Whatsapp, through its ‘small business app’, aims to provide end-to-end solutions for MSMEs, whether customer and vendor interface, or for internal systems like human resource, leave management etc.
Meta-owned messaging service Whatsapp is looking to build on its ubiquity in India and is now targeting the country’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for its next stage of growth.
Unlike larger corporations, India’s smaller businesses may not have the resources to build their own apps, websites or internal management systems. Whatsapp, through its ‘small business app’, aims to provide end-to-end solutions for MSMEs, whether customer and vendor interface, or for internal systems like human resource, leave management etc.
“India is one of our largest markets in terms of users. And India has the largest number of MSMEs in any country. That is what we are trying to build upon,” said Ravi Garg, director of Business Messaging at Meta. Garg was speaking with DH at Meta’s India head office in Gurugram.
“India is one of our largest markets in terms of users. And India has the largest number of MSMEs in any country. That is what we are trying to build upon,” said Ravi Garg, director of Business Messaging at Meta. Garg was speaking with DH at Meta’s India head office in Gurugram.“India is one of our largest markets in terms of users. And India has the largest number of MSMEs in any country. That is what we are trying to build upon,” said Ravi Garg, director of Business Messaging at Meta. Garg was speaking with DH at Meta’s India head office in Gurugram.
While Meta does not share country-wise data, around 200 million businesses globally use the company’s small business app. Garg says a large portion of such users are in India, and the company expects a robust growth for Whatsapp usage among MSMEs in the country, in the coming years.
For large enterprises, the company provides Whatsapp business platform, and Garg is optimistic on that front as well. While a messaging platform like Whatsapp lends itself more naturally to Business to Consumer (B2C) usage, it is increasingly being used for Business to Business (B2B) work as well. Garg says some of the larger companies have developed vendor bots, which enables them to directly manage orders and input materials from vendors and partners in the value chain.