Meta-owned WhatsApp hosted its second annual Business Summit in Mumbai, unveiling a suite of new features aimed at empowering businesses of all sizes and enhancing citizen engagement through technology. The summit showcased WhatsApp’s evolving role as a commerce and service platform, with a focus on payments, customer support, advertising, and government partnerships.
Key Announcements:
1. In-App Payments for Small Businesses
WhatsApp introduced secure, in-app payment capabilities within the WhatsApp Business App. Small businesses can now generate QR codes with a single tap, allowing customers to complete transactions using their preferred payment methods. This feature is designed to simplify checkout processes and accelerate sales closures.
2. In-App Calling and Business AI Support
A new calling feature enables users to place voice calls directly to businesses or receive calls from them. Future updates will include voice messages and video calling, expanding use cases for sectors such as telehealth and financial services. Businesses are also testing Business AI, which uses voice calling to deliver automated customer support at scale.
3. Centralized Campaign Management via Ads Manager
Meta announced that businesses can now manage marketing campaigns across WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram through a unified Ads Manager. This integration allows companies to use shared creatives, budgets, and workflows, with AI-driven tools like Advantage+ optimizing campaign performance across platforms.
4. Ads in Status and Channel Discoverability
WhatsApp is expanding discoverability through the Updates tab, used by 1.5 billion people globally. Businesses and creators can now run ads in Status, promote their channels, and offer channel subscriptions. Early adopters include Maruti Suzuki, Air India, Flipkart, and Jio Hotstar.
5. Dual Platform Usage for Small Businesses
Small businesses can now use both the WhatsApp Business App and the Business Platform (API) simultaneously without changing their phone number. This allows them to manage high message volumes via automation while maintaining personal interactions through the app.
Government Partnerships and Citizen Services
WhatsApp highlighted its collaboration with state governments including Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu to deliver essential citizen services. Andhra Pradesh’s “Mana Mitra” chatbot now offers over 700 services in multiple languages and has been used by more than 4 million citizens.
Industry Response
Arun Srinivas, Managing Director & Country Head, Meta India, stated, “Every day, businesses of all sizes are leveraging WhatsApp to deliver faster and more impactful customer experiences. With our latest tools and features, we are confident that businesses will unlock stronger ROI, build deeper and more personal connections with customers, and scale successfully.”
The summit reinforced WhatsApp’s commitment to supporting India’s digital transformation, positioning the platform as a key enabler of business growth, customer engagement, and public service delivery.
