WhatsApp to allow commercial messaging, wants to debut with India

New Delhi: If you believe in a word of mouth promotion of your small business, then what better support than a WhatsApp platform typically designed for that purpose.

The platform possibly called WhatsApp for Business is aimed at those small merchants, neighbourhood shop owners, doctors, service providers who are already using WhatsApp and would like to reach out to a larger number of people without spamming them.

The platform is in the design and testing phase and will use India as the testing ground for the global launch, where WhatsApp has 200 million users

“This is for very small businesses, employing less than 10 people, and they are asking for a mobile client, which will help them manage businesses in an easier manner, whether it is about managing customer contact lists or multi-agent support,” Brian Acton, co-founder of WhatsApp, said in an interview.

WhatsApp for Business will be a separate app for small businesses to send targeted messages and videos. Whatsapp is available in 10 Indian languages, making it easier for merchants to use the app. “We will continue to grow the languages. There are more than 10 languages here,” Acton said.