Small businesses can look forward to a boost from Facebook, the rapidly growing social media platform, with an estimated 125 million followers in India.

On Monday, the company announced that its investments in the sector will grow considerably. It will organise a series of small business events across the country, which it kicked off today here, with Telangana Minister for IT K T Rama Rao doing the honours.

He said the Telangana government was using Facebook to the fullest with ministers and department being active. Plans are on to bring in 750 villages with a Facebook Page. It will be expanded gradually.

India has more than 36 million SMEs, which provide employment to 80 million people. As people spend more time plugged into their smartphones and on the internet, these small businesses have an opportunity to capture new audiences, increase sales and grow by using social media. Facebook’s Small Business Boost events will help, he added.

In tune with the government’s ‘Digital India’ and ‘Skills India’ vision, Facebook’s Small Business Boost programme has been designed to arm Indian businesses with the knowledge, skills and technology required to stay innovative and connect with customers at home and abroad. Ritesh Mehta, Head of Economic Growth Initiatives for Facebook India, said: “More than 1.5 million small businesses in India are already using Facebook Pages to take advantage of this community to grow their customer reach.”

At these events, attendees will engage with a broad selection of small business peers and Facebook experts to learn and share their experiences of growing an online business in today s global economy.

Hands-on training sessions will include how to effectively use mobile; reach international audiences; and boost your brand online.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW