ONDC now has a footprint in 85 Indian cities

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Jan 3, 2023

Open Network for Digital Commerce has now established a footprint in 85 Indian cities and has onboarded 800 merchants as well as 26 participants. The Union Ministry of Commerce initiative is keen to continue gaining support from large scale e-commerce players in 2023. 

“In the past year, ONDC has grown from establishing its proof-of-concept in a digital simulation to its first real-world transactions, establishing its footprint in 85 cities as part of alpha testing and subsequently launching its Beta in Bengaluru first followed by Meerut,” wrote ONDC CEO and managing director T Koshy on Linkedin. “Through ONDC, sellers, no matter their size or scale will be able to participate in e-commerce on their own terms.”
 
Designed to democratise e-commerce, ONDC enables all sellers to showcase their products on an equal footing, no matter the size of the business. This should help micro, small, and medium enterprises to grow their online customer bases and this should in turn help to boost domestic production and create employment opportunities in India, according to the government. 

In 2023, ONDC is set to continue its Beta testing, onboard more merchants, and expand its services in India. ONDC has been incorporated as a non-profit company with the support of institutions including the Quality Council of India and Protean as its founding members, Indian Retailer reported.