Universities want to collaborate with ONDC, says UGC chairman

According to Koshy, universities can incorporate the learning opportunities unlocked through ONDC and its impact into the learning curriculums.

Universities and colleges want to team up with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to develop courses, said University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar during a virtual session with Thampy Koshy, CEO, ONDC.

Kumar said the collaboration can also focus on boosting entrepreneurship, training in open commerce and making use of trainer opportunities for faculty members. Referring to the National Education Policy (NEP), the UGC chief has been batting for collaboration between industry and academia to make students ready for an ever-evolving world of work.

Incorporated in December 2021,  ONDC is an initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) -- under the Ministry of Commerce -- to create a facilitative model that revolutionises digital commerce, giving greater thrust to the penetration of retail e-commerce in India.

According to Koshy, universities can incorporate the learning opportunities unlocked through ONDC and its impact into the learning curriculums and leverage the network to expand outreach through online education.

He added that ONDC will also unlock employment opportunities both in practice and research for technology and policy.

The ONDC has been tried by 60 percent of e-commerce users to order food through apps like Magicpin, Ola, and Paytm, according to a survey by Bank of America (BofA).

The survey showed that 11 percent did not like the ONDC service experience and stopped using it, 16 percent are willing to give it a try, and 12 percent do not intend to use it.

“What surprised us is 60 percent of users have tried ordering from ONDC and would likely continue to do more,” BofA analysts wrote in a note.