ONDC and Google Cloud Collaborate to Fuel E-commerce Innovation in India

• ByStartupStory     |    September 6, 2023

ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) and Google Cloud have revealed their collaboration on a significant initiative aimed at propelling innovation in the Indian e-commerce sector. This initiative includes an India-wide hackathon, an extension of their existing ONDC project, and the use of Google Cloud’s generative AI tools.

The ‘Build for Bharat’ hackathon, to be conducted over three months and expected to engage 100,000 participants, focuses on catalyzing innovation and addressing critical challenges for India’s next billion digital users. It aims to create solutions that democratize digital commerce access, transcending digital literacy, geographical, and economic barriers. This hackathon seeks to nurture an open ecosystem of developers, students, and startups to innovate within the ONDC framework.

Participants in the hackathon will receive guidance, support, and resources to tackle common e-commerce obstacles, including enhancing supply chain visibility, personalizing consumer experiences, and optimizing inventory management. The program includes a wide array of interactive activities, such as webinars, doubt-solving sessions, expert-led classes, and virtual community channels like Discord.

Earlier in June, Google Cloud and ONDC unveiled the ONDC Open Commerce solution, which simplifies the onboarding of buyers and sellers onto the ONDC network. Since its launch, over 20 e-commerce companies have adopted this open-source solution.

Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, emphasized that this collaboration aims to level the playing field for digital commerce companies of all sizes, benefiting not only major global corporations but also small local vendors.

T Koshy, MD and CEO at ONDC, said, “We are at the cusp of revolutionizing e-commerce. This hackathon will serve as an ideal launchpad, enabling us to discover numerous gifted individuals and organizations with inventive concepts. This, in turn, propels the drive for innovation for Bharat by solving countless pressing challenges faced by merchants and consumers both in metro cities and smaller towns. This hackathon is a step closer to our vision of forging an inclusive and accessible digital commerce arena for every Indian, transcending all backgrounds.”

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