In a significant development, the Central Government has appointed prominent administrators to serve on the advisory committee of the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). This esteemed group of advisors includes Anurag Jain (IAS:1989:MP), the Secretary of Road, Transport, and Highways, and Anil Agarwal (Retd.IAS:1988:UP), former Additional Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
With these latest appointments, the ONDC council now boasts a total of 13 accomplished members, aligning with the government’s steadfast commitment to drive the widespread adoption of ONDC. Established in 2021, ONDC is dedicated to promoting the extensive utilization of an open network for digital commerce. The council features renowned technology experts hailing from various sectors, all working collaboratively to provide strategic guidance and insights aimed at advancing the ONDC initiative.
Notable figures within the ONDC council include luminaries such as Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys; RS Sharma, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Authority; Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman of the Capacity Building Commission; Anjali Bansal, Founder of Avaana Capital; Sanjiv, Joint Secretary at DPIIT; and Arvind Gupta, Co-Founder of the Digital India Foundation.
ONDC’s overarching goal is to establish an open and inclusive platform that encompasses small retailers, empowering them to expand their businesses through the e-commerce medium. This initiative also seeks to promote healthy competition by reducing the dominance of major industry players.
The ONDC platform operates as a non-profit organization and is dedicated to offering increased choice to sellers, logistics providers, and payment gateway operators. It adheres to key standards that aim to enhance the platform’s functionality and accessibility, ultimately fostering innovation and growth within the digital commerce ecosystem.
