Tech Desk 
Sep 12, 2024
WhatsApp has allowed small businesses in India to sign up for a Meta Verified badge and the capability to send customised messages to customers.
According to a report by Meta and Bain & Company, India is home to more than 65 million small and medium-sized businesses, but only about five million sell online.
Meta is trying to make the most of this market opportunity by promoting WhatsApp Business, since the app is used by the majority of Indians for messaging, and it has surfaced as a favoured avenue for small businesses to connect with customers.
The company said Meta Verified subscriptions provide WhatsApp Business users access to features like the capability to create customised WhatsApp pages that are discoverable on the web, multi-device support, and multiple employee accounts.
Meta Verified for WhatsApp Business begins at around $8 (about INR 639) a month for Indian users.
Read more: WhatsApp to launch Meta AI voice model soon
Additionally, small businesses using WhatsApp Business can now schedule and send customised messages — think appointment reminders, birthday wishes, or updates on sales — to customers for less than a rupee per message.
Moreover, businesses can add customer’s names and add customisable call-to-action buttons.
WhatsApp is set to embark on an initiative called “WhatsApp Business Yatra” (a WhatsApp Business tour in Hindi), which Meta will use to visit and promote the service in tier-2 and tier-3 cities in the country, focusing on giving in-person training to small businesses.
Meta stated: “As part of this initiative, we will train small businesses in setting up their WhatsApp Business accounts, creating catalogues, educating them on how to set up ads that click to WhatsApp, and much more. We will also build a resource centre on our website, which will act as a quick-access tutorial centre for these businesses.”
