Anirban Chowdhury, a knowledgeable commentator on e-commerce strategies, joins Suraksha P to explore the ONDC initiative's journey and impact. They discuss how ONDC, aimed at empowering small sellers, has achieved significant milestones, including onboarding 2 lakh sellers. The conversation dives into the competitive landscape against giants like Amazon and Flipkart, highlighting the unique logistics model and the Saarti initiative tailored for tier two cities. Challenges remain, but ONDC's commitment to democratizing e-commerce shines through.
ONDC aims to level the e-commerce playing field by enabling small sellers to compete with giants like Amazon and Flipkart.
Despite its rapid growth, ONDC faces challenges in attracting more sellers and maintaining sustainable operations while ensuring fair competition.
Deep dives
Overview of ONDC and Its Goals
The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) was launched with the aim of democratizing e-commerce in India by enabling local businesses to compete on an equal footing with major companies like Amazon and Flipkart. Introduced in September 2022, ONDC's open protocol facilitates various segments, including groceries, food delivery, mobility, and travel, encouraging small entrepreneurs and traditional retailers to participate without hefty onboarding fees. The government envisions this network as a way to shift power away from dominant players who have made it difficult for smaller businesses to thrive in a rapidly growing e-commerce market projected to reach $150 billion by 2026. Piyush Goyal, India's commerce minister, has emphasized the necessity of such initiatives given the current antitrust scrutinies facing the major platforms due to their alleged preference for select sellers, highlighting the timely relevance of ONDC.
Progress and Adoption Rates
As of August 2024, ONDC has achieved significant milestones, surpassing 100 million transactions within 18 months of its launch, showcasing its rising popularity among consumers and sellers alike. More than 650,000 vendors from about 806 districts are participating in the network, with Karnataka, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh leading in transaction volume. Interestingly, the network has also seen a reverse trend in the number of orders, with retail transactions now outnumbering mobility orders, marking a shift in consumer preferences. The success stories, such as the Google-backed ride-hailing app Namma Yathri crossing significant earnings and trips, underscore ONDC's potential to become a formidable competitor in the digital market landscape.
Challenges and the Path Ahead
Despite the promising start, ONDC faces several challenges in fully achieving its goals of democratizing e-commerce and enhancing its supplier base to match that of existing giants. One primary concern is the need for more significant players and sellers accustomed to established platforms to join the network, which requires significant outreach and educational initiatives to bridge the technological divide. Additionally, scaling operations sustainably while generating profit remains a critical issue, as the low commission structure may not cover operational costs for many participants. Ultimately, to fulfill its vision, ONDC must continuously innovate, attract a broader merchant base, and enhance support for those new to the online commerce space while ensuring fair competition against longstanding e-commerce giants.
Exactly a year ago, ONDC, the government-backed, open-source commerce network, was launched nationwide. Its twofold purpose: to onboard small sellers who couldn’t afford to be on the platforms of e-commerce giants; and to challenge the supremacy of these giants. The platform has quietly been achieving one milestone after another, spreading to more than 200 pin codes, adding 2 lakh sellers, and attracting prominent names such as Paytm and Ola. But is this enough? What are the challenges? Anirban Chowdhury and ET’s tech expert, Suraksha P, explore answers to these questions with ONDC’s MD and CEO, Thampy Koshy
You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin
You can follow Suraksha P on her social media: Twitter and Linkedin
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