ONDC goes live with beta launch in Bengaluru; 161 orders placed on Day 1

Govt-owned network starts in Bengaluru with online grocery, restaurant orders

Just when Walmart-owned Flipkart’s Big Billion Day sale was drawing to a close after crossing the 1-billion footfall mark in a week, the government went live with its own startup for digital commerce. Starting small with 161 orders on day one, the government-owned Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) kicked off its beta launch in Bengaluru on Friday.          

Initially, consumers from 16 pin codes in Bengaluru can place orders on ONDC across two segments — groceries and restaurants. The experience is powered by buyer facing apps such as Paytm, IDFC First Bank, SpiceMoney and Mystore, which are