The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), backed by the government, is rolling out a pilot project to digitize street food vending in Delhi and Lucknow, eyeing a rapid scale-up.

What Happened: This initiative aims to integrate 500 street food vendors within the next couple of months into the digital marketplace, marking a significant stride towards national expansion across various seller and buyer platforms.

Delhi has seen the early fruits of this endeavour, with Magicpin, supported by Zomato, pioneering the move by incorporating vendors like Krishna Chaat Bhandaar and Free Plates into its network. This effort isn’t just about bringing these vendors online; it’s a comprehensive plan to provide them with the training and tools they need to thrive in the digital age, including accepting electronic payments and tapping into Magicpin’s 10 million-strong user base.

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Magicpin’s CEO, Anshoo Sharma, underscores their commitment to bringing 500 FSSAI-approved street vendors from Delhi and Lucknow onto this platform within three to six months.

Full steam ahead: ONDC’s aspirations don’t stop here. February saw a 15% jump in transactions, totalling over 7.5 million, signifying the network’s growing footprint in both the mobility and retail sectors.

With over 3,70,000 sellers from various walks of life now part of ONDC, and operational in 588 significant Indian cities, the platform is fast redefining e-commerce, challenging the dominance of giants like Amazon and Flipkart. 2024 stands as a crucial year for ONDC, as it aims for up to 8 million monthly transactions, setting the stage for a more inclusive and diversified online retail landscape in India.

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