ONDC Promotes Open and Inclusive Digital Commerce Ecosystem

22 Dec 2025 CW Team

The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is enabling a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory digital marketplace by creating an open ecosystem that allows sellers to reach customers across multiple platforms. Unlike traditional e-commerce platforms that operate in closed silos, ONDC removes platform-specific restrictions and ensures equal discoverability for all sellers, irrespective of size, scale or digital sophistication. Open protocols and common network specifications enhance transparency and prevent biased or opaque listing practices, while seller-side applications make full catalogues visible across buyer-side apps. Buyer-side apps, in turn, disclose key parameters used for search ranking and listings, enabling sellers to improve visibility through informed participation. Recently, the Ministry of MSME’s Trade Enablement and Marketing (TEAM) scheme has accelerated adoption of digital commerce by supporting SMEs, Self Help Groups, Farmer Producer Organisations, artisans, rural entrepreneurs and local retailers through ONDC. The scheme focuses on digital literacy, awareness, cataloguing and onboarding, with 50 per cent of beneficiaries targeted as women-led enterprises. As of 9 December 2025, more than 1,16,000 retail sellers from over 630 cities and towns are live on the ONDC network. By lowering entry barriers and enabling interoperability across multiple applications, ONDC is increasing competition, improving price transparency and offering consumers wider choice across products and services.

Infrastructure Transport

01 Jun 2026

MMRDA advances 250 m on Orange Gate–Marine Drive tunnel

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has completed 250 m of underground tunnelling for the Orange Gate–Marine Drive Urban Road Tunnel using India’s largest slurry shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) deployed for an urban road project.The project involves twin tunnels extending over 7 km beneath critical transport corridors, including Central Railway, Western Railway and Metro Line 3. The work requires high-precision engineering to navigate densely developed urban infrastructure.Once completed, the tunnel is expected to reduce travel time between Orange Gate and Marin..

Hindustan Zinc Pays Rs 188.46 Billion in FY26

Hindustan Zinc contributed Rs 188.46 billion to the public exchequer in FY 2025-26, according to its 9th Tax Transparency Report. The contribution, equivalent to 46 per cent of the company’s revenue, included direct and indirect taxes, government royalties, dividends to the Government of India, withholding taxes and other statutory levies.The company’s five-year cumulative contribution to the exchequer stood at Rs 915.72 billion. In FY26, Hindustan Zinc reported revenue of Rs 408.44 billion, EBITDA of Rs 221.62 billion and profit after tax of Rs 138.32 billion. It also achieved its highest..

World of Concrete India 2026 Opens in Mumbai

Informa Markets in India will host the 12th edition of World of Concrete India 2026 from 3–5 June 2026 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The specialised B2B exhibition will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, developers, architects, consultants, infrastructure companies, project leaders and government stakeholders.The event is expected to feature over 350 brands and more than 18,000 trade professionals. It will cover concrete and cement, dry mortar, precast technologies, formwork, construction chemicals, industrial and commercial flooring, scaffolding, safety solutio..