BENGALURU: Zoho Corporation has invested Rs 70 crores in Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), aiming to support the growth of sovereign technology and strengthen digital commerce access for small businesses in India.
The investment is expected to help expand ONDC’s ecosystem and encourage more businesses to adopt digital platforms. Zoho said the move aligns with its focus on accessibility, inclusion and technology built for Indian businesses.
“India’s economy depends heavily on MSMEs, yet they face challenges on all fronts—from limited market access to structural constraints imposed by conventional digital platforms that rarely align with their unique needs. ONDC, which is an excellent initiative, gives power back to MSMEs, enabling them to expand their customer reach and achieve sustainable growth,” said Sivaramakrishnan Iswaran, CEO of Zoho Payment Technologies and Global Head of Finance and Operations BU, Zoho.
He added, “Zoho shares with ONDC its philosophy of building sovereign technology to champion accessibility, flexibility, and inclusion of businesses of every size. We further believe that the private sector must play its part in nation-building.”
ONDC is developing an open digital commerce network designed to improve interoperability and reduce barriers for businesses entering online markets. The platform said it enabled 218 million transactions in FY 2025–26.
Zoho has already been working with MSMEs through products including Vikra, Zoho Books, Zoho Inventory and Zoho Commerce, helping businesses connect with buyers through the ONDC network.
ONDC said its initiatives have also expanded beyond retail. The DigiDukaan programme has onboarded more than 10,000 kirana stores within months of launch, while commerce involving farmers, artisans and rural sellers reportedly grew 11 times during FY 2025–26.