Google aims to bring 20 million Indian SMEs online by 2017
The GMB app will help SMBs to create, manage their business information online across Google in English and Hindi for free
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New Delhi: Google Inc. plans to get 20 million Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on the Internet by creating their online presence on Google search and maps, the US Internet service and product giant said on Tuesday.
According to Google, fewer than 3 million of the 51 million SMEs in the country have an online presence.
In September, Google tied up with the Indian government to promote Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India project, which aims to increase high-speed Internet connectivity across the country, introduce digital classrooms, be part of smart cities, provide online delivery of services through the integration of government departments and introduce online visas.
The company has launched a mobile-based app that can enable businesses to create and manage their business information across Google products for free. The app supports two languages—Hindi and English.
India has an Internet user-base of more than 300 million and according to the industry estimates, around 6 million users are being added to this number every month.
“In the next three years India will have over 500 million Internet users—and these users will need access to all kind of information in their local languages. Indian SMEs have struggled to build and maintain their online presence. Search experience for local business in India is broken today and we want to fix it by connecting businesses with their customers," said Rajan Anandan, vice president and managing director, Google South East Asia and India.
“SMEs have been central to Google’s success globally and have been a strategic focus for us in India. Google My Business is our first mobile-based product initiative for SMEs."
Before formally launching the app, the company ran a pilot. “We have seen immediate adoption of it in India. In the last five months during our pilot phase, over a million SMEs have found a place on the Internet, and we are engaging 25,000 new SMEs every week. Our moon shot aim is to get 20 million SMEs online in the next three years."
According to the industry estimates, the share of micro, small and medium enterprises’ contribution to Indian gross domestic product is set to increase significantly from the current 38% to 50% by 2024.
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