India, June 16 -- Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has introduced advertisements for the first time on its platform in a push to grow its revenue.

In a blog post, the platform said that users will see ads in the 'Updates' tab while swiping through status updates of their contacts, thereby allowing them to reach out to businesses directly to enquire about a product or service.

Besides, WhatsApp said that users can now subscribe to receive "exclusive updates" from channels for a monthly fee. The messaging platform will also provide an option to channel administrators to promote themselves, giving them a way to increase their channel's visibility.

WhatsApp said that ads will be restricted to the Updates tab only, hence, not infringe...