Google announces plans for SMEs, aims to get 20 Million Indian SMEs Online by 2017

Keeping in mind the huge information gap for local businesses on the Internet these days, Google India has introduced a nationwide initiative, with an aim to bridge this gap by helping SMEs to go digital and get online presence, deprived of any investment in a website or domain.

As a part of this initiative, Google is aiming to get 20 Million small medium businesses online by 2017 through their mobile app ‘Google My Business’. This will support businesses to build and manage their business information across Google products including Google Search and Google Maps, that too for free in both Hindi and English languages.

Speaking about the initiative, RajanAnandan, VP & Managing Director, Google South East Asia & India, said, “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.”

“SMEs have been central to Google’s success globally and have been strategic focus for us in India.  Google My Business is our first mobile based product initiative for SMEs and we have seen immediate adoption of it in India, in the last 5 months during our pilot phase, over a million SMEs have found a place on the Internet, and we are engaging 25000 new SMEs every week. Our moon shot – aim is to get 20 million SMEs online in the next three years.” he added.

Those who are unaware, there is one more initiative called ‘Google’s SME Heroes Challenge’ occurred. This challenge actually recognises and celebrates SMEs, who have used ‘Internet’ in innovative ways to grow their business.

While, discussing the plans for SMEs, Google has also announced the final winners of Google SME Heroes Challenge. Simplilearn from Bangalore was chosen as the final national winner by an external Jury comprising of KunalBahl, Co-Founder & CEO of Snapdeal, Bikky Khosla, CEO, TradeIndia.com and Mr Deep Kapuria, Chairman, CII Trade Fairs Council. Life cell, Voila, Pumpkart and Racold was picked as four regional winners for the SME Heroes challenge, the press release notes.

Congratulating the winners, Mr Deep Kapuria, Chairman, CII Trade Fairs Council said, “In the last five years, Internet has had a direct impact on how both consumers and businesses engage with each other. SMEs are the backbone of our economy, it is estimated, that the share of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise (MSME) contribution to Indian GDP will significantly increase from the current 38 percent to 50 percent by 2024. India’s huge and diverse base of SMEs can benefit immensely from the Internet and we must work hard to ensure SMEs in India better understand the power of the internet to win in this digital age. I would like to congratulate the winners of Google’s SME heroes challenge and hope that more businesses will take inspiration from them.”