ONDC Crosses 5.7 Lakh Sellers And Service Providers On Its Platform: MoS IT

The government has informed the Parliament that the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) now has more than 5.7 Lakh sellers and service providers on the platform.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State (MoS) for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada said that ONDC has 71 seller applications, 22 buyer applications, and 16 logistics service providers and there are a total of over 5.7 Lakh sellers and service providers on the network. 

He added that ONDC does not track the number of consumers/buyers on the network. The network has witnessed rapid expansion, growing from over 1,000 transactions in January 2023 to more than 9.9 Mn transactions in June 2024.

Prasada added that ONDC is actively collaborating with various departments across all states and union territories, with each state/UT appointing a nodal officer to facilitate state-level engagements. 

To raise awareness about ONDC, 198 workshops have been conducted with different state departments. As a result, ONDC has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with 11 states, onboarded 11 State Emporiums onto the network, and integrated 31 state entities and public sector undertakings (PSUs) into the network.

Launched in 2021, ONDC is an initiative by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. It aims to promote open networks for the exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks. ONDC is a Digital Public Infrastructure based on a network model, rather than an app or platform.

ONDC is an open-source platform designed to democratise ecommerce in India and bring small businesses online. As a private non-profit initiative supported by DPIIT, ONDC strives to make ecommerce more accessible across the country. Companies such as Delhivery, Paytm, PhonePe, Uber, IDFC Bank, Kotak, Shiprocket, Dunzo, and Tata Neu have integrated their services with ONDC.

The platform has been steadily expanding by adding new categories and broadening its services throughout India.

This development comes as ONDC seeks to integrate banks and fintech platforms, after initiating early pilots for credit disbursal through its network. The platform has partnered with Tata Group’s superapp Tata Neu and Paisabazaar for these pilots. The banks involved include HDFC Bank, IDFC First Bank, and Karnataka Bank, while fintech firms such as Fibe and others are also participating in the integration.