What is ONDC in India & how is it going to transform the job market

How will ONDC work and how will it ensure a democratized and decentralized network?

Any ONDC-compatible app can be used by buyers to contact merchants on the platform. Through these partnerships, retailers will manage all shipping and handling. Services like ledgers and payment processors will be available to vendors through ONDC as well.

In order to avoid any confusion, when it comes to e-commerce platforms, ONDC India  is neither a replacement nor a rival. It is an open-source platform that is unbiased and establishes protocols for cataloguing, vendor matching, and price discovery.  It does not follow a platform-centric model thus the Indian government hopes it will unify the Indian online market without any bias. We already have companies like Paytm Mall, PhonePe, Ekart (Flipkart’s logistics arm), and Dunzo figuring out how to integrate their offerings with ONDC, while others like ITC, Unilever, Dabur, Nivea, Shopify, Google, Meesho, and Snapdeal have shown interest. Since ONDC is not an app, an aggregator, or a competitor, they have expressed interest and are cooperating with ONDC. 

There won’t even be a dedicated app for ONDC. ONDC India is expected to be the next UPI of the e-commerce industry. The way UPI has favourably influenced the Indian payments industry, ONDC is likely to mirror its success. The central government and other specialists in the commerce business are exuding a great deal of optimism and belief. However, before emerging as a winner, any effective concept must overcome numerous challenges and issues.

How will ONDC help in creating jobs?

Because ONDC is neither a platform nor an intrinsic source of new employment opportunities, it will be up to the participants or players themselves to drive development through the expansion of the network. Third-party logistics providers, for instance, will likely play a significant role in getting products to customers. Between 30-50% more delivery positions are predicted to be created by the end of the current fiscal year because of the ONDC initiative. 

Furthermore, ONDC will greatly increase the need for 3PL as many large e-commerce enterprises and retailers are considering making the transfer from captive logistics to 3PL. The third-party logistics industry is expected to play a significant role in the supply chain operations of e-commerce, quick commerce, and conventional stores. It is estimated that 8 Lakh people will enter the 3PL sector by the end of the current fiscal year.

Apart from this, jobs will be created from the integration side of things. ONDC will expand its network through four integration channels and jobs expected to be created will be as follows:

• Connecting buyers to the network: Jobs such as building Web Apps, and mobile applications and developing a buyer interface
• Connect Sellers to the network: Jobs to develop a seller interface, catalogue team to develop a crisp detail page for buyers to know more about the product/service they want to buy/use. 
• ONDC Gateway: Jobs in maintaining the ONDC gateway, a network application that will notify all seller-side applications of a search request from a buyer-side application based on a set of criteria like domain or location, are also to be anticipated.
• Technology Services: Gainful employment creating and supplying software and other technological add-ons for the remaining three integration channels.

Conclusion:

The retail and e-commerce market in India is poised to develop into a colossal sector as a result of the country’s rapidly expanding consumer base. ONDC India will democratize and decentralize the e-commerce and retail sector with Small and medium-sized enterprises having a bright outlook. Changes in lifestyle and habits are a direct result of increased ethnic variety. Online shopping as a whole will continue to expand as a result of the ONDC initiative. As mentioned earlier, the job market for delivery and tech would increase significantly. There will be an increase in demand for gig work as well.