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Currently, Facebook boasts two million 'small business pages' in India.
Social media giant Facebook, has launched the SME India Council to help small businesses grow locally and regionally across the country.
The first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, the Council comprises 12 small business owners from different geographies, with varied business objectives and goals. As part of its agenda, the Council will discuss progress on solutions, business ideas, discuss new successes and challenges and meet the Facebook teams.
Council members include Amruta Walvekar, director, Wrapistry, Anaka Narayanan, director, Brass Tacks, Anitha Nayak, founder, Floured, Gautam Ivatury, co-founder and executive chairman, MeraDoctor, Hema Balakrishnan, founder, Color D Earth, Kalpana Rajesh, director, Pelli Poola Jada, Maya Chandrasekaran, chief of talent, Babajob.com, Nivedha Charles, founder, Pigtails and Ponys, Nivedita Mummadi, co-founder, Dirty Feet, R Balakrishnan, co-founder and director, GIO Adventures, Sarvesh Agrawal, founder and CEO, Internshala, and Vivek Iyer, co-founder, English Dost.
According to an official statement from the company, more than half the 138 million people on Facebook in India (90 per cent on mobile), are connected to at least one small business in the country. Over 1.99 billion interactions are generated between businesses and people in the country.
Some of the key SME businesses that are using Facebook extensively include job website Babajob, online fashion brand Bewakoof, multi-product e-tailer Cilory, and online fashion brand Chumbak among others.
Facebook had set up an India Client Council with global advertisers in 2014.