Meta partners with LightCastle to boost SME growth in Bangladesh
The programme will provide entrepreneurs with hands-on training on Meta’s digital platforms and AI-powered tools.
LightCastle Partners, in partnership with Meta, has launched the Meta Small Business Growth Academy in Bangladesh to help small and medium-sized businesses improve their digital capabilities and expand into new markets.
The programme will provide entrepreneurs with hands-on training on Meta's digital platforms and AI-powered tools, focusing on areas such as digital marketing, online presence, customer engagement and business expansion.
Through workshops and other activities, LightCastle will help local entrepreneurs use digital platforms to reach new customers, strengthen their online businesses and identify new growth opportunities.
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The initiative comes as Bangladesh's small and medium-sized business sector increasingly adopts digital technologies to reach customers and expand operations. Entrepreneurs in sectors including ready-made garments, agriculture and other small businesses are among those expected to benefit from the training.
Tehara Punchihewa, associate public policy manager at Meta, said the programme would help entrepreneurs develop practical skills to use AI-enabled tools and compete more effectively in the digital economy.
"At Meta, we see every day how small businesses use our AI-enabled tools to reach customers and grow," Punchihewa said.
Bijon Islam, CEO of LightCastle Partners, said the initiative would support grassroots entrepreneurship and contribute to inclusive economic growth.
The Small Business Growth Academy will be implemented in 12 countries across the Asia-Pacific region, with an initial target of supporting more than 10,000 businesses.
Training will be tailored to local market needs and will cover strengthening online presence, improving digital marketing, increasing the use of AI-powered tools, enhancing customer engagement and identifying opportunities for business expansion.
The Bangladesh programme is part of Meta's broader Asia-Pacific initiative, under which the company will work with governments, industry partners and local business organisations to help entrepreneurs develop skills needed to participate in the digital economy.
