ONDC & Meta partner to unlock digital commerce for small businesses

Commerce Ministry-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has partnered with technology behemoth Meta to help small businesses unlock the power of digital commerce through an ecosystem of Meta’s business and technical solution providers, the company said Tuesday.

As part of the partnership, five lakh MSMEs will also be digitally upskilled through the Meta Small Business Academy over the next two years. Meta will also support Sahayak, ONDC’s WhatApp chatbot, in enhancing the services offered on the bot as the single point of seller communication and customer communication for ONDC.

ONDC will help the business solution providers become seller apps, bringing the businesses they service onto the ONDC Network and helping them drive commerce, the company said in a statement.

MD & CEO of ONDC T Koshy said: “Our partnership with Meta will not only digitally upskill these businesses but will also enable them to connect with a customer base far and wide.” 

Sandhya Devanathan, Vice President, Meta in India said she is upbeat on the appropriate ecosystem and partnerships for boost country's digital transformation.  

“India's digital transformation story is unfolding at a revolutionary pace, and for this growth to continue, we need the right ecosystem and partnerships that enable millions of small businesses to build and deepen their digital presence," said Devanathan. "Our partnership with ONDC builds on supporting the government’s vision for Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and furthering our ongoing commitment to skilling small businesses and aiding this rapid digital transformation and growth story in the country," Devanathan added. 

 Meta has committed the upscaling of 10 million small businesses across the country, and offers a certification to empower entrepreneurs and marketers to gain critical digital marketing skills and grow on the Meta apps.