New Delhi [India], September 30 (ANI): In a significant milestone, Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), an initiative of the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce, Government of India will open its network to consumers in 16 pin codes spread across Bengaluru.

To begin with, consumers can place their orders in two domains - groceries and restaurants through buyer apps participating on the ONDC network.

According to DPIIT, ONDC's beta test in the city of Bengaluru is a major first step in operationalising a network approach to e-commerce as an alternative to a platform-centric approach. This will make the e-commerce landscape more inclusive, accessible and experience-driven for all consumers and sellers.

Consumers can now shop from multiple categories of products and services from a single buyer application of their choice. At the time of release Mystore, PayTM, and Spicemoney are available as buyer apps. They can buy grocery products or order food from the stores and restaurants enabled by seller apps Bizom, Digiit, e-Samudaay, eVitalrx, Go Frugal, Growth Falcons, Innobits Mystore, nStore, SellerApp, Ushop and Uengage, said DPIIT.

Dunzo, Loadshare and Shiprocket will be providing logistics services and Protean eGov Technologies Ltd (Formerly NSDL e-Gov) will provide gateway services. HDFC Bank, IDFC Bank, Kotak Bank and eKart are in advanced stages of engagement and expected to go live shortly. In the coming weeks, many more applications will join the network expanding both buyers and sellers who can participate in this transaction.

Speaking on the occasion of this development, Anil Agarwal, Additional Secretary, DPIIT said, "This is a proud moment for all of us that have built ONDC and an important one in evolution of e-commerce in India as an inclusive, democratised public good infrastructure. We look forward to public feedback at this beta test stage to confirm and strengthen the design as we look to roll out across the country in the coming weeks and months."ONDC started its Alpha test phase with a closed user group of buyers first in Bengaluru in April this year expanding to more than 80 cities by September 2022. This validated the ready apps and confirmed business and operational flows. Now in the beta testing phase, the general public can experience shopping via ONDC and provide early feedback for necessary action if any before expanding further.

To build trust amongst consumers, sellers and Network Participants (Buyer Apps, Seller Apps and Gateways) in the open network, ONDC has consulted current ecosystem, experts and examined best practices for adapting and evolving the best approach to build trust in an unbundled decentralised network. This is explained in a consultation paper that is being made available for public consultation on the official social media handles of DPIIT, ONDC and the website.

Incorporated on December 31, 2021, Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), a Section 8 company is an initiative of the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, envisioned to create a facilitative model to revolutionise digital commerce, giving greater thrust to penetration of retail e-commerce in India. ONDC is not an application, platform, intermediary, or software, but a set of specifications designed to foster open, unbundled, and interoperable open networks thereby eliminating the dependency on a single platform. (ANI)