BENGALURU: Starting from Thursday, Hopcoms is hosting a special fruit fair at select outlets till November 11 to celebrate Deepavali and Kannada Rajyotsava.
The Horticultural Producers’ Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society (Hopcoms) also launched an online platform on Wednesday via the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to expand its reach.
Through this platform, customers can purchase Hopcoms produce using apps such as Paytm, Snapdeal and Pincode, all connected to the ONDC network. This digital move follows a successful one-year pilot aimed at making fresh produce more accessible. To further extend its online presence, Hopcoms has teamed up with Jakkur Technoparks Pvt Ltd to sell its produce on the Nearshop app, beginning November 1.
Agriculture department joint director and Hopcoms managing director Umesh Shankar Mirji highlighted that the initiative supports farmers and expands Hopcoms market reach. “Some of our outlets faced closures due to staff shortage, but we are now focusing on both in-person and online channels,” he added.
The ONDC platform, a government of India initiative, enables merchants to join via seller representatives. Around 100 Hopcoms outlets in the city are already registered, with delivery charges included in product prices. Karnataka is one of the first states in the country to introduce fruits and vegetables on ONDC, apart from Delhi, which delivers dairy products.
Hopcoms has also partnered with the Bangalore Apartments’ Federation (BAF) to expand its physical sales by setting up mobile stalls at member apartment complexes. The project will be expanded city-wide based on feedback.