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US-based search engine major Google India will look to bring on board and digitally connect a host of small and medium businesses.
Google is also open to tie-ups with industry bodies, which would help them provide training to these businesses. So far, it has a tie-up with FICCI only.
Through its various initiatives, the technology giant has been able to bring on board some 10 million small and medium businesses, which are either available through its “search” options or on its “Maps”.
India has 51 million-odd SMBs. “Some 10 million are either available in search results or maps of Google. We intend to list and bring many more on board,” Shalini Girish, Director – Marketing Solutions, Google, said here on Tuesday.
According to Girish, a survey by Google and KPMG has seen that 68 per cent of SMB are offline and digitally-engaged SMBs grow twice as fast compared to the ones offline.
Quoting the report, she said, digitally engaged businesses are able to grow their customer base significantly with 52 per cent catering to customers beyond their home city compared to only 29 per cent of those SMBs that are offline.
Google has already introduced a host of tools that aim to help SMBs go digital.
“Digital Unlocked” is a training programme for creating awareness about digitisation among SMBs that began January onwards.
Apart from online and app-based training modules, Google is also working with FICCI to conduct 5,000 offline classroom training programme and take forward recognising SMBs with its “SMB Heroes” programme.
“By 2020, we hope to have 5,000-odd classroom training programmes (across 40 cities),” she said.
Google has also launched the “Website with Google my Business” that looks at equipping these small and medium businesses in their digital journey by creating free, mobile optimised websites. The website will provide simple, templated offerings created from their data and photos on Google maps.
In 12 regional languagesThe offerings will come in 12 languages, namely English, Hindu, Bengali, Telegu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujrati, Kannada and Malaylam.
The beta testing of this tool was being carried out for quite some time now and 120,000 businesses have been a part of the pilot.
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