Meta and ONDC have joined forces to empower small businesses across India by leveraging digital commerce. The collaboration is geared towards assisting and educating small-scale retail enterprises in adopting digital commerce practices, specifically by fostering interactive buyer and seller interactions on WhatsApp. This initiative harnesses the diverse array of business and technical solutions provided within Meta's ecosystem.

Through this partnership, ONDC will facilitate the integration of services for these businesses onto its network, thereby bolstering their capacity to engage in commerce through digital means.

One of the key components of the Meta and ONDC alliance involves the digital upskilling of 500,000 MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) through the Meta Small Business Academy within the upcoming two years. This academy intends to offer certifications designed to equip entrepreneurs and marketers with essential digital marketing skills, thereby enabling their growth on various Meta apps. Meta's ambitious goal is to uplift and enhance the skills of 10 million small businesses across India.

Moreover, Meta plans to extend its support towards ONDC's WhatsApp chatbot, Sahayak. This support aims to enhance the capabilities of the chatbot, serving as the primary interface for communication between sellers and customers within the ONDC platform.

T Koshy, ONDC's MD & CEO, stressed their dedication to democratizing the digital landscape and empowering MSMEs. He highlighted the significance of digital visibility for business growth, expressing confidence that the Meta partnership will not just upskill these businesses but also expand their customer base for growth.

Sandhya Devanathan, Meta's Vice President in India, underscored India's swift digital evolution and the necessity for partnerships to aid millions of small businesses in improving their digital presence. She emphasized Meta's proactive collaboration with the government and industry for digital inclusion, particularly for MSMEs. Devanathan sees the ONDC partnership as aligned with the government's Digital Public Infrastructure vision, supporting Meta's commitment to enhancing small businesses' skills and fostering digital growth in India.

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