Mumbai, The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has been awarded the prestigious Gold Award for “Application of Emerging Technologies for Providing Citizen-Centric Services” at the 27th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) held in Mumbai. The award is part of the National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG), which is organized by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) to recognize innovative e-Governance solutions that enhance public service delivery.
The annual NCeG conference, hosted this year by the Government of Maharashtra in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), is a key platform for promoting digital governance in India. The Gold Award presented to ONDC highlights its significant contribution to empowering small businesses and driving innovation through the use of emerging technologies.
ONDC, an initiative conceptualized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is a cornerstone of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). It aims to democratize e-commerce by enabling small businesses, artisans, women entrepreneurs, farmers, and street vendors to compete on a level playing field in the digital economy. With its decentralized, interoperable, and unbundled architecture, ONDC fosters trust in the e-commerce ecosystem, facilitating seamless transactions across a variety of sectors.
The platform has grown rapidly, enabling over 12 million orders per month and hosting more than 600,000 sellers nationwide. ONDC’s broad reach includes categories such as fashion, electronics, ride-hailing, and metro ticketing, making it a versatile and vital tool for expanding access to digital commerce. Its success has been driven by a startup-like agility combined with the scale and ambition of government initiatives, enabling it to adapt to evolving market conditions.
Receiving the award on behalf of the ONDC ecosystem were Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, DPIIT; T. Koshy, CEO, ONDC; and other officials from the department. The recognition underscores ONDC’s role in bridging the gap between technology and public service delivery in India’s retail trade sector, ensuring consumers benefit from increased choices and competitive pricing.
Looking ahead, ONDC plans to expand its integration with key government platforms, enhancing the ease of doing business, accelerating access to credit, and improving data flow across government services. These efforts will further empower the diverse array of sellers and drive the continued democratization of e-commerce in India.