How ONDC is set to democratise and transform India's e-commerce landscape

While the pilot is being conducted in five cities - Delhi, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Bhopal and Shillong - ONDC is on course for a pan-India launch by August that will see it introduced across 100 cities

Described as the next UPI (Unified Payments Interface) moment for Indian shoppers, the government’s Open Network Digital Commerce, or ONDC, which is undergoing initial trials, is believed to have the potential to transform India’s e-commerce landscape. The government both hopes and claims that, once it is implemented, almost every mom-and-pop store will gain an online presence, thus truly democratising online commerce in India.

However, the biggest challenge will be to ensure that the network, and the technology that supports it, is standardised, seamless and scalable. That is how the largest e-tailers, Amazon and Flipkart, have managed to attract sellers and buyers.

While