On the occasion of World MSME Day today, Meta said that there has been an increasing trend towards small businesses from non-metro cities using its apps to grow.

There has also been an explosive growth in direct-to-consumer (D2C) businesses from small towns using the Meta apps – Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Indore based Chef De Beaute, which is redefining the personal care category by creating SuperFoods and FusionTech inspired and enriched products used digital, and Instagram and Facebook to create awareness for its unique products and to reach new customers across India.  Meta said that among the 100 most followed Facebook pages from 1 million to 2 million followers in India, more than 50% of them are now from non-metro cities.

For Instagram, among the 100 most followed Instagram businesses between 1 million to 3 million followers in India, approximately 40% of them are based in non-metro cities. The company also said that more than half-a-million Indian small businesses on Instagram list a WhatsApp number or a phone number or an email in their bio, and encourage potential customers to contact them directly via DM indicating how small businesses are using Meta apps to reach customers directly and grow their business.

Said Saumya Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO, Chef De Beaute, “We built the entire concept of Chef De Beaute, hired technical teams, and launched the brand during the pandemic. Digital tools made this journey possible in times of social distancing, and Facebook and Instagram are playing a key role in taking our products from Indore to across India.

The story of Chef De Beaute is proof that there is nothing that can hold back powerful business ideas and women-led businesses from smaller towns of India.”