Microsoft onboards govt-backed Open Network of digital commerce

ONDC (OPEN Network of digital commerce), which is developing a first-of-its-kind open network for digital commerce, on Tuesday said US tech giant Microsoft has onboarded its platform. Microsoft intends to introduce social e-commerce — group buying experience — in the Indian market, it said.

Microsoft, among the three largest tech companies, is the first in its league to announce onboarding efforts with ONDC. This year, it plans to launch a shopping app for Indian consumers along with their social circle, harnessing the ONDC network to discover the best pricing among retailers and sellers.

ONDC was launched earlier this year by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), with an aim to create an inclusive e-commerce market and enable all kinds of sellers and buyers to leverage digitisation of commerce through its network.

Microsoft’s collaboration with ONDC is crucial as it widens the models available on the network, which is aimed at fostering equal opportunities for small, medium, and large buyers as well as sellers.