Meta launches small business academy on WhatsApp to upskill 10 lakh traders

Global tech giant Meta on Monday said it has entered a partnership with the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) to upskill 10 lakh traders over the next three years along with announcing the launch of its Meta Small Business Academy (MSBA) to celebrate the world MSME day on June 27.

The CAIT initiative is multilingual in order to expand its scope and reach. The course module and the examination are available in English, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu, the company said. Traders from CAIT will be skilled in how to use the WhatsApp Business app, enabling them to reach more customers digitally, the company added.

Meanwhile, Meta Small Business Academy (MSBA) aims to upskill 10 million small businesses on WhatsApp Business App over the next three years.

“While the MSBA certification will particularly benefit entrepreneurs who are just starting out, our partnership with CAIT will empower traders across India to use WhatsApp Business app to connect with their customers and supercharge their growth journeys,” said Sandhya Devanathan, Vice President (India), Meta.

Praveen Khandelwal, National Secretary General of CAIT said, “We believe this initiative will unlock new growth opportunities for traders across India, and we look forward to partnering even more closely with Meta to expand the business and digital skilling charter in the months to come in order to address the evolving needs of the trading community.”

According to a Meta-commissioned survey by IPSOS Public Affairs done in 2022, 91 per cent of surveyed small and medium enterprises, currently using digital tools in India, reported that messaging apps and tools are a very important way to connect with customers. The survey also added that more than half claimed WhatsApp has helped their business increase access to new customers.