As part of its ONDC membership, Microsoft reportedly plans to introduce social e-commerce or group buying to India. A social commerce retail app will be released by the US-based internet giant for Indian users. According to a person in the know, ONDC is anticipated to open to the public in Bengaluru over the course of the following two weeks as it enters the next stage of the pilot for additional fine-tuning before rollouts in other cities. There are currently a lot of city-based retailers using the ONDC platform. Microsoft said it intends to release a shopping app for Indian consumers and their social networks that would use the open network to get the cheapest prices among sellers and retailers while launching its ONDC onboarding efforts.
T Koshy, CEO of ONDC, was quoted as saying, “By utilizing the strength of our open network users, Microsoft, too, can implement their creative ideas like social commerce swiftly.”
Koshy added that the Microsoft partnership is a testament to the credibility of ONDC.
To be sure, Microsoft was not the only multinational company in the race to join the government’s network for digital commerce.
Platforms that have already integrated with ONDC include Paytm, Digiit, eSamudaay, Go Frugal, Growth Falcons, Seller App, Dunzo and Loadshare. And those in advanced stages of development with the network are Kotak, Phonepe, Snapdeal, Sonata, Ushop, Zoho EKart, Ship Rocket, and Bizom, among others.
HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank, India Post, ITC Store, Marico India, Nivea India, Samsung India Electronics, SBI Bank, Delhivery, and Airtel are a few of the companies that have expressed interest.
Launched in April of this year, ONDC is already operational in 15 locations and has a lofty target of being in 100 cities by the end of 2022. The government’s effort for digital commerce is referred to as the UPI for that industry.
