WhatsApp Business Launches Meta Verified and Customized Messages in India | PYMNTS.com

Meta added new features and programs to the WhatsApp Business app in India to help the country’s businesses use WhatsApp to communicate with their customers.

The tech giant shared the news about the messaging and calling app during its first WhatsApp Business Summit in India, Meta said in a Thursday (Sept. 12) press release.

“These features and programs, which we are announcing today, demonstrate our commitment to helping businesses maximize their value per dollar while providing exceptional customer experiences on WhatsApp,” Sandhya Devanathan, vice president of Meta in India, said in the release.

In one update, Meta Verified is now offered to all eligible small businesses in India that use the WhatsApp Business app, according to the release. Meta Verified provides businesses with a verified badge, impersonation protection, account support, and premium features that help them promote their brand and chat with customers.

Another new feature Meta is rolling out in India is the ability for small businesses using the WhatsApp Business app to create customized messages for their customers and schedule when those messages are sent, the release said. Suggested uses of this feature include appointment reminders, birthday greetings and updates on holiday sales.

Meta is also introducing both in-person and online training in India to help small businesses make the most of WhatsApp, per the release. In-person training will be offered in several cities in the country and will show small businesses how to set up their WhatsApp Business accounts, create catalogs and set up ads that click to WhatsApp. Online training will be available via a new resource center on the company’s website.

“The ubiquity and ease of WhatsApp places it at the center of India’s transformation, helping businesses fuel compelling ideas and new models of growth,” Devanathan said in the release.

India is home to more than 1 billion people, and more than half a billion of them are WhatsApp users, PYMNTS reported in September 2023.

The country’s consumers are also comfortable with mobile payments. Consumers in India use digital wallets to pay for 55% of retail purchases, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence report “2023 Global Digital Shopping Index: India Edition.”