WhatsApp SMBSaathi Utsav Pilot Takes Off In Jaipur, Aims To Help Small Businesses Adopt Digital Mediums

WhatsApp has announced SMBSaathi Utsav pilot programme that aims to support small businesses by helping them adopt digital mediums.

SMBSaathi Utsav pilot has been launched in collaboration with Josh Talks. Image: Getty

Meta-owned WhatsApp has announced SMBSaathi Utsav, an initiative that aims to support small businesses by helping them adopt digital mediums such as the WhatsApp Business App to run their businesses in India. To begin with, WhatsApp has launched the SMBSaathi Utsav as a pilot programme in Jaipur where it will train small businesses on various aspects of running their business online.

SMBSaathi Utsav pilot has been launched in collaboration with Josh Talks and the intent of this initiative is to educate and help small businesses unlock the potential of their business through WhatsApp -- the world's most popular messaging platform. SMBSaathi Utsav has kicked off in Jaipur’s Johri Bazaar and Bapu Bazaar where more than 500 small businesses will be trained under the pilot.

“We are excited to launch the SMBSaathi and SMBSaathi Utsav programmes dedicated to India’s small business community. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and technology has the potential to further boost their business. During the pandemic, we saw several small business owners thriving by using simple platforms such as WhatsApp Business App to stay connected with their customers," Abhijit Bose, Head of WhatsApp India, said in a statement.

"...India’s small business owners have the ambition, passion and creativity to leverage simple and reliable technologies. We are committed to finding new ways of increasing awareness about simple digital tools for businesses to support and celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation in India," Bose added.

According to the Meta-owned company, businesses across sectors such as traditional arts and handicrafts, jewellery, fashion and apparel, food and beverage outlets and several others are being trained on using the various features of the WhatsApp Business App and are being guided on how they can market their product to the right audiences.