WhatsApp Marketing for Business in India: A Simple Guide (2026)
WhatsApp marketing for a business means using WhatsApp to answer enquiries, share your catalogue and send offers to customers who have agreed to hear from you. Start with the free WhatsApp Business app: set up your profile, catalogue, quick replies and away message, and reply fast. Move to the paid WhatsApp Business Platform (the "API") when you need to message many people or connect WhatsApp to other software.
In India, WhatsApp is where customers already are, with estimates of 500 million or more users. For many small businesses, it is the first place a customer asks a question.
Two ways to use WhatsApp for business
| WhatsApp Business app | WhatsApp Business Platform (API) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Per message (see below), plus your provider's fees |
| Best for | Shops and small teams replying by hand | Sending offers and updates at scale, automation |
| Devices | Your phone, plus linked devices | Through software from a WhatsApp partner |
| Broadcasts | Only to people who saved your number | To customers who opted in, using approved templates |
Set up the free WhatsApp Business app properly
Business profile: name, category, address, hours, website and a short description.
Catalogue: add your products or services with photos and prices, so customers can browse without asking.
Greeting message: a welcome for first-time chats, such as "Hi! Thanks for messaging Lakshmi Silks. What are you looking for today?"
Away message: for after hours, saying when you will reply.
Quick replies: saved answers for common questions: price list, location, delivery charges, payment options.
Labels: sort chats into New enquiry, Order placed, Paid and Delivered.
What to send, and what not to
Good:
Answers to questions, quickly.
Order and delivery updates.
Offers and new arrivals to customers who asked to hear about them.
Festival greetings with a useful offer, not just a greeting.
Avoid:
Messaging people who never gave you their number or agreed to hear from you.
Daily promotions. Customers block numbers that send too much, and too many blocks can get the number restricted.
Forwarded images with no context.
What the WhatsApp Business Platform costs in India
Since July 2025, WhatsApp charges per delivered message on the Business Platform, by type of message:
| Message type | What it is | Approximate rate in India (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | Offers, new arrivals, festival campaigns | About ₹0.86 per delivered message |
| Utility | Order, booking and delivery updates | About ₹0.12 |
| Authentication | One-time passwords | About ₹0.12 |
| Service | Your replies within 24 hours of the customer's message | Free |
Rates are set by Meta and change from time to time; WhatsApp partners add their own fees, and GST applies. Check Meta's current rate card before budgeting.
Get more people to message you
WhatsApp button on your website, Instagram bio and Google Business profile.
"Click to WhatsApp" ads on Facebook and Instagram, which open a chat with your business.
QR code at the counter, on packaging and on bills.
Clear calls to action in your posts: "Send 'PRICE' on WhatsApp for today's rates."
The one thing that matters most: reply fast
When a customer messages several shops at once, the first clear answer usually wins. Aim to reply within minutes in business hours, and set an away message for the rest. Quick replies make this realistic even for a one-person shop.
Keep it organised as you grow
Use labels so no enquiry is forgotten.
Keep a simple sheet of who asked what, and follow up after two or three days.
Ask happy customers for a Google review by WhatsApp after delivery.
Where Nebulaa fits
Nebulaa today plans and makes your social media posts, reels and campaigns, and posts them once you approve. Replies to WhatsApp enquiries, follow-ups and broadcasts are coming soon to Nebulaa: see enquiry replies. In the meantime, our free caption generator and content calendar help you plan offers and posts to share.
Questions
Is the WhatsApp Business app free?
Yes. The app is free. The WhatsApp Business Platform (API) charges per message.
Can I send bulk messages from the WhatsApp Business app?
Only through broadcast lists, and a broadcast reaches only people who have saved your number. For larger campaigns, you need the Business Platform and opted-in customers.
How much does a WhatsApp marketing message cost in India?
About ₹0.86 per delivered marketing message on the Business Platform in 2026, plus partner fees and GST. Replies within 24 hours of a customer's message are free.
Sources
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