Meta teams up with the Confederation of All India Traders to upskill traders

On the occasion of World MSME Day on June 27th, Meta reiterated its commitment to the growth of India’s small businesses by announcing two new skilling programs in the country. Meta announced a new partnership with the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) to upskill 1 million traders on the WhatsApp Business App over the next three years.

The company has recently unveiled the Meta Small Business Academy as part of its ongoing dedication to empowering small businesses. This initiative emerged from Meta's ambitious goal in 2021 to enhance the skills of 10 million small businesses. By obtaining certification from the Meta Small Business Academy, aspiring entrepreneurs and marketers can acquire essential digital marketing expertise to foster growth on Meta's applications. To ensure widespread accessibility among micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across India; the course module and examination materials are now offered in seven languages, including English, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu.

Said Sandhya Devanathan, Vice President (India), at Meta, “Skilling plays a consequential role in unlocking growth for India’s MSMEs. At Meta, we are committed to enabling timely skill development opportunities for businesses across their growth journeys. 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.”

According to a 2022 IPSOS Public Affairs survey commissioned by Meta, 91% of small and medium enterprises in India utilizing digital tools consider messaging apps vital for customer connectivity. Over half of the respondents credited WhatsApp for facilitating access to new customers and expanding their businesses. As WhatsApp gains popularity as a communication platform, it is increasingly becoming a preferred medium for people to engage with businesses.

Said Praveen Khandelwal, National Secretary General of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), “Technology and internet along with networking, logistics, and communication are the five critical pillars for India’s trading community. With businesses of all sizes using WhatsApp to communicate, coordinate, and connect with their customers effectively; there is an urgent need to equip them with the timely skills needed to drive business growth. Under the ‘WhatsApp Se Vyapaar campaign, we are thrilled to announce that we will work with Meta to train 1 million traders. It will digitally empower traders to boost their businesses using the WhatsApp Business App. Furthermore, We believe this initiative will unlock new growth opportunities for traders across India; 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.”

The partnership between CAIT and Meta will be conducted through thousands of trade associations connected with CAIT all over the Country.

Over the last few years, Meta has launched several key programs keeping in mind the unique needs of India’s MSMEs. Several of these have been launched with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), which serves as a strategic partner to Meta in empowering India’s MSMEs through skilling.

Dr. Sangita Reddy, Chair, G20 EMPOWER, Joint MD, Apollo Hospitals Group and Past President, FICCI said, “FICCI and Meta share a deep commitment towards the growth of India’s small businesses. Last year we together reached the important milestone of enabling half-a-million women SMBs by providing them with digital marketing skills. We’re thrilled to see Meta expand its skilling commitment toward India’s small businesses with the launch of the Meta Small Business Academy certification. In addition, Meta is supporting FICCI on Digital Financial Literacy; through its work on the G20 EMPOWER Digital Inclusion Platform. This is a commendable effort toward promoting women’s digital and financial inclusion. Consequently, We look forward to partnering with Meta in the future to build a strong ecosystem for small businesses across the country; especially women-led businesses.”