Over 7 in 10 Indians now prefer to chat with businesses: Meta report

In the ever-evolving communication landscape, more than 70% of Indians prefer to message businesses rather than sending an email, calling or visiting their website, a new report said on Friday.

Nearly 75% Indians surveyed said they are more likely to do business with/purchase from a company that they can contact via messaging.

People in India increasingly prefer messaging over other forms of communication, the same way they chat with their friends and family, according to the research by Kantar commissioned by Meta (formerly Facebook).


"Today, customers not only want a quick and easy way to connect with brands, but they also want to engage with a brand to learn more about their product while considering a purchase," said Ravi Garg, Director Business Messaging at Meta.

The findings of the report showed that 86% of adults message a business at least once a week, considerably higher than the global average of 66%.

Majority (83%) of the people surveyed expect businesses to deploy quick and easy modes of communication, such as messaging.

About 72% of the people surveyed in India said they message with a business more often since the start of the pandemic.

Interestingly, 75% are more likely to do business with/purchase from a company that they can contact via messaging.

"Conversational messaging is not only helping brands connect with consumers but also build brand experiences that grow their business," said Ravi Sundararajan, Chief Operating Officer, Gupshup.