DPIIT Hosts Groundbreaking ‘ONDC Startup Mahotsav’ in New Delhi

New Delhi: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) organized the inaugural ‘ONDC Startup Mahotsav’ at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, marking a significant milestone in India’s digital and entrepreneurial landscape. The event celebrated and unified two of DPIIT’s flagship initiatives – the Startup India initiative and the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).

Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, DPIIT, highlighted the government’s unwavering commitment to fostering a thriving startup ecosystem. “The ONDC Startup Mahotsav represents a pivotal moment for startups in India to leverage the vast opportunities created by ONDC. The network has evolved significantly over the past year and a half, and today’s event underscores our collective commitment to democratizing digital commerce in India,” he stated.

The event saw participation from approximately 5,000 startups in a hybrid format. Notably, over 125 ecosystem stakeholders, including prominent startups, unicorns, and high-growth businesses such as EaseMyTrip, OfBusiness, Winzo, Livspace, GlobalBees, Pristyn Care, Cars24, Physics Wallah, PolicyBazaar, and Zerodha, signed Letters of Intent (LoI). These LoIs signify the immense potential of ONDC and the eagerness of leading startups to collaborate with the platform.

Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, emphasized the importance of continuous collaboration between startups and ONDC. He remarked, “Startups play a crucial role in the ONDC ecosystem by driving innovation, fostering competition, and enhancing consumer choice. The commitment of over 125 startups to onboard the ONDC network today reflects the excitement and momentum of this national initiative.”

T. Koshy, MD & CEO of ONDC, added, “The ONDC Startup Mahotsav is a landmark event in India’s digital transformation journey. By fostering collaboration and innovation within our ecosystem, we are empowering startups to redefine the rules of the game in e-commerce.”

The ‘ONDC Startup Mahotsav’ represents a unique collaboration between ONDC and the Startup India initiative. With more than 5 lakh sellers onboarded to the platform, over 70% are small or medium-sized enterprises. In April 2024 alone, ONDC facilitated approximately 7.22 million transactions. The event aimed to promote holistic growth, economic expansion, and scalable opportunities through effective collaboration between startups and ONDC.

The event featured insightful panel discussions on topics such as ‘Building a Collaborative Future of Indian E-Commerce,’ ‘ONDC – Startup Success Story,’ and ‘Driving Startup Growth through ONDC.’ Distinguished speakers, including Anil Agrawal, Member of the Competition Commission of India;  E. Srinivas, Joint Secretary, DPIIT; Chakravarthy T Kannan, Secretary General of the Quality Council of India; Anjali Bansal, Advisory Council Member of ONDC;  Sudatta Mandal, DMD of SIDBI; Rikant Pittie, Co-founder of EaseMyTrip; and Paavan Nanda, Co-founder of Winzo, shared their insights. A ‘Masterclass on Enabling Startups on ONDC’ was also organized to guide and mentor startups for effective onboarding and utilization of the ONDC platform.

Launched on January 16, 2016, the Startup India initiative aims to support entrepreneurs and build a robust startup ecosystem. From around 300 startups in 2016, India now boasts over 1.3 lakh DPIIT-recognized startups across more than 55 sectors, creating over 13 lakh direct jobs.