In a move aimed at transforming India’s e-commerce landscape, the Narendra Modi government announced the formation of a 14-member Advisory Council for the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). This initiative, under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), seeks to promote scalable, cost-effective e-commerce solutions that will empower startups and foster growth in India’s digital retail sector.
Members of the Advisory Council are as follows:
- Nandan M Nilekani, Non-Executive Chairman of Infosys.
- Ram Sewak Sharma (Retd IAS: 1978), former TRAI Chairman & CEO, National Health Authority.
- Rohit Kumar Singh (Retd IAS: 1989: RJ), Member, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) and former Union Secretary, Consumer Affairs.
- Rajesh Kumar Singh (IAS: 1989: KL), Defence Secretary Designate.
- Anurag Jain (IAS: 1989: MP), Secretary, Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways.
- Anil Agrawal (Retd IPS: 1988: UP), Member, Competition Commission of India (CCI).
- Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman, Capacity Building Commission.
- Jaxay Shah, Chairman, Quality Council of India (QCI)
- Anjali Bansal, Founder and Chairperson of Avaana Capital.
- Arvind Gupta, Co-Founder and Head, Digital India Foundation.
- Dilip Asbe, MD & CEO, National Payments Corporation India (NPCI).
- Suresh Sethi, MD & CEO, National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL).
- Praveen Khandelwal, Secretary-General, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).
- Kumar Rajgopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India (RAI).
It may be underlined that ONDC is a tech-based initiative to transform the way e-commerce functions in the country. It aims at facilitating the rapid adoption of e-commerce and aspires to boost and strengthen the growth of startups in India. By facilitating scalable and cost-effective e-commerce through the open protocol, ONDC empowers startups to grow collaboratively. ONDC also provide opportunities to increase e‑retail penetration to its maximum potential in India.
