We hosted our second business summit in India where we showcased tools and features that will empower businesses of all sizes in establishing their presence, building better and delightful customer experiences, and growing their businesses.
Payments on WhatsApp Business App
Building on our existing capabilities, we are introducing the ability for small businesses to offer a secure and convenient payment option directly within the WhatsApp Business app. Available on the app, small businesses can now quickly share QR codes in one tap for fast and efficient sales closures, enabling customers to pay directly within WhatsApp using their preferred payment method.
In-app Calling + Business AI for scaled customer support*
We have introduced a new feature enabling users to call larger businesses directly from the app with a single tap, or receive calls from businesses they’ve requested to hear from. This calling capability is particularly beneficial for times when people have a complex inquiry and need to speak to a customer support executive. This feature is available to all businesses on the WhatsApp Business Platform in India, and starting soon, we will also make it possible to send and receive voice messages for additional support or make a video call, which can be helpful for things like a telehealth appointment.
Bringing these updates to the WhatsApp Business Platform will help people communicate in a way that works best for them. Businesses are also implementing Business AI to offer scaled customer support* where a customer can get their queries solved while talking to an AI assistant using the Voice calling feature.
Centralized Campaigns in Ads Manager
Businesses in India can now create and manage their marketing strategy across WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram – all in Ads Manager. This will allow businesses to use the same creative, setup flows, and budgets in one central place. Once onboarded, businesses can upload their subscriber list and either manually select marketing messages as an additional placement or use Advantage+, and Meta’s AI systems will then optimize budgets across placements to maximize performance.
Helping people find more businesses and channels on the Status tab
The WhatsApp Updates tab is used by 1.5 billion people globally every day and we are creating ways for businesses and creators to grow here through ads in Status, promoted channels, and Channels subscriptions. Brands like Maruti Suzuki, Air India, and Flipkart are using ads in Status, and people in India who use Updates tab will start to see these soon. Popular channels like Jio Hotstar have also started using the promoted channels feature. These features are rolling out slowly over the next few months, and are all away from your WhatsApp chats and inbox.
“We have been using WhatsApp extensively for driving business growth. Ads on WhatsApp Status will further help us drive discovery and sales of our products and services.” – Bhuvan Dheer, Executive Director, Marketing, MSIL
“WhatsApp’s new Ads in status offering aligns with Air India’s vision of digital-first transformation, where advertising is not just about visibility, but about fostering real-time connections and elevating customer journeys through intuitive, technology-led touchpoints. It has the potential to create seamless pathways for immediate customer engagement, bookings, and support. Allowing us to deliver tailored travel experiences directly within customers’ daily interactions.” – Sunil Suresh, Chief Marketing Officer, Air India Limited
Simultaneously using WhatsApp Business App and WhatsApp Business Platform for Small Business
Small businesses can now use both the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Business Platform simultaneously without changing their phone number. If a business is expecting a surge in customer messages on WhatsApp from the marketing campaigns (like CTWA) or if they want to enable automation they can use the WhatsApp Business Platform (API), while they can continue to use the WhatsApp Business App for day-to-day interactions like group chats, calls, and Status updates. This provides significant flexibility and scalability for businesses that are scaling and growing at a faster pace.
Enabling easy access to citizen services for the people
Messaging has become integral to how people and businesses interact in India, with 91% of online adults in India chatting with businesses weekly (Kantar 2025 report). WhatsApp’s ease and simplicity have made it a preferred choice not only for people and businesses but also for government agencies and bodies across the states.
“Every day, businesses of all sizes are leveraging WhatsApp to deliver faster and more impactful customer experiences. With our latest tools and features, we are confident that businesses will unlock stronger ROI, build deeper and more personal connections with customers, and scale successfully.
WhatsApp has become an essential part of our daily lives in India, helping people stay connected, shop, learn, and access essential services. Millions of people in India are already using WhatsApp to buy tickets, recharge their metro passes, and pay utility bills. However, there is a need to build an ecosystem where people have access to essential services in each state right at their fingertips. We are excited that more and more state governments across India are partnering with us to unlock access to essential public services for the people.” – Arun Srinivas, Managing Director & Country Head, Meta in India
Today, various state governments are leveraging the reach of WhatsApp to simplify and digitally enable easy access to essential public services. We are working with state governments like Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu to launch official citizen service chatbots. Launched earlier this year, the AP government’s ‘Mana Mitra’ chatbot, for instance, now offers over 700 citizen services and has been used by 4 million citizens for accessing essential government services instantly, securely, and in multiple regional languages.