Business
How ONDC is set to be India’s UPI moment for e-commerce
arket practices from Big Tech and according to Shireesh Joshi, Chief Business Officer (CBO) and President, Network Expansion for the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), the goal is to create population-scale inclusion of e-commerce in the country.
With ONDC, a Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-type initiative of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to promote open networks, the government is trying to create the largest interoperable open platform in a bid to break e-commerce monopolies and build a more democratised digital marketplace by bringing micro, small, and medium enterprise as well as small traders online.
Currently, only 5-6 per cent of India’s retail activity is digital.
There are several limitations and constraints of existing platform based e-commerce that will be solved by unbundling and creating interoperability that will further allow any kind of product or service, whether as B2B or B2C, to be transacted on ONDC,” Joshi told IANS in an interview.
One of the immediate outcomes of this unbundling and interoperability is that every seller will have access to every buyer, and vice versa.
“Scale that was limited to a few players will now be available to everyone and help in democratising. E-commerce majors are also in conversation with us for onboarding on ONDC. This is not an anti-anyone initiative,” Joshi elaborated.
The democratisation and innovation that will result from ONDC will allow all kinds of players to flourish and “we will need all these multiple models of e-commerce to help achieve the goal of population-scale inclusion,” he stressed.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has announced that ONDC will gradually be expanded to more cities in the near future, as it has the potential to connect the entire farm value chain.
The Centre also envisions ONDC as a private sector-led, non-profit company to bring focus on ethical and responsible behaviour while providing for trust, rigorous norms of governance, accountability, and transparency.
According to Joshi, an IIT Kanpur and IIM Bangalore alumnus, for farmers and farmer producer organisations (FPOs), the UPI-type protocol will enable access to a much wider market.
“Your neighbourhood fruit seller might claim that the Apples he sells are from Himachal, or the litchees are from Muzaffarpur. But you may not have a way of being sure. But on ONDC you may be able to buy directly from an orchard in Himachal or UP and be sure,” Joshi noted.
Farms and orchards can become brands too and realise better pricing than as commodities through a multi-tier trading and distribution system.
“Famers will be able access all buyers across the country through a single registration and not have to register with multiple organisations,” he emphasised.
This network-wide buyer access has other benefits too.
For example, it can help determine the best market prices for his products, say the current prices of Himachal apples in Delhi and Jaipur mandis to help decide what price to quote and which order to accept.
“Such a scale will create providers of various kinds of services — packing, warehousing, shipping which will enable cost efficient market reach. Products need not be shipped to markets anticipating demand and risk expiring in case it does not materialise, it can be warehoused and shipped on demand instead,” Joshi told IANS.
On ONDC, farmers will not only sell but also be able to buy seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators, equipment and tools.
The initiative has an agri-focused entity in National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) as one of its shareholders which has helped it solve technical challenges and engage with several organisations in the agri sector.
According to Joshi, this is not a one-time journey, given the agri sector’s complexity and diversity.
“We expect this to be repeated every few months to keep building and adding to the agri solutions stack. At some stage, the ecosystem itself should kick in and ONDC may not have to facilitate after that,” Joshi elaborated.
Besides this, they are also engaging with state governments to promote adoption of ONDC for agri e-commerce.
“Haryana and Madhya Pradesh governments have begun mobilising support for this and we expect more to follow. Central initiatives like National Agriculture Market (eNAM), which is a pan-India electronic trading portal, is also in active discussion with us on evolving the best way forward,” Joshi informed.
Overall, ONDC will enable lower costs and higher revenues for farmers, enabling more autonomy and benefits for a farmer, said Joshi who has been credited with managing large-scale business operations/strategy in India and China, including Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Asian territories.
Business
Jharkhand: Robbery and firing on trader sparks shutdown in Dhanbad market

Dhanbad, Nov 10: Traders on Monday launched a massive protest after a businessman was robbed and shot at inside the government-run Market Committee complex in the Barwadda police station area in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, late Sunday evening.
The incident has caused concerns over rising crime in Jharkhand’s coal capital, prompting traders to shut all 417 shops in the market complex for the day.
The attack took place around 8.30 p.m. on Sunday when three bike-borne assailants intercepted trader Shyam Bhimsariya while he was closing his shop.
The miscreants fired at him, snatched a bag containing Rs 4 lakh, and sped off. Bhimsariya narrowly escaped the bullet, which reportedly grazed past him. The incident created panic among shopkeepers and customers, many of whom rushed to safety.
On Monday morning, hundreds of traders assembled at the main gate of the Market Committee complex, raising slogans against the administration and demanding immediate arrests. They alleged that the market, which witnesses a heavy footfall, has long been operating without proper security measures.
The Market Committee complex is one of the busiest business hubs in Dhanbad, recording a daily turnover of Rs 7-8 crore.
“We will not tolerate this kind of atmosphere where traders fear for their lives every evening,” a member of the traders’ association said, adding that if the culprits are not arrested within 48 hours, the protest may spread to other markets across the district.
BJP MP Dhullu Mahto, addressing traders, said criminals are “roaming fearlessly” in Dhanbad. “The morale of criminals has gone up due to weak policing. The police must act immediately to restore confidence among traders,” he said.
Jharia Congress MLA Ragini Singh accused the state government of complete failure on the law and order front. “When crime is discussed in the Assembly, the government remains silent. People are living in fear while criminals are dictating terms,” she remarked.
Outgoing Mayor Chandrashekhar Agarwal demanded urgent security measures in the market area, suggesting that CCTV cameras be installed. He said a permanent police post must be established to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
Dhanbad District Chamber of Commerce president Chetan Goenka strongly condemned the attack and criticised authorities for ignoring repeated requests for better security.
“It is shocking that a market with a daily business of Rs 7-8 crore has neither CCTV surveillance nor police patrolling. Traders cannot operate under fear. The administration must take permanent measures,” Goenka said.
Business
Sensex, Nifty open in green amid positive global cues

