Free e-commerce network ONDC onboards 2.3 lakh sellers

The government-supported Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) claims to have more than 2.3 lakh sellers, including over 3,000 farmer producer organisations (FPOs), on its network.

More than 400 self-help groups (SHGs), micro-entrepreneurs and social sector enterprises have also registered themselves on the network. These small enterprises are also backed by Sidbi, minister of state for commerce and industry Som Parkash informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply on Thursday.

The participants, onboarded through various seller networks, include small, medium and large enterprises and drivers for mobility. While ONDC does not directly onboard any seller, it enables both products and services to be transacted through the network, the minister stated.

ONDC is actively working with the ministry of MSME to onboard small and medium enterprises on the network through existing seller applications and also by integrating the 2 lakh-strong MSME-Mart, he added.

Besides, he said, ONDC is working with industry associations like National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), to onboard restaurants to the network through various food aggregators. Currently ONDC has more than 59,000 food and beverage (F&B) sellers available on the network.

ONDC is not a platform and does not have a central system to monitor transactions. The network enables products and services to be transacted through the network. 

ONDC, however, has taken various initiatives to increase awareness, adaptation and training among small businesses for fully leveraging the benefits of the network and become ONDC compliant, the minister pointed out.