ONDC Reshapes India’s E-Commerce Landscape: Boosts Small Sellers, Launches WhatsApp Bot, Empowers Women and SHGs

New Delhi, July 22: The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is rapidly transforming India’s e-commerce ecosystem by democratizing access, reducing seller costs, and expanding buyer choices. Designed as an open, decentralized protocol, ONDC enables direct interactions between buyers and sellers across platforms, dismantling traditional platform monopolies and fostering inclusivity in digital trade.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Minister of State for Commerce & Industry Jitin Prasada highlighted ONDC’s recent milestones and initiatives aimed at empowering small businesses, self-help groups (SHGs), women entrepreneurs, and rural sellers.

Empowering Sellers, Enabling Access

ONDC enables any seller onboarded through an ONDC-compliant application to be discovered by buyers across all compatible platforms. This interoperability drastically lowers the cost of customer acquisition and levels the playing field for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and artisans.

The network supports unbundling of commerce, where sellers, logistics providers, and payment gateways can independently specialize, ensuring greater competition and innovation.

Digital Inclusion via Language Support and Training

To support first-time and regional sellers, ONDC has:

• Launched “ONDC Sahayak”, a WhatsApp bot available in five Indian languages, with plans to expand to 22 languages, offering user guidance and support.
• Released a Seller Handbook in 14 languages and partnered with Bhashini to enhance Indic-language app development.
• Delivered over 3,000 hours of virtual training and 200+ hours of technical sessions, reaching 50,000+ participants, including startups and rural entrepreneurs.

Women-Led Enterprises at the Forefront

Under the TEAM Scheme (Trade Enablement and Marketing), the Ministry of MSME is facilitating the onboarding of micro and small enterprises to ONDC—with 50% of the beneficiaries earmarked for women-led businesses. Support includes help with cataloguing, logistics, packaging, and account management.

In addition, SIDBI and NABARD have partnered with ONDC to promote SHGs and social sector sellers, expanding market access for rural and women entrepreneurs.

ONDC Expands Regional Market Participation

Initiatives at the state level include:

• Himachal Pradesh: Onboarding local products under the HimIra brand.
• Andhra Pradesh: Supporting SHGs and cooperatives through comprehensive ONDC integration.

The eSaras platform, operated under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), has gone live on ONDC with over 800 SHG-produced handicraft items, operating through a central warehouse in Delhi-NCR.

Why It Matters for Consumers

ONDC benefits buyers by:

• Increasing product variety, thanks to participation from regional sellers and artisans.
• Offering competitive prices through broader seller participation and better price discovery.
• Expanding access to hyperlocal and specialized products, bridging gaps between rural producers and urban consumers.

With ONDC now actively supported by multiple ministries and state governments, and reaching into India’s linguistic and rural heartlands, the initiative is poised to redefine digital commerce by making it inclusive, multilingual, and market-driven—a key pillar of India’s vision for Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat @2047, the ministry said in a statement.