The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and Google Cloud have announced a new India- wide hackathon and an expansion of their current ONDC program. This collaboration aims to foster innovation in the e-commerce industry in India on a larger scale.
An all-Indian hackathon, organized by ONDC and Google Cloud, is set to be launched with the aim of promoting innovation and addressing critical issues for the next billion digital users in the country. The hackathon seeks to develop solutions that democratize access to digital commerce and to innovate as well as enhance the ONDC framework, the event is aimed to build an open ecosystem of developers, students, and companies.
More about hackathon:
- The ‘Build for Bharat’ hackathon, will last three months and draw 100,000 participants.
- It will provide mentoring, assistance, and other resources to help participants tackle typical e-commerce challenges like enhancing supply chain visibility, enhancing consumer personalization, and enhancing inventory management, according to the company statement.
- The hackathon includes an extensive range of interactive activities webinars, question-and- answer sessions, expert-led workshops, and online community channels like Discord.
Since the launch of ONDC Open Commerce solution, an open source platform, over 20 e-commerce companies have already embraced the Open Commerce solution. The solution was launched in June 2023, collectively by Google Cloud and ONDC, with an aim to facilitate seamless onboarding of buyers and sellers onto the ONDC network.
Moving forward, this strategic collaboration between ONDC and Google Cloud aims to expand the reach of the ONDC network, particularly to buyers and sellers in smaller cities across the nation. This will be made possible by leveraging Google Cloud’s advanced generative AI tools, enabling more efficient transactions on the platform.
The collaboration between Google Cloud and ONDC not only benefits the largest global firms but also empowers the smallest suppliers in local markets. This strategic partnership provides organizations across India with the opportunity to expand their customer base and generate more revenue, thereby accelerating the nation’s adoption of digital commerce. According to Thomas Kurian, the CEO of Google Cloud, this groundbreaking alliance is paving the way for a fairer playing field and transforming the landscape of business in India.
According to T. Koshy, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), ONDC, the company is at the cusp of revolutionizing e-commerce. This hackathon will be a great way for businesses to meet many talented people and organizations that have original ideas. This then fuels Bharat’s desire for innovation by resolving numerous urgent problems that businesses and consumers in both big cities and small communities face. Our goal of creating an accessible and inclusive digital commerce environment for every Indian, regardless of background, is one step closer owing to this hackathon.
