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ONDC Independent Director Arvind Gupta Steps Down After Completing Three-Year Term

• ByStartupStory     |    June 26, 2025

Arvind Gupta, the founding member and first independent director of the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), has stepped down from his position after completing a three-year tenure. His departure adds to the growing list of senior-level exits at the government-backed e-commerce initiative.

Gupta, who is also the head and co-founder of the Digital India Foundation, confirmed the development, stating, “I was a founding member of ONDC and the first independent director. I completed my three-year term as an independent director and decided not to continue further.”

His exit follows those of other key leaders, including ONDC’s Managing Director and CEO Thampy Koshy, Non-Executive Chairperson R.S. Sharma, and Chief Business Officer Shireesh Joshi, all of whom stepped down in recent months.

ONDC, envisioned as a democratized digital commerce infrastructure, is governed by a board of directors and an advisory council that includes representatives from the government, private sector, and independent experts. Following Gupta’s exit, the network retains three independent directors—Adil Zainulbhai, Chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission; Anjali Bansal, Founder and Chairperson of Avaana Capital; and Ritesh Tiwari, CFO of Hindustan Unilever Ltd.

The leadership transitions come as ONDC experiences a dip in transactional volumes. Retail orders on the platform fell from 4.34 million in April to 4.07 million in May—a 6.2% drop. On-network logistics orders also declined during the same period, slipping from 2.41 million to 2.32 million.

Launched to create an open and inclusive digital commerce ecosystem across India, ONDC is now navigating a critical phase marked by operational shifts and the search for new leadership.

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