AI

NEW DELHI — WhatsApp has introduced a new artificial intelligence-powered feature called “Business AI” for users of the WhatsApp Business app in India, aiming to help small businesses automate customer communication and improve sales management directly within the platform. The newly launched feature is designed to assist businesses in handling customer queries, capturing leads, booking appointments, and managing sales conversations without relying on additional software or external tools. According to the company, the AI-powered support system will function across all native Indian languages, making it more accessible for businesses operating in diverse regional markets. The rollout comes as messaging platforms continue to play a growing role in digital commerce across India. Citing a 2025 Kantar study, the platform said that “91% of online adults in India interact with businesses weekly through chat platforms.” Business AI can be customized using a company’s own product information, pricing details, shipping policies, and promotional offers. The Business AI assistant is capable of answering customer questions automatically while allowing businesses to manually take over conversations involving more complex requests or issues. Also Read | Meta launched Creator Fast Track worth $3B Annual payout The company also confirmed that future updates will include support for UPI payments directly within chats, further expanding WhatsApp’s role in India’s fast-growing digital commerce ecosystem. Ravi Garg, Director of Business Messaging at Meta Platforms India, said, “Small businesses are the backbone of India's economy, and we deeply understand the value of every customer conversation for them. Over the years, we've consistently heard that managing high volumes of customer queries with limited resources remains one of the biggest challenges for small businesses.” “This is where we believe that AI can be a game-changer for them. 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." He added The platform also highlighted success stories from early users of the feature, including Indian brands such as Soil Concept and The Purple Sunset. Also Read | Meta launches Ads on WhatsApp Tuba Siddiqui, co-founder of Soil Concept, said "We were losing leads that came in late at night, and now with 24/7 support, our conversion rate has skyrocketed to 80-90%. Setting up Business AI on WhatsApp was incredibly simple, no coding, no complex third-party software. I just uploaded our product catalog and documents, and the AI learned the details and tone of my business. It's been a game-changer in helping us manage and grow our customer base to over 15,000 customers." Meanwhile, Gunveen Kaur, founder of The Purple Sunset, said the feature helped increase daily sales activity. "To my surprise, it was an easy process, within a few hours, Business AI learned everything about my business and was able to reply to customers on my behalf, exactly how I would. It's helped me close 6-7 orders daily directly through queries handled by the AI, and I've seen a 40% increase in sales with the potential to grow even further." Eligible businesses can access the feature through the “Your Business AI” section available under the Tools tab in the WhatsApp Business application. Industry experts believe the launch reflects the increasing integration of artificial intelligence into small business operations, especially in customer communication and online commerce. WhatsApp’s largest global markets, the feature could play a major role in reshaping how local businesses interact with customers digitally.