The announcement today is a continuation of Google’s efforts to support Digital India.
At an event in New Delhi today, Google CEO Sundar Pichai introduced two new initiatives - Digital Unlocked, a training program to empower thousands of Indian SMBs with essential digital skills that will enable them to get online and start using the power of the internet to grow their business and My Business Websites – an offering to help businesses have a rich, mobile optimised digital presence that will be launched later this year. He also spoke to representatives from hundreds of small and medium business from across the country on the benefits of the web and digital technology.
The company also unveiled a joint research study with KPMG titled "Impact of internet and digitization on SMBs in India". The study reiterates that 68 percent of the 51 million Indian SMBs are offline. The report cites the lack of understanding of the benefits of digital technologies and technical skills as the essential reasons for being offline.
With Digital Unlocked, Google is committed to ensuring that every single small business in India that wants to go digital has access to quality training. In keeping with the varied learning needs of the millions of businesses in India, Google has built this program across online, offline and mobile. The offline training is being conducted in partnership with FICCI and over the next three years, 5,000 workshops will be held across 40 Indian cities. The online training comprises a set of 90 self-paced video tutorials, curated specifically for India and is available free of charge at g.co/digitalunlocked.
Alongside Digital Unlocked, Google also previewed My Business Websites, aimed at equipping the majority of small businesses with a way to start their digital journey by creating a free, mobile optimised website. Available for Google My Business users later in the year, this feature will provide templated, editable websites for small businesses, created from their data and photos on Google Maps. My Business Websites will be available in English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Kannada, and Malayalam.
Lastly, Google also launched Primer, a free mobile app designed to teach digital marketing skills in an easy and interactive way. It is available for download through the Google Play and iOS app store. Primer also works offline and is currently available in English and Hindi with Tamil, Telugu and Marathi versions coming shortly.
During his address, Sundar Pichai said, “The Internet is a powerful equalizer and we are motivated to bring the benefits of information and technology to as many people as possible. Building for everyone and making it available in the hands of as many people is at the heart and core of what we do. And we do this by investing in open ecosystems.”
Referring specifically to small and medium businesses, Pichai added, “The Internet and digital technology will be an engine of growth for the Indian economy. Today, anyone can become an entrepreneur, a developer, or a creator, but it is important that they have the right tools and skills to digitize. We believe it is important for us to invest in training and equipping these individuals and small businesses to accelerate their journey of growth.”
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