We might soon see a platform similar to the UPI that will work with sellers and logistics to connect them to the buyers. The government is developing such a platform, inspired from the success of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
This platform will be called Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
How will this compete against Amazon and Flipkart? Read on to find out all the details about this new platform by the government!
Government To Launch Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)
Through this platform of ONDC, customers will be able to login to the network, browse for products and services. Buyers will be able to check out all the details about the product, pricings, sellers location as well, thus making their choice easier.
Sources close to the development have confirmed that the ONDC will be similar to emails, wherein, the sender and the recipient will not need to be on the same platform. He also cited an example – the sender can be on Google and the receiver can be on Yahoo.
As per reports, the ONDC will also be connected to the payment gateways along with providing delivery and logistics solutions for specific requirements. The government sources have said, “Broad contours of the model are in place.” They also said that this initiative has not been tried anywhere across the world till now.
The advisory group for the ONDC platform consists of National Health Authority CEO RS Sharma and Infosys Chairman Nandan Nilekani and more.
Pilots For ONDC Already Conducted; More Pilot Projects Planned
As per reports, the pilot for ONDC has already been conducted with auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers. There also are plans about conducting pilots over the next six months for delivery services, FMCG players and kirana stores. These pilots will be carried out in major cities like, Bengaluru, Delhi, Jaipur, Kochi and Varanasi.
The Centre has made many attempts to launch B2B and B2C platforms due to the notion that existing platforms are beneficial only for selective players. Sources have said that the government believed that they give sellers less control.
In short, the ONDC model will be pitted against the e-commerce giants in INdia, Amazon and Flipkart. Officials are also hopeful that the success of UPI will be inspiring for this platform once large private players are on-board.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.