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Ecommerce platform Snapdeal is all set to make its debut on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) later next month. 

Snapdeal signed the onboarding agreement earlier this month and is in the advanced stages of completing its integration on the platform. The company is targeting a pan-India launch by mid-August.

During the initial phases of the launch, Snapdeal will serve more than 2,500 cities and towns across the country and will add more places as ONDC expands its reach over the course of the year. 

“Snapdeal’s launch on ONDC will be supported by a network of sellers from North (Delhi-NCR, Jaipur, Agra, Ludhiana), West (Surat, Rajkot, Mumbai), South (Tirupur, Chennai, Bengaluru) and East (Kolkata, Guwahati), amongst others,” the ecommerce platform said in a statement

Snapdeal will be launched on the much-touted ONDC platform across three key categories – fashion, home, and beauty and personal care. Snapdeal will also partner various third-party logistics vendors to deliver items and may also look to explore the ‘On-network’ logistics options available on the platform.

“Snapdeal’s on-boarding on ONDC will accelerate our efforts to reach a wider audience of buyers and sellers and also cover larger parts of the country…We also look forward to working closely with them to build an online ecosystem that truly serves the needs of the country,” ONDC chief executive officer (CEO) T Koshy said.

The move is part of Snapdeal’s bid to shore up its user base and strengthen its position in smaller cities and towns. The ecommerce major draws more than 86% of its orders from non-metro cities. 

Snapdeal joins a list of big names that have announced plans to list on ONDC, such as a host of Flipkart subsidiaries, Dunzo, Paytm, Meesho, among others.

ONDC is in talks with close to 200 companies to onboard them on the network as it looks to enhance ‘visibility and access for sellers’.

Launched in April this year, the project is currently operating on a pilot basis in 20 cities. Of these, 15 new cities were reportedly added earlier on Monday (July 18), including Noida, Faridabad, Lucknow, Bijnor, Bhopal, Chhindwara, Kolkata, Pune, Chennai, Kannur, Thrissur, Udipi, Kanchipura, Pollachi, Mannar and Ramnathpuram.

Backed by the government of India, ONDC is an open protocol-based digital commerce platform that enables buyers and sellers across multiple segments to list on the platform and transact with customers. 

The project has grabbed eyeballs and is touted as one of the biggest projects by the Centre in recent years. 

According to an Inc42 report, the country’s total addressable ecommerce market opportunity is projected to reach $200 Bn by 2026.