McDonald’s India’s collaboration with the ONDC Network signifies a significant milestone in our mission to revolutionize digital commerce nationwide,” stated T Koshy, the Managing Director, and CEO of ONDC. Koshy emphasized how McDonald’s integration underscores the increasing trust that renowned brands like McDonald’s have in ONDC’s open, inclusive, and interoperable network.
“With each new brand joining us, it reaffirms our dedication to empowering businesses, fostering healthy competition, and offering consumers unparalleled choice and convenience,” he added. Supported by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the ONDC platform aims to dismantle the existing closed networks of digital commerce, allowing small businesses greater freedom to participate.
Offering a competitively priced alternative for food delivery compared to giants like Swiggy and Zomato, ONDC levies commissions in the single-digit range. While some question the sustainability of this pricing strategy due to network-sponsored discounts, it undoubtedly provides ONDC with a competitive edge in the digital commerce arena.
McDonald’s, with over 6,000 employees and approximately 200 outlets spanning North and East India, operates across various formats, including standalone restaurants, drive-thrus, and McDelivery services. This operational diversity, combined with ONDC’s expansive reach, positions McDonald’s to better cater to its customers and extend its footprint through the power of technology. McDonald’s integration into the ONDC network follows the earlier addition of Domino’s Pizza this year, signaling a growing trend among established brands leveraging ONDC to bolster their digital commerce capabilities.
ONDC stands for “Open Network for Digital Commerce.” It’s an initiative launched by the Government of India to create a framework for open digital commerce platforms, allowing various stakeholders such as buyers, sellers, and service providers to interact seamlessly. The aim is to enable greater participation of small businesses in e-commerce and foster innovation in the digital commerce ecosystem. ONDC seeks to promote fair competition, consumer protection, and data privacy in the digital commerce space.
