BakeryBiz, Nov-Dec, 2020:

Move aimed at streamlining online ecosystem

With an eye on standardising the process of onboarding retailers on e-marketplaces, and supply and delivery of products through online channels, India will soon set protocols for digital commerce.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) plans to develop an Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to set protocols for cataloging, vendor discovery and price discovery. An 11-member committee comprising officials from various ministries and industry representatives has been set up and a pilot project is expected to start in December 2020.

As per an official, these will be open standards and the effort is to create protocols for digital e-commerce such as cataloging, vendor discovery and price discovery. “This is a new initiative. The protocol for digital commerce would be similar to what UPI is for online payments and https protocol is for secure communication over the internet.”

“Since each marketplace has its own protocols for various activities involved in online retail, we will set protocols and standards to onboard retailers on online marketplaces and the entire process of supply to delivery,” informed the official aware of the development.