Whatsapp today released its impact report titled ‘Fast Lane to Social Impact’ that explores the role it purportedly plays in the lives of Indian users.
The global social media platform claims to be empowering small businesses to thrive in today’s digital economy and powering social welfare organisations.
Curated by Redseer Strategy Consultants, the report delves into the multifaceted impact of the platform’s offerings viz. Whatsapp consumer app, Whatsapp Business App and the Whatsapp Business Platform (API).
It highlighted how it has transformed the way people and communities interact and conduct business by facilitating seamless communication.
Shivnath Thukral, Vice President, Public Policy, Meta India, said Whatsapp has emerged as a pivotal tool, revolutionising the way individuals, businesses, and social welfare organisations communicate and operate.
“From supporting women entrepreneurs to providing skill development for the unemployed or even ensuring parents stay engaged with their children’s education – organisations are successfully harnessing the capabilities of the platform for driving positive social change” he added.
Whatsapp Business App has provided micro, small businesses and ‘solopreneurs’ a democratised gateway to discover new markets and serve their customers, along with building a professional digital identity for their business.
It enabled small businesses to streamline operations and receive and fulfill orders online, helping them increase efficiency and expand reach, including access to international markets.
In turn, boosting entrepreneurship by providing local businesses and startups access to digital tools that put them on an equal footing with large enterprises.
Moreover, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and Meta’s ‘WhatsApp Se Wyapaar’ program aims to digitally train and upskill 10 million local traders on the Whatsapp Business App.
The partnership will be implemented in 11 Indian languages across all 29 Indian states.
It provides 25,000 traders access to the Meta Small Business Academy, offering certification that enhances digital marketing skills.
Whatsapp has enabled social welfare organisations to deliver impactful solutions in areas such as education, healthcare, financial inclusion, and women empowerment, driving positive social change and transformation at the grassroots.
Mann Deshi Foundation supports over 100,000 rural women entrepreneurs by providing financial literacy and access to business opportunities across markets through their Whatsapp chatbot.
So far, they have digitally trained over 15,000 women, 85 percent of them being rural beneficiaries.
Other use cases include NGOs leveraging the platform to scale initiatives like reducing period poverty, empowering pregnant women with comprehensive healthcare and baby care knowledge, and upskilling young professionals for better employment opportunities.
Whatsapp has supported government agencies to deliver efficient and inclusive citizen services.
There are several innovative and impactful use-cases ranging from complaint resolution, promoting digital health technology, driving cybersecurity awareness, delivering local utility services, offering efficient and sustainable public transportation services, among many others.
The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) is using Whatsapp to streamline grievance and query resolution systems for a hassle-free experience.
The chatbot enables consumers across India to raise complaints, access grievance records to track status updates and allows the government to spread awareness about consumer rights.