The impetus to build India’s digital story doesn’t end there. In a country as socio-economically diverse as India, championing a digital revolution is only possible if 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 across rural and digital-first users.
While Digital India Week is a celebration of the country’s digital transformation journey, which reinforces the government’s vision of a ‘digital-first’ economy, it is also a powerful signal of its thrust to overcome a digital divide. In my view, this is India’s decade of scaling innovative digital technology solutions to transform the lives of people at the grassroots, a journey for us to realize equality, freedom from biases and democratization so that every Indian is brought into the main fold.
Championing digital literacy for digital-first users: While the government has successfully launched multiple innovative initiatives and programmes to foster a seamless transition to a digitally inclusive nation, integrating technology into the lives of India’s rural population is key. India Stack has successfully linked individuals to the country’s digital ecosystem, whether it’s the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) initiative that has provided digital identities to more than a billion Indian citizens, or the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) that has provided access to the country’s banking system for millions of Indians who were earlier excluded from the formal economy. But to drive adoption of digital services, digital literacy is imperative. WhatsApp sees itself as India’s digital ally and we have been consistently investing in 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 new social impact experiments and programmes 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 alternate ‘supply-chain’ and connect with customers in Gujarat to sell thousands of kilograms of apples and cherries. WhatsApp is often the first digital gateway for millions, with the potential to scale digital literacy and adoption across the country.
Digitization of businesses to drive a sustainable business impact: Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of a resilient national economy. Not only do the 63 million MSMEs in India contribute about one-third to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), but they also provide employment to a large segment of the population, particularly 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 create and scale a digital presence. Through our WhatsApp for Business App, we have helped millions of small businesses grow their client base and revenue streams. Jeevan Handicrafts based in Nagaur, Rajasthan, is an example of the app being used to empower local women artisans, making them less dependent on tourists, wholesalers and retailers, and directly sell their handicrafts to customers across India. We have seen people move their entire business onto our platform, whether it’s a tattoo artist running a virtual studio from home, an astrologer taking the wellness, spiritual, and motivational world by storm, or a foodie who loves to replicate dishes, sharing 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 induced 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 fast-forwarded the pace of financial literacy across the board, from urban enthusiasm to rural need. Going forward, it will be a foundational approach to the cause of fostering financial inclusion up from the bottom. The UPI has been an unquestioned success, and we believe there is an opportunity for it to have an even greater impact on the country, especially in rural regions where digital and financial inclusion can significantly improve peoples’ lives. WhatsApp’s pilot programme launched last year aims to empower 500 villages across Karnataka and Maharashtra with access to digital payments through ‘payments on WhatsApp’ and will include on-ground facilitators educating citizens on aspects such as signing up for UPI, setting up a UPI account and the best practices of safety while using digital payments. Our vision is to deliver a simple, reliable and secure experience for WhatsApp users that we hope will accelerate the adoption of UPI and financial inclusion for the ‘next 500 million’ Indians who are not yet a part of India’s digital payments ecosystem.
Citizen services for efficient e-governance: We set ambitious targets for ourselves and have 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 till date. MyGov Helpdesk now includes ‘Digilocker’ services, offering quick access to official documents, which is a step towards providing integrated citizen support and efficient governance via WhatsApp.
I’d like to believe that WhatsApp and India have been a part of each other’s transformational growth journey over the past decade. We have seen some great India-first innovations launched on the platform and have witnessed 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 contribute meaningfully to the country’s growing digital economy.
Abhijit Bose is head of WhatsApp, India
