Meta Launches Business AI on WhatsApp Business to Help Small Businesses in India Automate Support

WhatsApp Launches Business AI Features for Small Businesses in India

WhatsApp has announced a new feature aimed at providing customer support using artificial intelligence (AI). Dubbed Business AI, it is being introduced within the WhatsApp Business app. As per the Meta-owned platform, Business AI can help businesses automate customer interactions, respond to queries around the clock, and drive sales. It does not require any additional software or third-party tools. Business AI supports all native Indian languages and is geared towards small and medium-sized businesses. WhatsApp Business AI Features, Availability According to Meta, Business AI on WhatsApp can be customised using a business's own information, including product catalogues and profile details. Once set up, the AI assistant can automatically respond to customer queries related to products, pricing, discounts, shipping, appointments, and services. The feature will soon get support for UPI payments within WhatsApp chats, too. Businesses will additionally be able to manually take over conversations whenever required, particularly in cases involving complex or personalised customer requests. Citing a 2025 Kantar study claiming that 91 percent of online adults in India interact with businesses weekly through messaging platforms, Meta said WhatsApp has increasingly become central to communication between businesses and customers in the country. "With the introduction of Business AI on WhatsApp, we're now putting that power directly into the hands of small businesses -- ensuring they never miss a customer query outside business hours or struggle to keep up during peak demand," Ravi Garg, Director Business Messaging, Meta India, said in a statement. Several businesses participating in the early rollout have already reported benefits from the feature. Plant-based personal care brand Soil Concept said it was previously losing customers when queries arrived late at night. Meanwhile, customised gifting business The Purple Sunset said the AI assistant helped it manage daily customer conversations more efficiently. Eligible businesses can access the feature by navigating to the Tools tab within WhatsApp Business and selecting Your Business AI to begin the setup process. Businesses will also be able to adjust AI behaviour or disable the feature entirely if needed. Meta says Business AI on WhatsApp will roll out to eligible businesses in India over the coming weeks.

Meta launches business AI on WhatsApp - The Economic Times

Meta is launching AI business agents on WhatsApp in India to help small businesses automate customer interactions, boost sales, and operate 24/7. These agents can respond to queries, recommend products, manage bookings, and resolve complaints, with early pilots showing significant sales growth. The service is currently free.Meta is rolling out AI business agents on WhatsApp to enable small businesses in India to automate customer interactions, grow sales and operate round-the-clock. India is a key market given the scale and diversity of its small business ecosystem, said Ravi Garg, Director Business Messaging, Meta India. "We have millions of small businesses using WhatsApp... this is a powerful tool to help them grow," he told ET. Globally, more than 200 million businesses use WhatsApp's small business app. The platform is now integrating agentic AI within the WhatsApp Business app. "We are enabling the power of AI to every small business... this agent can start responding to customer queries, help discover products, book appointments, and even resolve complaints," he said. Unlike traditional chatbots, the AI agent can take actions such as managing bookings, recommending products, and guiding customers through purchases, Garg said. Businesses can customise the agent by linking it to product catalogues, pricing rules, appointment systems or payment methods such as UPI, without requiring complex integrations. "It's not a very complicated technical setup... the agent learns and starts working on its own," Garg added. Meta said early pilots have shown promising results with some companies reporting 30-40% growth in sales within a few weeks of deployment. The AI service is currently being offered free of cost with no immediate plans to monetise, Garg said. Meta is also working to integrate payments within WhatsApp chats UPI.

WhatsApp Business gets Business AI for automated chats and customer support

WhatsApp has announced the launch of Business AI on WhatsApp Business app in India, introducing AI-based customer support and automation within chat conversations. The feature is designed to help eligible businesses manage customer interactions, respond to queries, and handle basic business operations directly on WhatsApp. Business AI is designed to assist businesses in managing customer communication at scale. It can respond to messages and support common business tasks based on available business data. It includes the ability to: Businesses can configure the AI using their own information so that responses are based on their products and services. Despite automation, control remains with the business. Owners can intervene in conversations whenever required and take over from the AI system. They can also adjust how Business AI responds or disable it entirely depending on operational needs. Payments integration and planned updates WhatsApp has stated that UPI-based payments inside chats will be introduced in a future update. This will allow transactions to be completed within the chat interface itself without switching platforms. According to a Kantar 2025 study, 91% of online adults in India interact with businesses weekly through messaging platforms, highlighting the role of chat-based communication in customer engagement. Early implementation among selected businesses shows measurable outcomes: Both businesses reported improved response handling and reduced manual workload. Eligible businesses using the WhatsApp Business app can enable the feature through a guided process: Once activated, Business AI begins handling customer conversations using business profile data, product catalog, and uploaded documents. It can respond to queries, provide product details, and assist in sales-related interactions. Businesses can modify settings or turn off the feature at any time. Business AI is being rolled out gradually for eligible WhatsApp Business users in India. It supports all native Indian languages and will become available to more businesses over the coming weeks. Speaking on the launch of Business AI, Ravi Garg, Director, Business Messaging, Meta India said,