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Ahead of the festive season in the country, tech giant Meta is enhancing WhatsApp Business with new features like Meta Verified and customised messages, aiming to boost the engagement of small businesses with their customers.

“Millions of small businesses use the WhatsApp Business app in India, and they frequently tell us that they want to stand out and build credibility with their customers,” the company said in a statement.

Meta Verified, a subscription service offered by the tech company, allows users and businesses to verify their accounts on its platforms. It is now open to eligible small businesses in India using the WhatsApp Business app. 

Subscribing businesses receive a verified badge, protection against impersonation, account support, and access to premium features. The badge will also appear on their WhatsApp Channels and Business pages, allowing easy sharing on social media and websites.

The tech company is also introducing a feature for small businesses on the WhatsApp Business app to send personalised messages, such as appointment reminders, birthday greetings, or holiday sale updates. This feature is available for a fee and allows businesses to send customised messages to customers.

A report by Meta and Bain & Company revealed that about 5 million of India’s 30 million formal small businesses are selling online. With many future online shoppers and sellers already in the digital space, the report highlights India as a major untapped market.

The messaging platform plans to tap into this market by launching the WhatsApp Business Yatra in India. The initiative will visit various Tier II and III cities, offering on-ground, in-person training to small businesses.

“We believe that small businesses, with the right digital skills, can supercharge India’s digital economy, and therefore, 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,” it remarked.

WhatsApp will also create a resource centre on its website to serve as a quick-access tutorial hub for these businesses.