[1] The website has created an alternative complaint clearing house where consumers and brands are able to amicably resolve their complaints.

Akosha means to unravel things. Kosha means the five layers of atma in Sanskrit. A-kosha means removing those layers, like peeling layers off an onion.^[2]

Ankur Singla, a B.A., LL.B(Hons) graduate from National Law School of India University, Bangalore created this website in August 2009.

"Companies like Akosha are providing service to disgruntled consumers by taking up their grievances with companies for free".^[3] "Customers provide details of their complaint. If it is valid, Akosha takes the case and works out a solution.".^[4] "Solving consumer complaints is a full-time job and Akosha takes on the task for their customers."^[5] and "Akosha assures customers that they will save on time, effort and retain peace of mind.".^[6]

Akosha Telecom Survey

A Supreme Court judgement in 2009 had thrown telecom complaints resolution in India in disarray. Akosha conducted its Telecom Complaints Survey 2011 to find out the situation on the ground.^[7][8]

The mess of telecom complaints in India: A Comprehensive Review

Key findings of the Akosha Telecom Complaints Survey 2011 were:

• Over 44% of the District Consumer Forums in India do not have a functional telephone number or helpdesk. It is very difficult for customers to seek information and approach these district consumer forums.
• Of the 36 District Consumer Forums we were able to get through to out of the 66 highest volume Consumer Forums, 33% District Consumer Forums are either completely rejecting complaints against telecom companies or were non committal on whether they take up such cases.
• The rest of the District Consumer Forums (especially in Western India) were accepting complaints against telecom companies.
• There is a lot of contradiction sometimes within the same State. In Delhi, for example, while 5 District Forums said they accept telecom complaints, 3 said they did not, and another 2 said that they are not sure.

Mobile Chat App

Akosha has recently ventured into mobile application that helps customers to chat with Indian brands. Chatting can be used to get shopping coupons, food coupons, deals, offers, mobile/DTH/internet recharge, flight/train PNR status, talk time/tariff plans, banks/hospitals information etc. The app claims to be a single solution for any big or small query or request. Chat is available with brands from different sectors such as:

• Shopping – Flipkart, Ebay, Myntra, Snapdeal, Zovi, Amazon, Jabong
• Mobile network operator – Airtel, Idea, Vodafone, Aircel, BSNL
• Banks – State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, HSBC Bank, ING Vysya Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India
• Airlines – Air India, Jet Airways, SpiceJet, GoAir, Indigo, British Airways
• Travel – IRCTC, Makemytrip, Goibibo, Yatra
• Taxi services – Meru Cabs, Ola, TaxiForSure
• Food - Pizza Hut, Domino's Pizza, KFC,
• Government companies – BSES, Bharat Gas, India Posts

They also have chat experts for movies, investment, lifestyle, retail shopping, hospitals etc.

Akosha OneDirect

Akosha OneDirect claims to be next generation Online reputation management tool. OneDirect was launched in 2009 with the purpose of helping Indian brands overcome challenges they faced with respect to Customer Experience Management. Akosha OneDirect has evolved as a pioneer in the CEM space with a suite of world-class products.

Investors

Akosha has raised seed funding from The Morpheus, a startup accelerator based out of Bangalore and Chandigarh in 2010.^[9]

On July 3, 2014, Sequoia Capital agreed to increase its total investment in the company to $5.2m.^[10]

References

External links

• Akosha Home Page
• Livemint