Whatsapp to support Indian startups through ad credits

NEW DELHI: WhatsApp has announced on Monday that it is investing $250,000 into the startup ecosystem through a partnership with Startup India, where the instant messaging firm will provide 500 startups with $500 each of Facebook ad credits.

The ad credits can be used by the startups to create ads that invite customers to click to open a chat on WhatsApp so they can deepen connections and increase sales.

Abhijit Bose, Head of WhatsApp India, said that startups and small businesses are the lifeblood of Indian communities and are a powerful driver of local economies. “India’s entrepreneurs are at the forefront of bringing impactful social and economic change, and we at WhatsApp are committed to providing them support in achieving success.”

This comes after the Startup India-WhatsApp Grand Challenge that led entrepreneurs to develop India-specific solutions with socio-economic impact. WhatsApp awarded the five Grand Challenge winners with a grant worth $50,000 each.

The company said that out of five million businesses around the world, a million in India are actively using the WhatsApp Business app to connect with their customers.

“India is at an inflection point and as the second-largest community of startups in the world, our focus has always been to support the ecosystem and promote innovative solutions to today’s challenges,” said Deepak Bagla, CEO & MD, Invest India.

In order to qualify for the investment, startups must be at an early state or scalable stage and must be recognized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under the ministry of Commerce.