New Delhi, May 07, 2026.

WhatsApp today announced the launch of Business AI on  WhatsApp in India, bringing AI-powered customer support directly to the WhatsApp Business app. Available in all native languages in India, this feature enables eligible businesses to respond to customer queries 24/7, capture leads, book appointments, and drive sales — without needing any additional tools or platforms.

Business AI on WhatsApp can be customized based on the business's own information, allowing them to automate responses to frequently asked questions and assist customers with queries related to products and services, pricing, discounts, shipping and more. Starting soon, it will also be able to facilitate payments directly within a WhatsApp chat using UPI.  When there is a more complex query or a specific need that needs to be addressed, a business owner can take over the conversation from the AI agent. Over the coming weeks, Business AI will be available for all eligible businesses to use on the WhatsApp Business app.

According to a Kantar study (2025), 91% of online adults in India chat with a business on a weekly basis, making messaging the preferred way for Indians to interact with businesses, and WhatsApp is central to that connection between businesses and their customers. Business AI on WhatsApp gives small business owners the tools to be available, responsive, and competitive — at any hour of the day.

Speaking on the launch of Business AI, Ravi Garg, Director Business Messaging, Meta 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."

Small businesses across India who have integrated Business AI on WhatsApp Business app are already seeing the impact of Business AI in transforming how they connect with customers and drive growth.

Soil Concept, a 100% plant-based personal care brand, was losing potential customers when queries came in outside business hours. Whereas, The Purple Sunset, a customized gifting business specializing in personalized hampers, was struggling to manage 60-70 daily customer queries alongside other business operations. Both these businesses were part of the selected business.

Tuba Siddiqui, Co-founder, 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."

Gunveen Kaur, Founder, The Purple Sunset said,"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."

At this time, Indian small and medium-sized businesses must meet certain criteria to be eligible for Business AI and use the WhatsApp Business app. To learn more about business AI on WhatsApp and get started, businesses can visit https://www.facebook.com/business/ai/business-ai/whatsapp.

How to use and set up Business AI

Eligible businesses using the WhatsApp Business app can get started by going to the Tools tab and selecting ‘Your Business AI’, where they can follow a few guided steps to set up the feature.

Once enabled, Business AI on WhatsApp can immediately begin assisting with customer conversations by answering questions, recommending products, sharing key business information based on what the business has already added to their profile and catalog, and help close the sale.

Businesses remain in control at all times — they can step in to respond to customers directly whenever needed, adjust how Business AI on WhatsApp works, or turn the feature off entirely. For more information on how to set up your Business AI, visit the Help Center.