Local languages and products will get a big boost in growing e-commerce marketplace in country: Piyush Goyal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said that local languages and products will get a big boost in the growing e-commerce marketplace in the country. Addressing a one-day workshop conducted by Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) in New Delhi on Tuesday, he said farmers will get bigger markets and better prices for their products through ONDC.

Like UPI, the ONDC is based on a concept of interoperable interface, opening up more options for buyers and creating more competition providing ease of operation for sellers across multiple platforms and also giving them a bigger market. The Minister said the ONDC of tomorrow will be a transformational engine across the world and invited all e-commerce companies to join ONDC and be part of this new bazaar that re-imagines digital commerce. He mentioned that ONDC will also promote cultural heritage, and create opportunities for small businesses. He said that small artisans and workers can offer better quality through ONDC and also earn better without having to pay commission for their products. Mr. Goyal emphasized that ONDC will foster healthy competition, benefit consumers and contribute to the overall growth of the digital commerce ecosystem in India. He said that the efforts are being undertaken to ensure that e-commerce becomes an engine of growth empowering both the buyers and the sellers. The Minister highlighted that ONDC will unlock doors of opportunities in an inclusive manner for both big and small businesses, benefitting the entire value chain of commerce.

The Minister also pointed out the problem arising out of the predominance of big tech companies in the e-commerce space and challenge to small retailers across the country. He said although e-commerce affects only three to four percent of India’s retail trade but the policymakers will have to think about it and find a solution.