ONDC, NRAI reaffirm partnership, deny pause in engagement on food delivery push

ONDC, NRAI reaffirm partnership, deny pause in engagement on food delivery push

The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) on May 1, in a joint statement with the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) have denied any pause or withdrawal of engagement.

The collaboration between NRAI and ONDC remains active, deliberate, and forward-looking. In fact, both organisations are working more strategically than ever to shape a robust, inclusive framework that supports the growth and digital empowerment of food businesses across the country, the joint statement read.

“We have not paused anything. Our engagement with ONDC is ongoing and purposeful. We are currently in the process of building a viable and scalable model and engaging in discussions through ONDC's Food Council which includes participation of all stakeholders, like restaurateurs and Network Participants and NRAI,” said Sagar Daryani, President, NRAI.

“This is not a step back — it's a step forward, focused on doing this right. We continue to believe in the transformative power of ONDC’s open, interoperable network for our members and the broader food service ecosystem. Hoping to make this viable and work together,” he added.

Marichi Mathur, SVP at ONDC said: “We have an ongoing engagement with the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and together, we are working to build an inclusive, transparent, and interoperable network that empowers lakhs of restaurants and food brands to participate in digital commerce on their own terms.”

According to Mathur, the partnership between ONDC and NRAI is “crucial to driving access, visibility, and equitable growth” for food businesses of all sizes – from neighbourhood outlets to national brands.

Meanwhile, NRAI is also in talks with new entrants in the food delivery space, such as Rapido, for tie-ups in the future.

ONDC recorded an all-time high of 1.6 crore transactions in March, more than double the volume from a year ago, and crossed 20 crore cumulative transactions during the month.

ONDC transactions are broadly classified into three categories - mobility (ride-hailing), retail (food, grocery, fashion, and electronics), and logistics.