Six years ago the Government of India launched its ambitious ‘Digital India’ program to transform the country into a “digitally empowered society and knowledge economy”. Services and online payments scale to take India at the forefront of digital transformation.
The inspiration to create India’s digital story does not end here. In a socio-economically diverse country like India, championing the digital revolution is possible only when the entire population has the resources and access to the Internet. This can only happen with strategic public-private partnerships that can promote digital literacy and equity among rural and digital-first users.
While Digital India Week is a celebration of the country’s digital transformation journey, reinforcing the government’s vision of a ‘digital-first’ economy, it is also a powerful indication of its push to bridge a digital divide. In my view, this is India’s decade of scaling up innovative digital technology solutions to transform the lives of people at the grassroots level, a journey for us to realize equality, freedom from prejudices and democratization so as to bring every Indian into the core of Can go
Promoting digital literacy for digital-first users: While the government has successfully launched several innovative initiatives and programs to promote a smooth transition to a digitally inclusive nation, integrating technology into the lives of India’s rural population It is important to do India Stack has successfully connected individuals with the country’s digital ecosystem, be it the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) initiative, which has provided digital identities to over a billion Indian citizens, or the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) who has granted access. In the country’s banking system for the millions of Indians who were previously excluded from the formal economy. But digital literacy is essential for adoption of digital services. WhatsApp sees itself as India’s digital partner and we are continuously investing in the awareness and adoption of rural and other users who are new to digital services. WhatsApp has been able to see some of the most innovative and innovative social impact experiments and programs launched first on our platform. Working with the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) during the pandemic, women farmers in Kashmir used WhatsApp to create an alternative ‘supply-chain’ with customers in Gujarat to sell thousands of kilograms of apples and cherries Joined. WhatsApp is often the first digital gateway for millions of people, with the potential for digital literacy and adoption across the country.
Digitization of businesses to drive a lasting business impact: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of a resilient national economy. The 63 million MSMEs in India not only contribute about one-third of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but they also provide employment to a large segment of the population, especially in the non-formal sector. Platforms like WhatsApp that are embedded in India’s social fabric can help turbocharge the MSME sector by providing democratized digital access, making it easier for small businesses to build and grow a digital presence. Through our WhatsApp for Business app, we have helped millions of small businesses grow their customer base and revenue stream. Jeevan Handicrafts, based in Nagaur, Rajasthan, is one example of the app being used to empower local women artisans, making them less dependent on tourists, wholesalers and retailers, and helping their customers directly to their homes across India. Sell handicrafts. We’ve seen people take their entire business to our platform, whether it’s a tattoo artist, running a virtual studio from home, an astrologer taking the wellness, spiritual and inspiring world by storm, or a foodie For the foodie who loves to replicate recipes, share this passion by running a food delivery business on the app.
Scaling Payments and Financial Inclusion: Despite the devastation of the COVID pandemic, the digital transformation driven by it is an example of how technology can help connect people and build an inclusive society. The adoption of digital payments on UPI has accelerated the pace of financial literacy from urban fervor to rural needs. Going forward, this will be a foundational approach to promote bottom-up financial inclusion. UPI has been an undeniable success, and we believe there is an opportunity to make an even greater impact on the country, especially in rural areas where digital and financial inclusion can bring significant improvements in people’s lives. WhatsApp’s pilot program, launched last year, aims to empower 500 villages in Karnataka and Maharashtra with access to digital payments through ‘Pay on WhatsApp’ and will involve citizens signing up for UPI, setting up a UPI account, etc. and security best practices when using digital payments. Our vision is to provide a simple, reliable and secure experience for WhatsApp users, we hope to accelerate the adoption of UPI and Financial Inclusion for the ‘Next 500 Million’ Indians, who have so far been part of India’s digital payments ecosystem. are not part.
Citizen Services for Efficient e-Governance: We have set ambitious goals for ourselves and launched successful initiatives around digital governance and citizen services like MyGov Corona Helpdesk Chatbot on WhatsApp. In partnership with the government, the chatbot has become a one-stop solution for accessing authentic COVID-related information and vaccination-related resources, and has helped over 80 million people so far. The MyGov helpdesk now includes ‘Digilocker’ services, which provide instant access to official documents, a step towards providing integrated citizen support and efficient governance through WhatsApp.
I am sure that WhatsApp and India have been part of each other’s transformational growth journey over the past decade. We have launched some great India-first innovations on the platform and see the impact that simple and reliable technology platforms can have in people’s lives, helping them join India’s digital ecosystem. We look forward to continuing our efforts to empower Indians with digitally inclusive solutions and make a meaningful contribution to the country’s growing digital economy.
Abhijit Bose heads WhatsApp, India