A joint study by Google and KPMG titled Impact of internet and digitization on Small and Medium Businesses in India pointed out that 32% of digital businesses cater to customers outside their city, and employ five times as many people as do businesses that are offline; and profits of digitally engaged businesses grow twice as fast compared to offline small companies. The research also revealed that the rise of digital SMBs can help increase India’s GDP by 10 percentage points.
To address the offline 68% SMBs, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, announced the launch of Digital Unlocked, a training program for business owners in India that will empower them with essential digital skills to use the internet to grow their business. The program is offered as a combination of online, offline and mobile modes. The offline training will be conducted in partnership with industry body FICCI, and over the next three years 5,000 workshops will be held across 40 Indian cities. This training course is certified by Google, the Indian School of Business and FICCI, reports Mint.
Additionally, Google launched Primer, a free mobile app designed to teach digital marketing skills in a quick, easy and interactive way. Available for download through the Google Play and iOS app store, Primer can work offline too, and is currently available in English and Hindi with Tamil, Telugu and Marathi versions coming shortly.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