Mumbai, Nov 10: Indian benchmark indices opened the week in the green zone on Monday, amid positive global cues and investor optimism of FII coming back to India due to loss in artificial intelligence (AI) stocks.
As of 9.25 am, Sensex was up 115 points, or 0.14 per cent at 83,331 and Nifty inched up 35 points, or 0.14 per cent to 25,521.
The broadcap indices outperformed benchmarks in terms of gains, with the Nifty Midcap 100 up or 0.37 per cent, and the Nifty Smallcap 100 adding 0.27 per cent.
Asian Paints, L&T and Hindalco were among the major gainers in the Nifty Pack, while losers included Trent, Apollo Hospitals, Max Healthcare, Maruti Suzuki and Dr Reddy’s Labs.
Nifty IT, Metal and Pharma were among the biggest sectoral gainers, adding 0.56 to 0.79 per cent. All the sectoral indices were trading in the green except Nifty Media.
Analysts said that FIIs, particularly the hedge funds, who have been consistently selling in India and taking money out for playing the AI trade, are now likely to pause and slowly reverse the AI trade in favour of non-AI trade in countries like India.
“The strong earnings growth in the US has been a fundamental support that pushed up AI stock valuations to elevated valuations. Countries regarded as AI winners such China, South Korea and Taiwan also have benefited from this AI rally,” said market watchers.
Analysts noted that there are signs of this AI trade losing steam as evidenced by the 3 per cent decline in Nasdaq last week. If this healthy trend persists without high volatility, it will make the US market robust, preempting a bubble formation and its eventual burst, they added.
Further, Wall Street stocks gained as reports suggested the longest shutdown of the US Federal Government might end.
The US markets ended in the green zone in the last trading session, as Nasdaq dipped 0.22 per cent, the S&P 500 added 0.13 per cent, and the Dow inched up 0.16 per cent.
Most of the Asian markets were trading in the green during the morning session. While China’s Shanghai index lost 0.03 per cent, and Shenzhen dipped 0.59 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei added 1.04 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.57 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 3.04 per cent.
On Friday, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold equities worth Rs 4,889 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers of equities worth Rs 1,787 crore.
Business
Navi Mumbai: CIDCO’s 9.6-Km Kharghar Coastal Road Work To Begin In 2026, Promises Faster NMIA Connectivity By 2029

Navi Mumbai: Construction of the much-anticipated Kharghar Coastal Road — a key link that will enhance connectivity to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) — is expected to commence in early 2026, following the receipt of mandatory forest clearances.
Planned by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), the 9.678-kilometre-long and 30-metre-wide arterial road will connect the airport to major nodes such as Belapur and Nerul, significantly improving regional mobility and supporting economic growth across Navi Mumbai.
The project will also provide direct high-speed access to the International Corporate Park (ICP) being developed on the lines of Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), the Golf Course, and the FIFA-standard Centre of Excellence (COE) at Kharghar.
A grade-separated interchange over the Sion-Panvel Expressway is part of the plan to ensure smooth traffic flow and reduce congestion between the airport and nearby business and recreational hubs.
Of the total road length, 6.96 kilometres will be newly developed, while the remaining portion will integrate with the existing network. The corridor will also cater to the anticipated transport demand from upcoming projects such as the Water Transport Terminal and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) housing schemes in the area.
CIDCO has awarded the construction contract to the J Kumar–J M Mhatre Joint Venture. Officials said the project will not only boost airport connectivity but also strengthen Kharghar’s position as a major residential and commercial hub, linking it seamlessly to Taloja and Navde.
“Known for its well-planned infrastructure, green cover, and educational institutions, Kharghar is poised to witness a new phase of growth once the coastal road becomes operational. Kharghar coastal road is estimated to be ready by 2029 if everything goes as per plan,” an official from CIDCO said.
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