WhatsApp Brings Meta Business Agent to India; Adds New Business Discovery Features

WhatsApp announced the rollout of Meta Business Agent in India on Wednesday, at the third edition of Meta's annual Business Summit in Mumbai. The company is touting its AI-powered solution for businesses to automate customer interactions, sales, and day-to-day operations. The social media giant also unveiled the Meta Business Agent Platform for large enterprises, alongside new business discovery features that enable users to search for businesses directly within WhatsApp.

Meta Business Agent in India

Meta says its Business Agent enables businesses to offer round-the-clock customer support using AI. The assistant can answer customer queries, recommend products from a merchant's catalogue, book appointments, qualify leads, and assist with sales conversations. It also offers conversation summaries, customer insights, and updates on missed interactions.

As per the company, businesses can also configure the AI agent to transfer conversations to a human representative when necessary.

Commenting on the rollout, Arun Srinivas, Managing Director and Country Head, Meta in India, said, "As AI becomes more central to the transformation of the way businesses operate, Meta Business Agent represents the next step in that journey – helping businesses harness AI to strengthen customer relationships, improve efficiency, and unlock growth."

The Meta Business Agent Platform, meanwhile, is geared towards large enterprises looking to build, customise, and deploy AI-powered business agents at scale. Meta said it integrates with existing business systems such as Shopify, Zendesk, and Shopee, while working alongside the WhatsApp Business Platform. The social media giant highlighted companies like Swiggy, Madhulika Enterprises and Kaizen Adventours, which are already leveraging the platform for customer support, lead management, and operational workflows.

Alongside the AI announcements, WhatsApp revealed discovery features that will allow users to search for businesses by name directly within the app. They will also be able to share business profiles with friends and family. As per Meta, this is aimed at making it easier to discover merchants without leaving the messaging app.

Earlier this month, the company introduced a token-based pricing model for the WhatsApp Business Platform and expanded access to its AI business agent capabilities globally. With the latest announcement, Meta is bringing those AI tools to businesses in India.