Call floors across India have a new kind of employee on the line.

Like Rakesh’s newest mentee, who is part of his now-dwindling sales team at a major private bank. She’s always chirpy, always on time, and never off script. Her name is Ananya—at least that’s what the customer-relationship-management (CRM) dashboard calls her.

“Hi, this is Ananya from [your bank],” she says, her tone as warm and unblinking as an LED streetlight. “I noticed you’ve had a salary account with us since 2023. Have you ever thought about getting a credit card?” 

Across India, that same........

© The Ken