Open digital infra has critical role to play in accelerating digitalisation of retail sector: DPIIT Secretary

Open digital infrastructure has a critical role to play in accelerating the digitalisation of India's retail ecosystem, particularly its vast network of kirana stores, a top government official said on Friday.

Addressing a programme on digitisation of trade, Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Amardeep Singh Bhatia said that ONDC's DigiDukaan is an important step in this direction.

By bringing together retailers, FMCG companies and distributors on a common network, DPIIT, along with ONDC, is helping build a more connected and efficient general trade ecosystem, creating a pathway for digitalisation to reach kiranas at scale, he said.


"Open digital infrastructure has a critical role to play in accelerating the digitalisation of India's retail ecosystem, particularly its vast network of kirana stores," Bhatia said.

ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) DigiDukaan addresses procurement by digitising kiranas as buyers.

Through a single digital interface, retailers can discover and order products across multiple brands, distributors and wholesalers, with greater visibility into pricing, trade schemes and product availability.

Senior representatives from Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Coca-Cola India, ITC, P&G, Marico, CavinKare, Pidilite, Britannia, Adani Wilmar, LT Foods, Anmol Industries, Haldiram's, Emami, Veeba and Nilon's participated in the roundtable, along with representatives from logistics providers and technology partners.

DigiDukaan has connected over 21,000 retailers with more than 450 brands across Hyderabad, Jaipur and Mumbai as of September.

Speaking at the roundtable, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said, "ONDC's DigiDukaan shows that when open digital infrastructure is built around the needs of the small retailer, adoption follows."