About 1.5 mn small businesses use Facebook to reach customers

Social networking giant while launching Small Business Boost Programme said that India was a priority market for it

About 1.5 million small businesses in India are using social networking site Facebook's pages to grow their customer reach, according to Ritesh Mehta, head (growth initiatives) for Facebook India.

"There are 1.49 billion people on Facebook, which is half of the estimated three billion people who use the internet worldwide. That is a compelling audience for a small business who is looking to find new customers, deepen relationships with existing customers and boost sales," he said in a release on Monday.

Launching Facebook's Small Business Boost Programme, to arm Indian businesses with the knowledge, skills and technology required to stay innovative and connect with customers at home and abroad, in Hyderabad, Mehta said India was a priority market for Facebook and this programme was just part of Facebook's continued investment in Indian small businesses, developers and 125 million Indians who use Facebook.

"We already contribute $4 billion and 335,000 jobs to India through our marketing, platform and connectivity efforts. These events will help provide small businesses with the technology and resources required to connect with new customers and generate sales in a measurable way," he added.

According to IT minister of Telangana, KT Rama Rao, In India, there are more than 36 million small and medium enterprises (SMEs), who provide employment to 80 million people and form the backbone of the Indian economy.

"As people spend more time plugged into their smartphones and on the Internet, these small businesses have a unique opportunity to capture new audiences, increase sales and grow by using social media. Facebook's Small Business Boost events will serve as a tremendous resource for these businesses as experts and small business themselves offer training on best practices for growing a small business line," the minister said.