CSC and ONDC team up to bring E-Commerce to Rural India
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has collaborated with Common Services Centers (CSCs) to team up with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). This partnership aims to provide rural citizens across India with access to e-commerce services. Through this joint initiative, CSC's e-Grameen application will be seamlessly integrated into the ONDC network as a buyer application, expanding the reach of e-commerce services to rural areas.
"Providing services in remote villages of the country has been a challenge. Because of middlemen, producers are not able to get fair prices for their products. After today's partnership, these problems will be curbed and a new path for rural development will open", S. Krishnan, Secretary-Ministry of Electronics and IT, said in a statement.
The integration of CSC services into the ONDC Network will occur in two phases. Initially, in phase one, CSC will be integrated as a buyer-side platform, facilitating citizens visiting CSC to place orders for essentials using the Grameen app. With more than 4 lakh CSC points spread across India, this will provide millions of new users access to e-commerce services through their trusted neighborhood CSC. In phase two, CSC sellers registered on the Grameen e-Store will be able to receive orders through ONDC. This move will enhance entrepreneurship opportunities and incomes for village-level entrepreneurs, aligning with the vision of Gram Swaraj.
"Through the trusted and widespread network of CSCs, millions of citizens will now have access to essential e-commerce services. Together, we hope to tap into the entrepreneurial promise of village-level entrepreneurs to boost rural incomes aligned with the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision," said T. Koshy, MD and CEO, ONDC. Regarding this advancement, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, commented that ONDC provides an opportunity for all business operators, whether small, medium-scale, or large enterprises, to directly sell their goods and services to customers.
