Video Conferencing Cost Disruption: US Firm Offers Indian Enterprises Massive Annual Savings

Mumbai: As Indian enterprises scrutinize SaaS expenditures in an uncertain economic climate, a US-based video conferencing provider has entered the market with pricing that could save large organizations tens of crores annually on a line item that has ballooned since the pandemic.

AONMeetings, a Des Moines-based platform founded in 2020, launched in India with per-user monthly pricing starting at ₹179—approximately 83% lower than Zoom’s comparable plans. The company has operated profitably for five years without venture capital funding, serving over 1,000 businesses globally with a 4.9-star rating on G2, a software review platform.

“CFOs in 2026 are taking a hard look at every line item,” says Dwight Reed, CEO and founder of AONMeetings. “Video conferencing became mission-critical during the pandemic, but now finance teams are asking: are we paying for the product or the brand? When you can save crores annually without sacrificing functionality or compliance, that becomes a board-level conversation.”

AONMeetings offers four tiers for the Indian market, all priced per user monthly:

Critically, Reed emphasizes these are permanent prices, not promotional rates. “This isn’t an introductory offer that increases after 12 months. We’ve built a sustainable business model with lean operations. This pricing works for us long-term.”

All plans include features that competitors charge extra for: unlimited meeting duration, webinar hosting for up to 250 participants, HIPAA compliance for healthcare and legal sectors, HD video, screen sharing, recording, and breakout rooms. There are no annual contracts—customers can cancel monthly.

The company enters a market dominated by Zoom (valued at approximately $15 billion) and Microsoft Teams (part of Microsoft’s enterprise ecosystem). However, AONMeetings positions itself not as a feature-for-feature competitor but as a value alternative targeting cost-conscious enterprises, SMBs, and solo professionals across healthcare, education, and IT services.

“Zoom and Teams work well,” Reed noted. “But their pricing reflects Western enterprise economics. Our model is designed for sustainable pricing in emerging markets

Early Indian adopters report substantial cost reductions. Dr. Priya Sharma, a Mumbai-based general physician, reduced her telemedicine platform costs from ₹1,500 to ₹359 monthly while maintaining HIPAA compliance required for patient consultations. “The ₹13,000 annual savings fund additional medical equipment,” she notes.

Rajesh Kumar, who operates a JEE coaching institute in Delhi, switched from Zoom’s free tier (limited to 40 minutes) to AONMeetings’ paid platform for 90-minute coaching sessions with 40 students. “The ₹4,308 annual cost is negligible compared to the educational continuity we maintain,” he says.

Ananya Desai, founder of a Bangalore-based startup, reports saving ₹8,000 in the first year. “The included webinar capability eliminated our need for a separate webinar platform that was costing us ₹5,000 monthly,” she explains.

AONMeetings’ eight-person team worked without salaries for five years—a detail that underscores the company’s lean operational philosophy. Without venture capital obligations or investor board seats, the company has no external pressure to inflate pricing for investor returns or prioritize growth metrics over customer satisfaction.

“Every dollar we earn comes from customers, not investors,” Reed explains. “That alignment means our incentive is always customer satisfaction, not growth metrics for the next funding round.”

The company’s browser-based architecture eliminates desktop client installations, reducing IT deployment overhead. Combined with AI-powered transcription, meeting summaries, and end-to-end encryption, the platform delivers enterprise features at a fraction of competitors’ costs.

Whether AONMeetings can scale in India’s competitive enterprise software market remains to be seen. The company faces well-funded incumbents with deep distribution networks and established brand recognition. However, with pre-launch enterprise interest, a proven five-year US track record, and a business model that doesn’t require subsidizing growth with investor capital, the company presents a compelling proposition for organizations seeking to reduce SaaS expenditures without compromising on functionality or compliance.

For Indian enterprises spending crores annually on video conferencing licenses, the arithmetic alone warrants a serious procurement evaluation. As Reed puts it: “We’re not asking anyone to take a risk. We offer monthly plans with no contracts. Try it, compare the experience, and let the savings speak for themselves.”

About AONMeetings