Meta on Tuesday highlighted its commitment towards strengthening the growth of micro, small, and medium (MSME) businesses across Maharashtra. The company highlighted key programs, initiatives, and partnerships that are aiding the digital transformation of small businesses across India. At a press event in Pune, Meta also highlighted the growing role of WhatsApp in driving growth for MSMEs in the city.
Speaking at the event Vikas Purohit, Director and Head of Small Business Group at Meta, said, “Over the years, we have been at the forefront of supporting the growth of small businesses by creating products, solutions, and programs that address their unique needs. We’re seeing strong momentum in how businesses in Maharashtra are using WhatsApp to power their growth journeys. For many businesses in the state, WhatsApp is their business – it’s their website and their digital storefront. We will continue to build the right tools that can enable these businesses to thrive within the digital landscape.”
As per the Annual Report 2022-23 by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, there are 47.78 lakh MSMEs in the state employing more than 90 lakh people.
Two such businesses that shared their story at the press event in Pune are Banaav and Glitzandglambydipti.
Said Aditi Garg, founder of Banaav, a business focused on baby products, “I started Banaav in 2021 without a website and my first order came through Instagram. Banaav is growing 2x and 80% of our sales today are influenced by Meta apps. WhatsApp helps build trust for a nascent business like ours. Click-to-WhatsApp ads specifically are helping us redirect Banaav customers to the WhatsApp catalog, and address their queries in real time.”
Said Dipti Manjhani, founder of Glitzandglambydipti that sells artificial and stick-on nails and was started in February 2023, “In just a few months, my orders per month have increased by ten times a month. I am using WhatsApp to get leads from across India despite not having a website.”
Earlier this year, Meta launched the Meta Small Business Academy aimed at upskilling 10 million small businesses. Additionally, Meta also partnered with the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) to upskill 10 million traders across 29 states in 11 Indian languages on the WhatsApp Business App. Today, more than 200 million businesses use WhatsApp Business App across the world and more than 60% of people on WhatsApp in India message a business account. With features such as Catalog and Quick Replies, the app makes it simpler for small businesses to keep track of order inquiries, easily manage requests from customers, and close sales. Click-to-WhatsApp ads leverage the combined strength of Meta apps and is a powerful way in which a business can find new customers and drive them to messaging to keep the conversation going. It is enabling many small businesses across the world to run their entire operation on WhatsApp to create, purchase, and publish a Facebook or Instagram ad directly within the WhatsApp Business App, even without a Facebook account.
