Porter Joins ONDC To Expand Its Hyperlocal Delivery Playbook

Bengaluru-based Porter has joined the government-run Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to meet the growing demand for hyperlocal deliveries.

“We will also actively work towards expanding our portfolio to cater to a broader range of customer delivery needs,” said Porter’s vice president Abhinav Vadrevu.

“By welcoming Porter to the ONDC Network, we are further strengthening this vital component of the e-commerce landscape. This not only provides our sellers with an additional reliable logistics option but also expands the choices available to buyers, enhancing the open and decentralized nature of the network,” said T Koshy, managing director and chief executive officer at ONDC.

This comes close on the heels of the logistics major managing to trim its net loss by 45% in the financial year ended March 31, 2024 on the back of lower cash burn. 

Its top line growth also zoomed with operating revenue at INR 2,733.7 Cr for FY24, up 56% against INR 1,737.4 Cr in the previous fiscal year.

The startup primarily earns revenue by providing transportation services through its own fleet. 

Founded in 2014 by Pranav Goel, Uttam Digga and Vikas Choudhary, Porter offers B2B and B2C logistics service. It also claims to offer services like distance-based allocation, GPS tracking, proactive notifications, and more, to its driver partners.

It currently has a fleet of over 7.5 lakh drivers in more than 22 cities. Besides, the Peak XV backed startup is also eyeing to expand its two-wheeler fleet in tier-2 cities

Meanwhile, ONDC is an open protocol-based network to enable local commerce across multiple segments, including grocery and mobility among others. It was incorporated in 2021 as an initiative of DPIIT under the aegis of ministry of commerce and industry. 

The network claims to enable more than 1.2 Cr orders per month and has forayed into categories such as fintech, fashion, electronics in products, and ride-hailing, among others. ONDC claims to have over 6 Lakh sellers live on its network across the country.

This comes at the heart of ONDC diversifying its offerings with onboarding several players lately. For instance, Ola was reportedly planning to roll out an ONDC based option to purchase groceries, fashion and apparel via its app. 

Not less than 12 Indian unicorn startups including the likes of EaseMyTrip, OfBusiness, Zerodha, PhysicsWallah and others have already signed letters of intent to join the network.

ONDC processed 12.5 Mn transactions in August, marking a sequential increase of 5%. The majority of these transactions were from the mobility category, while the rest came from sectors such as retail purchases and logistics services, among others.