The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), a government entity to democratise e-commerce in India, has sought public comments “to build trust among network participants”.
ONDC has issued an advisory document with 24 questions about order search, placing an order, fulfilment of an order and payment, as well as settlement, returns, refunds and cancellations. The questions also address grievance management and community management.
"This is an open consultation. The last date for submitting responses is 31st October 2022," the 43-page paper titled — “Public Consultation: Building Trust in the ONDC Network”,
ONDC said.
Besides, the network also sought views on what mechanisms could ONDC and Network Participants put in place to avoid issues from being escalated into disputes in the first place; what the challenges in implementing were and getting redressal from the system; and how could ONDC streamline policy compliance monitoring and enforcement without centralising responsibilities and power within itself.
“Trust in any system of commerce is essential for potential buyers and sellers to actually be willing to transact,”
ONDC said.
ONDC was launched in May and was created under the leadership of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and technology tycoon Nandan Nilekani, founder of Infosys Technologies Ltd. The non-for-profit, government-run network is supposed to help small merchants get the infrastructure and audience reach they need at least as much as the giant firms.
As Bloomberg reported, the project's unspoken objective is to curb the powers of Amazon and Flipkart in India.
Source: The Hindu
