Despite India's digital boom with millions of daily transactions, many small shopkeepers and rural sellers struggle with e-commerce. They have smartphones but lack digital fluency and trust in existing platforms.
ONDC, a government initiative, offers a decentralized alternative to platform monopolies. It's a protocol-based infrastructure designed to democratize digital commerce in India, similar to what UPI did for payments.
But with its distributed system and multiple actors, the question remains: Can such a decentralized approach truly deliver a cohesive, intuitive, and trustworthy experience?
My North Star How might ONDC become not just open—but usable, trustworthy, and inclusive for those who need it most?
🔧 Focus: UX Research, Service Design
📍 Output: Zine + Interactive App Prototype
🏫 Context: Master’s Thesis Project (6 months)
The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is a Government of India initiative that aims to transform e-commerce by unbundling it from platform monopolies like Amazon or Flipkart.
Unlike traditional platforms where the buyer and seller are locked into a single app, ONDC allows any buyer app to connect with any seller app via a shared, open protocol—called the Beckn Protocol.
Think of it as the UPI of e-commerce. You can buy groceries from one app,the seller could be listed on another, the logistics and payment may happen through others. But it all works together, invisibly
What makes ONDC different?
ONDC introduces a radical shift: instead of one platform, users interact with many. Products shown on one app may be fulfilled by another, with payments routed through yet another.