ONDC to support kirana store digitisation

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Jun 20, 2022

Open Network for Digital Commerce will enable kirana and other small store owners to run digital storefronts at a minimal cost with wider logistics and inventory options, analysts posit as the pilot continues. 

“The expectation is, as more users are onboarded, there will be a domino effect leading to a colossal change in the Indian retail ecosystem by creating a level playing field,” said Thoughtworks in India’s head of retail and consumer practice, Sanjeev Athreeya about ONDC, ET Retail reported. “ONDC will be a level playing field for sellers of any size- from a large aggregator to a small kirana.” 

ONDC was launched as a pilot programme in five cities in April to track its results. The aim is to launch the initiative pan-India in the future. One element of ONDC is finance and store owners using the platform will be able to access established credit networks with far lower interest rates than what is currently the norm. 

In terms of logistics, ONDC will enable small stores to choose their own logistics partner from a range of options as opposed to being tied to the options on one platform. The platform is also designed to help with inventory procurement for stores and inventory management among other things.