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Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has asserted that companies should register their main platforms on ONDC and allow customers to access other products on the network instead of building a separate app.

Speaking at an event organised by ONDC on April 25, Goyal also suggested that ONDC CEO T Koshy should remove any company that has partially registered with the network.

“When I talk to large enterprises like HUL and ITC, they say that they want to empower smaller retailers so their distribution network gets stronger,” said Koshy at the event. At the moment, it is working with ITC and other large companies to bring their retail networks to ONDC.

ONDC is also working with organisations like NABARD to create digital education for smaller retailers so they could fulfil the orders in the “most efficient fashion”. Retailers will be taught appropriate packaging methods and track shipments across India using technologies like QR codes and barcodes.

After hearing suggestions from the audience, Goyal and Koshy acknowledged the need to anonymise and publish sales data within the network to improve inventory and logistics management.

“We need to identify and approach companies (that have a large retail network) and onboard them on the network through the company’s platform or other smaller platforms and offer their various outputs,” Goyal suggested.

In a separate development, as per Koshy, ONDC will launch gift coupons before Diwali, which can be exchanged for products on the network.