ONDC launches a hackathon to facilitate the adoption of e-commerce in the agricultural sector

Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), an Indian government initiative that aims to create an open network for buyers and sellers to democratize the current e-commerce ecosystem in the country, has launched a three-day “Grand Hackathon”. days from July 1, 2022.

The event is organized in collaboration with NABARD and is divided into two categories: Agri Grant Challenge and Agri Innovation Hackathon. It will showcase innovations to facilitate the adoption of e-commerce in the agricultural sector. The event is expected to see 600 attendees working on hackathon challenges, technical requirements and solving them for future large-scale application.

“This is the start of many programs that the ONDC will carry out with several entities in the months to come. We will work with SIDBI, a state-owned SME, to encourage SMEs to take advantage of this new paradigm. We expect startups and participants to create smart solutions that can help farmers and agricultural producers digitize their product catalog, publish it on the ONDC protocol and lead them to follow orders and payments, between others,” T. Koshy, CEO of ONDC told BusinessLine.

ONDC protocol

Koshy added that the ONDC protocol is ready and that 150 entities are in various stages of integration with ONDC. Regarding the plan to open ONDC to customers, he said that currently, pilots are underway in six cities including Delhi, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Shillong, Lucknow and Bhopal. The network is open to customers in these cities by invitation only and probably within a month ONDC will start adding more customers.

The event will also include financial rewards/incentives totaling ₹1.2cr for its winning participants. ONDC and NABARD will have interventions to help build on the solutions developed as part of the hackathon. Additionally, it is also planned as Phase II initiatives for rural technology.

“. No other sector has the scale and impact of agriculture and this will be an important addition to our network at this early stage. India is a global agricultural powerhouse and bridging the gap between them and e-commerce will mean a plethora of opportunities for all stakeholders,” Koshy added.

The NABARD spokesperson said, “NABARD is excited to collaborate on this great event to enable e-commerce in the agricultural space through ONDC.”

Published on

July 01, 2022