About Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC):
- It is an open-source network set up to enable buyers and sellers to transact with each other irrespective of the e-commerce platform on which either of them are registered.
- It is an initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- It comprises of buyer-side apps where consumers can place orders, seller-side apps that onboard merchants and display their listings, and logistics platforms that handle deliveries.
- Aim:
- To promote open networks for all aspects of exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks.
- To create new opportunities, curb digital monopolies and by supporting micro, small and medium enterprises and small traders and help them get on online platforms.
- It seeks to democratise digital or electronic commerce, moving it from a platform-centric model to an open-network.
- Benefits:
- It offers small retailers an opportunity to provide their services, and goods to buyers across the country through an e-commerce system.
- ONDC enables merchants to save their data to build credit history and reach consumers.
- It is expected to digitise the entire value chain, promote inclusion of suppliers, derive efficiencies in logistics and enhance value for consumers.
- ONDC protocols would standardize operations like cataloguing, inventory management, order management and order fulfilment.
