Meta, ONDC Partner To Empower MSMEs With Digital Commerce Initiatives

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, and Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) have jointly taken up the initiative to empower small businesses in harnessing the potential of digital commerce. The initiative aims to educate and enable small businesses to create seamless conversational experiences for both buyers and sellers on WhatsApp, leveraging a network of business and technical solution providers curated by Meta. As part of this partnership, ONDC will facilitate these solution providers in becoming seller apps, integrating the businesses they serve into the ONDC Network to drive digital commerce.

The Meta Small Business Academy plans to enhance the digital skills of 500,000 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the coming two years. This initiative, reflecting Meta's dedication to empowering 10 million small businesses across the country, provides certification programs designed to empower entrepreneurs and marketers with essential digital marketing skills, facilitating growth on Meta apps.

T Koshy, the Managing Director and CEO of ONDC, expressed the organization's dedication to democratizing the digital landscape and fostering MSME empowerment. The partnership, he emphasized, aims to enhance the digital capabilities of these businesses, broaden their reach, and connect with a diverse customer base.

Meta's DPI Partnership

Sandhya Devanathan, Vice President of Meta in India, highlighted Meta's role as a frontrunner in supporting India's digital transformation. Devanathan emphasized the importance of ecosystem and partnership in enabling millions of small businesses to establish and strengthen their digital presence. The collaboration aligns with the government's vision for Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Meta's commitment to skilling small businesses, contributing to the rapid digital transformation and growth in the country.

Under the partnership, Meta will provide support to Sahayak, ONDC's WhatsApp chatbot, enhancing its capabilities as the primary communication channel for both sellers and customers. Earlier in the year, Meta introduced the 'WhatsApp Se Wyapaar' program, with the goal of upskilling 10 million traders across India in 11 languages using the WhatsApp Business app. In June this year, Meta announced that there are more than 200 million users of the WhatsApp Business app across the world, and more than 60 per cent of people on WhatsApp in India interact with business accounts.