New Delhi, Dec. 22 -- The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is emerging as a key instrument to democratise e-commerce in India by enabling micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to access nationwide markets without being tied to platform-centric monopolies, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal told Parliament.

Democratising E-commerce for MSMEs

The minister said ONDC differs fundamentally from conventional e-commerce platforms by operating as an open and interoperable network rather than a closed ecosystem.

Sellers on ONDC can reach customers across multiple buyer applications without being constrained by platform-specific terms and conditions.

In addition, the Ministry of MSME's Trade Enablement and Marketing (TEAM...