WhatsApp Bharat Yatra Drives Small Business Growth Across India

WhatsApp has launched its ambitious Bharat Yatra initiative, a nationwide effort to empower small and medium businesses (SMBs) with essential digital skills. This on-ground, interactive training program is designed to help businesses fully harness the potential of the WhatsApp Business app, driving digital transformation and economic growth.

Starting in Delhi-NCR, the WhatsApp-branded bus will visit bustling marketplaces such as Laxmi Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Nehru Place, and Malviya Nagar, as well as key locations in Gurgaon and Noida, including Sapphire Mall and Atta Market. After completing its tour in the capital region, the bus will travel to cities like Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur, Indore, Ahmedabad, Surat, Nashik, and Mysore, ensuring its reach across diverse markets.

The initiative provides hands-on, personalised training, offering businesses tools to create a Business Profile, set up a product catalog, and design click-to-chat ads to engage customers effectively. Businesses will also learn how to leverage key features of the WhatsApp Business app to establish a digital presence, connect with customers, and close sales seamlessly.

Ravi Garg, director of business messaging at Meta in India, emphasized the importance of this initiative, saying, “Small businesses are the backbone of India’s economy. With the right digital tools, they can drive the country’s digital transformation. The WhatsApp Bharat Yatra is our commitment to empowering these businesses by providing them with skills and knowledge to grow and succeed. By reaching businesses both physically and digitally, we aim to create a lasting impact on India’s entrepreneurial landscape.”

In addition to this initiative, WhatsApp has introduced several new features for small businesses, including Meta Verified, which enhances credibility with customers, and tools for sending customised messages such as appointment reminders, birthday greetings, and updates on holiday sales. WhatsApp is also testing Meta AI, enabling businesses to leverage artificial intelligence directly through the WhatsApp Business app to improve customer engagement.

The WhatsApp Bharat Yatra aims to provide in-person guidance on these updates, ensuring that SMBs can make the most of the platform’s capabilities. By equipping businesses with these tools, WhatsApp is enabling them to enhance operations, expand reach, and thrive in the growing digital economy.

This initiative is part of a larger effort by WhatsApp to support India’s small businesses. Programs like WhatsApp Se Wyapaar, launched with CAIT, aim to upskill 10 million traders, while initiatives such as Digishaastra, powered by WhatsApp and the India SME Forum, and Meta’s strategic partnership with ONDC, further underscore the brand’s commitment to digital transformation.

Through the Bharat Yatra, WhatsApp continues to champion the role of small businesses in shaping India’s economic future, ensuring they remain at the forefront of the nation’s digital revolution.