How Meta and ONDC are partnering to boost Indian small businesses – The Indian Express
Social media giant Meta and Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) have initiated a partnership to enable as many as 5 lakh small businesses to harness the power of digital commerce in the next two years. Both Meta and ONDC will facilitate integrated capacity-building programmes combining social media skills, AI-enabled tools with an open technology network architecture to offer a level playing field for millions of MSMEs operating in the digital commerce domains.
Thampy Koshy, CEO of ONDC, and Sandhya Devanathan, Vice-President of Meta India shared their visions for supporting small businesses and their thoughts on the emerging digital commerce in India.
Elaborating on the initiatives crafted to support small businesses in their digital transformation journey, Koshy said the larger vision of ONDC is to enable small enterprises to have equal opportunities in the digital space instead of being overshadowed by a few large players. This, according to him, is enabled by the ONDC protocol which helps unbundle different business building blocks and make them interoperable.
“While everyone has equal opportunities, they may not have equal capabilities. So ONDC is taking special efforts to help small and micro enterprises leverage the network. The collaboration with Meta will provide small businesses with tools, training, and capacity building so they can build on this network,” Koshy said.
Echoing a similar sentiment, Meta’s Devanathan said the organisation is focused on working with ONDC to skill small businesses as they come into the network. She emphasised that through Meta’s Small Business Academy, the company aims to train as many as five million small businesses over the next two years on digital marketing skills to help them grow. “We will also provide engineering support for business solutions providers to build seamless buyer-seller experiences on WhatsApp integrated with ONDC. Additionally, we are working with ONDC on their Sahayak chatbot for easy seller onboarding,” said Devanathan.
Koshy highlighted that India’s digital commerce is still very low with around 7-8 per cent on the buying side and 2-3 per cent on the selling side. He said the current users represent the elite slices of the population in towns and cities. “With ONDC’s vision to enable big and small players to coexist with equal opportunities and the right tools, we will see increased adoption in coming years,” he said.
Devanathan chimed in, adding that Meta shared the vision of democratising commerce. “As the next 400-450 million people come online for shopping, not all will intuitively use sophisticated apps – that’s where WhatsApp provides the first experience of engaging with businesses. The partnership with ONDC complements our goal to enable MSMEs to reach wider audiences,” she said.
Devanathan said that Meta’s platforms – Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp – allow small businesses to test, iterate, and grow audiences cost-effectively. “Generative AI can also help create customised ads and campaigns so small businesses can focus on their core offerings. Open networks like ONDC that democratise access will enable small sellers to make their catalogue available to wider sets of buyers. We are also focused on women-led small businesses through our skilling and enablement initiatives,” she said.
Koshy underlined the enormous confidence that he is seeing in Indian entrepreneurs and developers to build innovative solutions for India and the world – and not simply copy and paste existing models. “Our government is also strongly backing efforts like ONDC to move towards an inclusive, participation-driven digital economy,” Koshy said.
When asked about some trends they observed in the Indian digital landscape, Devanthan highlighted the “exponential, sophisticated growth of Indian internet through UPI and digital public infrastructure,” which is unparalleled worldwide. She also noted the increasing number of creators using platforms to express themselves and India’s potential as a global leader in technology innovation and internet applications. Her advice for small business owners embarking on digital commerce includes constantly “testing and iterating” due to the rapidly evolving landscape, utilising various “skills, training, and policy initiatives,” and leveraging platforms to reach global audiences.
Similarly, Koshy shared that Indian entrepreneurs are crafting “homegrown, original solutions” for both national and global markets, moving beyond just replicating existing models. He emphasised the importance of leveraging the potential of ONDC and Meta’s offerings for small businesses to grow by reaching broader customer bases. “My advice to small businesses is to see digital as a necessary component for long-term success. ONDC and Meta’s solutions will accelerate capability building so enterprises can serve national and global customers,” he said.
Bijin Jose is a Technology Journalist currently serving as an Assistant Editor for Indian Express Online in New Delhi. Passionate about the transformative power of technology, he delves into its multifaceted impact on our lives and the broader world. His intrigue with technology's vast potential began in his youth, setting the stage for his career. His writing journey commenced at Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara, where he pursued a BA in English. Simultaneously, he took on the role of a citizen journalist with The Times of India, shedding light on Vadodara's civic challenges. After completing his MA in English Literature, he transitioned to a senior correspondent role at TOI, focusing on crime reporting for print while also crafting features on the city's culture, art, and heritage. He embraced the digital realm in 2016 with India Today Digital. Starting as desk staff, he swiftly rose to lead the online news team. His versatility shone when he undertook a mixed-media role at the Times of India's New Delhi bureau, orchestrating interviews with diplomats and defense personnel and covering pivotal events for the Response Editorial segment. A passionate film enthusiast, he has penned movie reviews and standpoint features, contributing to The Economic Times and DailyO. In 2021, his focus shifted to technology journalism with The Economic Times. By 2023, he found his niche at The Indian Express, where he continues to produce insightful features on the ever-evolving world of technology. His reporting and stories are marked by his knack for simplifying complex concepts, enlightening readers with the latest developments. … Read More 
Bijin Jose<span style="font-weight: 400">Bijin Jose is a Technology Journalist c… read more
