ONDC DigiDukaan Connects 21,000 Retailers With 450 Brands; Piyush Goyal Chairs Trade Digitisation Meet

ONDC's DigiDukaan has connected over 21,000 retailers with 450 brands, as Piyush Goyal reviews efforts to digitise India's kirana stores and strengthen general trade.

ONDC DigiDukaan Connects Over 21,000 Retailers With 450 Brands Across Three Cities

Piyush Goyal Chairs Bharat Commerce Chintan Shivir on Trade Digitisation

The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) initiative, DigiDukaan, has expanded its presence by connecting more than 21,000 retailers with over 450 brands across Hyderabad, Jaipur and Mumbai as of September 2026. The platform's retailer network has grown from approximately 12,000 in the previous quarter, highlighting increasing adoption of digital procurement among neighbourhood stores.

The initiative aims to modernise India's General Trade ecosystem by enabling kirana retailers to purchase products digitally, improve inventory management and access more efficient supply-chain services.

The progress was reviewed during the Bharat Commerce Chintan Shivir, a high-level CEO roundtable chaired by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal at Vanijya Bhawan in New Delhi on Friday. Organised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and ONDC, the meeting brought together more than 40 industry leaders, primarily from the FMCG sector.

DigiDukaan Records Strong Retailer Adoption in Hyderabad

Hyderabad has emerged as a significant market for DigiDukaan, with more than 16,000 retailers onboarded in the city.

The platform has also recorded monthly repeat ordering rates between 73% and 78%, indicating continued engagement among participating retailers.

An initial ONDC retailer survey found that approximately 40% of respondents reported holding lower inventories of products purchased through DigiDukaan. This suggests that digital procurement could help retailers manage stock more efficiently and improve working capital availability.

Piyush Goyal Encourages FMCG Companies to Join DigiDukaan

Addressing industry representatives, Piyush Goyal highlighted the importance of building digital infrastructure around the requirements of small retailers.

He said DigiDukaan demonstrates how open digital platforms can simplify procurement, improve transparency and help neighbourhood businesses grow. He also encouraged FMCG companies to participate more actively in expanding the initiative across India.

DPIIT Secretary Amardeep Singh Bhatia emphasised that open digital infrastructure can accelerate the transformation of India's retail sector. He noted that connecting retailers, distributors and FMCG companies through a common interoperable platform could make procurement more accessible and efficient for small businesses.

Five Key Priorities to Strengthen India's General Trade Ecosystem

The roundtable focused on five major areas to improve the competitiveness of kirana stores and accelerate digital adoption across the retail value chain.

1. Common Digital Identity for Retailers

A unified digital identity for kirana stores would allow retailers to interact with multiple brands, distributors and service providers through a common platform, reducing repetitive registration and onboarding processes.

2. Shared Logistics and Micro-Warehousing

Participants discussed developing shared logistics facilities and micro-warehousing infrastructure. These services could improve distributor reach and enable reliable next-day product replenishment, including in underserved locations.

3. Improved Access to Formal Credit

Digital procurement records and transaction histories could help retailers access formal financing. Better credit availability would improve working capital management and reduce dependence on informal credit arrangements with distributors.

4. Easier Technology Integration

The initiative aims to simplify technology adoption through plug-and-play Distributor Management System (DMS) connections, standardised product catalogues and common digital interfaces.

5. Commercial Incentives for Industry Participants

The discussions also highlighted the need for suitable financial incentives for FMCG companies, distributors, sales teams and channel partners to encourage digital ordering and sustained participation.

How ONDC DigiDukaan Helps Kirana Stores

DigiDukaan is designed to digitise neighbourhood retailers as buyers rather than replace existing distribution channels.

Through a single digital interface, kirana owners can discover and order products from multiple brands, distributors and wholesalers. The platform also provides better visibility into product availability, pricing and trade schemes.

ONDC CEO and Managing Director Vibhor Jain explained that although distributors have increasingly adopted digital tools for billing and order management, many small retailers continue to depend on traditional methods such as handwritten records and manual ordering.

DigiDukaan aims to bridge this gap while preserving existing distributor relationships and creating opportunities for additional digital services.

Major FMCG, Technology and Logistics Companies Join the Network

Several established companies are participating in DigiDukaan through their distribution and technology networks.

FMCG participants include Hindustan Unilever, Marico, Colgate-Palmolive, Emami and Amul. ITC, Tata Consumer Products and Britannia are also progressing through different stages of integration or discussions.

Technology partners such as Paytm for Business, Qwipo and Mulltiply.ai are already active on the platform. Other providers, including Bizom, Botree, QuIDPe and ENS, are working towards integration.

Logistics and warehousing partners include ElasticRun, Shiprocket, India Post and Moeving.

For its next expansion phase, ONDC plans to increase brand and distributor participation in Mumbai, particularly North Mumbai, while improving operations in existing markets.

National Traders' Welfare Board Supports DigiDukaan Expansion

The National Traders' Welfare Board (NTWB), chaired by Sunil J. Singhi, is collaborating with ONDC to encourage more kirana retailers to adopt DigiDukaan.

The partnership focuses on engaging local trader associations, increasing retailer participation and helping small businesses benefit from digital procurement and improved distribution services.

ONDC Expands Its Digital Commerce Ecosystem Across India

ONDC is developing open digital commerce infrastructure to make online business participation more accessible and reduce entry barriers for smaller enterprises.

The network has facilitated more than 500 million transactions to date across multiple sectors.

Its major initiatives include:

• DigiDukaan: Digitising more than 21,000 retailers for B2B procurement.

• Amazing India: Helping farmers, artisans, cooperatives and micro-producers take their products to wider markets.

• Public Transport: Enabling over five lakh daily metro and bus journeys through more than 40 consumer applications.

• Logistics: Supporting more than 80,000 merchants and over 30 small and micro fleet operators.

• Tourism: Offering more than 1,000 experiences, including 170 ASI monuments and 29 museums.

• Financial Services: Providing access to small-ticket investment and credit solutions, with significant participation from Tier-2 cities and beyond.

The expansion of DigiDukaan reflects ONDC's broader objective of bringing India's traditional businesses into the digital economy while strengthening the existing retail and distribution ecosystem.

Conclusion

ONDC's DigiDukaan is emerging as an important initiative to modernise India's traditional retail ecosystem by connecting kirana stores with FMCG brands, distributors and digital services. With over 21,000 retailers and 450 brands already connected, the platform aims to improve procurement efficiency, reduce inventory costs and expand access to formal credit. The government's continued support and greater industry participation could accelerate digital adoption among small retailers, making India's General Trade sector more competitive, transparent and efficient.