Govt to launch e-commerce platform, aims to cover 100 cities

The network aims to focus on apps for both buyers and sellers in local languages, with also giving a special emphasis on small businesses and rural consumers

April 29, 2022

The plan aims to onboard 30 million sellers and 10 million merchants online

Its network is expected to be first launched in five cities

The platform will be soft-launched before being fully expanded

Banks have committed a total investment of US$ 33.26 million into the platform

The Indian government will launch the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), a domestically created open-source e-commerce platform, for the country. The plan aims to onboard 30 million sellers and 10 million merchants online while covering at least 100 cities and towns by August 2022. 

According to the Ministry of Trade, the platform will be soft-launched before being expanded. The ONDC aims to focus on apps for both buyers and sellers in local languages, with also giving a special emphasis on small businesses and rural consumers. The platform’s network is expected to be first launched in five cities, which are Delhi, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Bhopal, and Shillong.

ONDC has received support from retailers and venture capital firms. In addition, a group of both public and private banks have committed a total investment of US$ 33.26 million into the platform. 

The platform’s creation is led by Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys Ltd. It was formed in December 2021 as a project for the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The ONDC platform will enable buyers and sellers to interact and deal with one another online through a variety of applications.

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