WhatsApp begins its Bharat Yatra initiative

WhatsApp has launched the Bharat Yatra initiative, an on-ground training program that aims to empower small businesses across India with digital skills and tools. The mobile bus tour will start from Delhi-NCR and will offer hands-on training to help small and medium businesses (SMBs) leverage the WhatsApp Business app for growth. The bus will visit bustling markets like Laxmi Nagar, Rajouri Garden, and Nehru Place before moving on to covering cities including Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur, Indore, Ahmedabad, Surat, Nashik, and Mysore.

Ravi Garg, Director, Business Messaging, Meta in India said, “Small businesses are the backbone of India's economy, and with the right digital tools, they have the power to supercharge the country's digital transformation. The WhatsApp Bharat Yatra is our commitment to helping these businesses unlock their full potential by providing them with the skills and knowledge they need to digitally connect with their customers, grow and succeed. By meeting businesses where they are - both physically and digitally - we aim to create a meaningful, long-lasting impact across India's entrepreneurial landscape.”

The initiative aims to offer SMBs interactive demos, expert guidance, and personalised support to create business profiles, set up catalogues, and design ads that enable seamless customer engagement through WhatsApp.

The Bharat Yatra initiative also aims to familiarise SMBs with WhatsApp’s latest updates. Recent additions include Meta Verified, a tool to enhance business credibility, and custom messaging features for appointment reminders, birthday greetings, and sale updates.

WhatsApp is also testing Meta AI integration, enabling businesses to manage customer engagement more efficiently.