Meta launches localised Business Hub to strengthen small businesses in India

Meta (formerly Facebook) on Tuesday announced the launch of 'Grow Your Business Hub', a one-stop destination for the micro, small, and medium businesses to find relevant information, tools, and resources curated to cater to their business goals based on their growth journey.

The announcement was made at the inaugural edition of the 'Grow Your Business Summit' - an event focused on the growth agenda of India's small and medium businesses (SMB). Every month, millions of small businesses - 15 million just on WhatsApp in India - use the Meta apps to start their online journeys and grow their business, a statement said.

Increasingly these businesses are able to have global reach because of Facebook and Instagram, with more than 300 million people either liking or following an Indian small business page on Facebook, it added.

On Instagram, over the past three months, people in India have created more than 1.2 million posts and comments to show their support for small businesses and buying local. More than half a million small businesses on Instagram in India have also listed either a WhatsApp number or a phone number, or an email in their bio, or are encouraging potential customers to contact them directly via DM (direct message), the statement noted.

Small businesses are the engines of growth for India's economy, and the role of Meta is more important than ever in unlocking growth opportunities for them as many of them move online and use digital to grow. From curated and customised business skilling programs to launching initiatives that enable working capital for small businesses, we have been building for the growth of India's SMBs with a localised, India-first approach," Facebook India Director Small and Medium Businesses Archana Vohra said.

Vohra added that keeping in mind the unique needs of small businesses at various stages of their growth journey, the company is announcing the launch of 'Grow Your Business Hub', a one-stop destination for small businesses to find resources curated to their goals.

The event also saw the launch of 'Grow Your Business Playbook' that is geared to inspire and equip early-stage businesses to start their journeys on Meta's apps. The playbook's first edition is aimed at helping businesses set up offline to online journeys and accelerating online sales for small businesses during the COVID-19 era and beyond.