Facebook, the social media giant which has over two million Indian small and medium businesses (SMBs) on its platform, has set up a SME Council in India to help small ventures from various industries share feedback and discuss ideas around leveraging technology to grow their enterprise.
This SME Council is the second one set up by Facebook globally, the first one being in the US. Over 45 million small businesses actively use Facebook Pages globally to connect with their consumers.
Facebook India Managing Director Kirthiga Reddy said, “Small businesses are the backbone of India’s economy. From kirana stores to restaurants and online clothing sites, these businesses drive economic growth, create new jobs and enrich the lives of people across the country.”
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said, “There are more than two million small businesses in India with active Facebook pages. We want to help these and all businesses grow by connecting them to customers across the globe.”
“To help businesses better connect with the people they care about, we are excited to announce the first SME India Council in Asia-Pacific. The new council is a group of small business from various industries and geographies in India,” Reddy said.
India has the second-largest base of Facebook users globally (after the US). Of the 138 million people on Facebook in India, more than half are connected to at least one small business in the country.
