CSC and ONDC jointly aim to extend e-commerce access to rural India, marking a significant step towards inclusive digital commerce
New Delhi: Common Services Centers (CSCs), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) have joined forces to enable e-commerce access to rural citizens across India, as per a joint release on Wednesday.
This initiative will enable the integration of CSC’s e-Grameen app on the ONDC Network as a buyer application, allowing citizens from beyond metros to access its vast e-commerce ecosystem.
CSC services will become a part of the ONDC Network in two phases. In the first phase, it will be onboarded as a buyer-side platform, allowing citizens visiting CSC to place orders for essentials via the e-Grameen app. With over 4 lakh CSC points across India, this will enable millions of new users to access e-commerce, through their trusted neighbourhood CSC.
In the second phase, sellers registered on the CSC platform will be able to receive orders via ONDC Network. This will boost entrepreneurship opportunities and incomes for village-level entrepreneurs, driving the vision of Gram Swaraj.
“Together, we hope to tap into the entrepreneurial promise of village-level entrepreneurs to boost rural incomes aligned with the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision,” T. Koshy, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, ONDC, said.
According to Sanjay Kumar Rakesh, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, CSC SPV, due to this partnership, e-commerce services will be able to reach isolated rural areas.
“This partnership will create a new wave of opportunities to increase e‑retail penetration to its maximum potential in rural India. This will pave the way for inclusive development in the far-flung areas of the country,” he said.
Incorporated on 31 December 2021, ONDC is an initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce, Government of India to create a facilitative model that revolutionizes 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.
CSCs are an integral part of the Digital India mission. They are access points for the delivery of Digital India services to rural and remote areas across the country and contribute towards the fulfilment of the vision of Digital India and the Government’s mandate for a digitally and financially inclusive society. CSCs offer assisted access to e-services in India, focusing on enhancing governance. Apart from delivering essential government and public utility services, CSCs also deliver a range of social welfare schemes, financial services, educational courses, skill development courses, healthcare, agriculture services, and digital literacy.
