2022 has been a revolutionary year for the Indian digital Commerce sector with the introduction of the ONDC initiative (Open Network For Digital Commerce). In an era of innovation and digitization, ONDC is a game changer for a wide scale of sellers, buyers, logistics, payments, and other third-party partners contributing to the online retail sector, by creating a standardized framework on which applications can be built to serve sellers/retailers and buyers/consumers alike.
Let us look at the next-gen evolutionary concept that is changing the Indian eCommerce landscape. Keep reading till the end to know more about the ONDC platform and how it empowers both sides of the coin i.e. retailers and consumers.
ONDC (Open Network For Digital Commerce): What Is It?
ONDC or Open Network for Digital Commerce is a non-profit organization by the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Incorporated under section 8 in India, the major charter of an open network is to have a level playing field for all eCommerce participants. Launched in April 2022, the ONDC network plans to expand in 200+ cities and onboard more than 20+ lakh retailers that will be serving 20+ crore customers.
The open network model vision is driven to facilitate the small B2B/B2C, D2C, and local merchants to sell and create a robust digital presence. Simply put, it is a common platform for simplifying and standardizing eCommerce operations, supply chain, logistics, payment, and other segments of the sector. ONDC is all set to deliver a huge boost to the nationwide eCommerce sector with the integration of consumers and suppliers in an open network.
Open Network For Digital Commerce apps (ONDC) is a revolutionary move by the Indian government to facilitate small business owners/retailers to be able to compete with the bigger players already there in the ecosystem. As per the current predictions, if implemented correctly, ONDC can be the next big thing in the Indian eCommerce sector.
Simply put ONDC brings together seller apps and buyer apps from various vendors through a common set of protocols or gateway so that the consumer gets a complete eCommerce experience including payment, shipping, support etc.
What Is The ONDC Buyer App?
ONDC buyer app is an interface/bridge for connecting buyers with products, sellers, and other third-party service providers available on the open network. Its vision is to typically bring a wide scale of sellers, buyers, payment partners, logistics partners, and technology providers on a shared channel to facilitate digital commerce. The sellers on the ONDC network can be individual, new, or already selling on some other platform.
ONDC website claims that the framework is well suited to bring all the existing apps on the open network within the reach of buyer interaction. Every app that is used by the online user to search for products or services available on the ONDC network is typically termed the buyer app.
How Exactly Does ONDC Buyer App Enhance Online Shopping Capabilities?
The ONDC buyer app has several useful features helping buyers to find the exact item they’re searching for. With the use of search, filter, sort, and other categories, the user can experience enhanced search preferences across the vendors. Here are some exclusive buyer-centric aspects to consider in the ONDC buyer app.
- The buyer app provides a user-friendly interface like a mobile app, watchOS, or Progressive Web App (PWA) to simplify the product discovery and purchase journey.
- Access to multiple payment gateways through a buyer app opens doors to quick and effortless purchases.
- Online shoppers can use a buyer app to manage orders, track status, handle returns, cancel items, or chat with the seller.
- Customers are likely to get an option for rating sellers on the ONDC app as per their shopping experiences. Since the feedback will be visible across the ONDC network helping other buyers in making informed decisions.
- The user-friendly dashboard of the ONDC buyer app comes with advanced features and multi-lingual support to upscale online shopping experiences.
- The availability of big sellers and small-scale vendors on the same app makes ONDC a revolutionary step in Indian eCommerce.
Qaddoo Onboarded As ONDC Buyer App
Qaddoo, India’s fastest-growing hyperlocal eCommerce platform, has been onboarded as a buyer app to make the online shopping experience holistic and hassle-free. In simple words, the users need not rely on a specific app to browse all product categories sold by pan-India sellers. Instead, Qaddoo can be a single buyer interface to connect with hyperlocal sellers quickly and easily. Qaddoo and ONDC India partnership is solely dedicated to promoting open networks and enabling a level playing field for small businesses or eCommerce retailers.
The foundation of Qaddoo was based on a similar principle of the ONDC network, i.e. to empower the local small businesses from tier 2 and tier 3 cities in India. Qaddoo is already achieving a huge growth from presence in 50+ nations and including 300+ cities in India. Over 10000 retailers and 60000+ customers have entrusted Qaddoo and the app is serving vegetable vendors, kirana stores, roadside hawkers, and more. With its hyperlocal focus, broad reach and depth of services it bridges the gap between small businesses and regional customers with ease of selling and a seamless purchase experience.
Qaddoo is leading the buyer side of ONDC from the front among a select few other buyer apps on the list. It is one of the most popular apps for every Indian eCommerce shopper looking forward to a seamless, usable, and feature-rich shopping experience. Currently, the app is available in English, Hindi, and Marathi, and soon it will have other regional and international languages.
Read full news about Qaddoo onboarding as an ONDC buyer app from here.
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Final Comments
The ONDC project is likely to democratize the eCommerce space, reduce monopolization by a select few, while opening doors to small business for expansion. It will be a game-changer in scaling the buyer’s access to all vendors on the open network for digital commerce. This initiative brings a technical platform to achieve the country’s objective of becoming a middle-income country with a connected and tech-savvy economy. The ONDC project is getting huge hype because of its potential to do a public good at a large, fair, and inclusive scale.
Hopefully, the vision of the Indian government is to make the Indian eCommerce space completely transparent, accessible, and in compliance with rules set by the Competition Commission of India.
