ONDC Registration Simplified for Small Sellers
Registering on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is now "easier than Flipkart," a mentor said in a recent vendor webinar. Small sellers reportedly only need a GST and Aadhaar number to get started on the government-backed e-commerce network.
- The network has expanded its reach to over 7.6 lakh sellers and service providers across more than 600 towns and cities. - ONDC operates as an open network, not a centralized platform, meaning a seller's products, once listed via a seller app, are visible to customers on any buyer app within the network, such as Paytm. - To counter the high commission fees on major platforms, which can range from 18% to 40%, ONDC's model aims for significantly lower costs, with some seller apps charging only a small percentage of the transaction. - The initiative is designed to unbundle core e-commerce operations—catalogs, logistics, and payments—giving sellers the flexibility to choose their preferred service providers rather than being locked into a single platform's ecosystem. - Key figures in India's technology and commerce sectors, including former DPIIT Additional Secretary Anil Agrawal, guide the initiative's advisory council, which was established in 2021 to accelerate adoption. - The government's stated goal for ONDC is to "democratise" digital commerce, breaking the market concentration of dominant platforms and providing a level playing field for small and medium-sized enterprises. - As of early 2025, the network had processed over 200 million cumulative transactions, with a significant acceleration seeing 100 million of those transactions occur in the last six months of the period. - Sellers can register on the network through various ONDC-compliant seller apps by providing essential documents like a PAN card, GST certificate, and bank account details, a process designed to be streamlined and accessible.
