The Indian Government’s Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and tech giant Google Cloud have joined forces to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The partnership marks a crucial step forward in the evolution of e-commerce in India. ONDC and Google Cloud are set to kickstart an extensive India-wide hackathon, dubbed ‘Build for Bharat,’ with the primary objective of catalysing innovation and tackling key challenges faced by the next billion digital users in the country.
The hackathon’s overarching goal is to devise solutions that democratise access to digital commerce, irrespective of an individual’s digital literacy, geographic location, or economic status. Additionally, it seeks to nurture an open ecosystem, encouraging active participation from developers, students, and startups to foster innovation within the ONDC framework.
T Koshy, Managing Director, and CEO at ONDC, emphasised the significance of this collaborative endeavour, stating, “This hackathon is a step closer to our vision of forging an inclusive and accessible digital commerce arena for every Indian, transcending all backgrounds.”
The ‘Build for Bharat’ hackathon will span a three-month duration, with an impressive target of 100,000 participants. To empower these participants, the event will provide mentoring, guidance, and essential resources to tackle common e-commerce challenges. These challenges include enhancing supply chain visibility, creating more personalised consumer experiences, and optimising inventory management.
Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, underscored the transformative potential of this collaboration, stating, “Our collaboration creates an opportunity for organisations across India to reach larger audiences and expand their businesses, ultimately driving the adoption of digital commerce in the country.”
