Meesho joins govt's Open Network for Digital Commerce

E-commerce platform Meesho on Wednesday said it has integrated with the government's Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to help connect buyers with hyperlocal sellers.

The government is running a pilot of ONDC where all e-commerce ecosystem players will facilitate online purchase of goods and services at competitive prices, thereby reducing cost burden on sellers and consumers.

The pilot with Meesho will be launched in Bengaluru and gradually rolled out in other locations in coming months. With this, registered buyers on ONDC will be able to access a list of products available on ONDC through Meesho.

"With a shared goal to empower small sellers and give a fillip to hyperlocal businesses, the integration will boost our efforts to democratize internet commerce for everyone. We have been working closely with ONDC to ensure that the integration is smooth and the user experience remains seamless," Meesho Founder and CEO Vidit Aatrey said in a statement.

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He said ONDC will also play an important role in expanding India's e-commerce sector by bringing more consumers online.

"At ONDC, our aim is to create an open e-commerce ecosystem that caters to one and all. E-commerce is still small in India and new-age platforms like Meesho will be strong network participants for ONDC in this journey," ONDC Chief Executive Officer T Koshy said.

SoftBank-backed Meesho claims that 80 per cent of its 14 crore annual transacting customers come from Tier 2 and beyond cities.

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The company has over 8 lakh sellers registered with it of which around 40 per cent are from Tier 2 cities and beyond.

"Meesho has always focused on making e-commerce more inclusive and the integration with ONDC will amplify the company's efforts in that direction," the statement said.